lacking condition/top line, help

[fizz-tally]

this is my horse jay, he has been back in work for 12 weeks after a year off.

he is a very strong lad & i am struggling to hold him together at the moment.

any exercises that we can do to help with the top line & build his muscle up/fix the neck?

condition wise he gets stressed very easily & drops weight

any help would be fab

ps i know his conformation is not good before anyone says

 

[GTs]

With a horse like that I would make him work long and low, and plenty of hill work. I think if you force him into a frame to strengthen his back, you will have complications - he does not look the sort that would be too good at it.

PS I like your tying up job

 

[moodymare1987]

lovely horse, not sure what you could do sorry cant help xx What has he done to his fetlock. got him self a bit of a cut, One of his whites, Probably just brushed it with other foot. xxx

 

[fizz-tally]

he was having a tantrum as i took fizz out the paddock,went faffing about & nicked himself,was just about to clean him up when i took pics

thats the leg he damaged,hence the year off.

gt, we live on the pentland hills in edinburgh so does hill work every day

struggle to get him bum under him though

 

[fizz-tally]

i lobbed it over there to take a pic,he will snap any bit of twine you tie him to but doesnt even try when looped like that

i dont do it now,moved yards

 

[WelshRareBit]

He has the same sort of look as Murphy - how big is he?
I am starting next week to lunge Murphy with two lines - the emphasis being on long and low like GTs said. I am experimenting with lots of things at the moment to see what works for him.
By the way your boy is lovely!!

 

[fizz-tally]

thank you, he is 17.1hh at those massive withers, but 16.2hh a tad further down, he is id x tb

will try the long reining next week i think

 

[TGM]

I don't think there is anything wrong with him weight-wise. However, as you probably realise, he has a massive wither, which I suspect makes his topline looks worse than it is. Echo everyone else - lots of slow calm work in a long, low outline will help. Also lots of transitions both between paces and within paces (ie slow trot to fast trot) will help get his back end working.

 

[fizz-tally]

thanks, you cant really tell from those pics but hes tucked up a bit.

he got totally stressed on tuesday when i took fizz out, came back & he was shaking & had rivers of sweat running down him

 

[GTs]

[ QUOTE ]
i lobbed it over there to take a pic,he will snap any bit of twine you tie him to but doesnt even try when looped like that

[/ QUOTE ]

I never use twine - I think it is silly, with good horses lob it over like you do. Our cart horses are so chill, we do not even have lead ropes, they just stand there.

How are you doing the hill work? Running up them? Walk up them, head as low as it will go.

 

[fizz-tally]

we have been doing power walking up most off them, we are taking things slowly re bringing back into work as we dont want to risk his leg.

last week or so he has been jogging up them as he has been stressing to get home

 

[the watcher]

Is lunging an option..I would agree with encouraging him to work log and low and through his back, a pessoa style lunging aid would help, on the lowest setting. I would make allowances for the leg and make circles huge and slow.

Variety is the key I think, especially if he associates parts of your hack with the route home and time to stress

Diet wise I would go with lots of forage and fibre, pink powder or even aloe juice to ease digestion and avoid cereals..

He doesn't look so bad, considering he is coming back in to work and I think you will see a real difference in 4-6 weeks..more photos needed then!

 

[fizz-tally]

yip we can lunge, was planning to lunge tomorrow as i dont ride fridays & he had today off due to weather.

he is on hifi/pasture nuts/speedibeet & ad lib hay,haylage doesnt agree with him.

he has plenty of energy but i think its stress energy,he wants back to fizz

 

[sillygillyhorse]

Another who would say lunge him long and low making sure he is usint his backside. Personally I prefer to use two reins to do this as it gives you far more control of the outside of the horse, you can keep them much straighter and prevent them falling out through the shoulder and making egg shapes rather than circles. this type of work will built a strong topline and also tone his tummy muscles.

If he will not go in two reins the pessoa is good option but IMO not as effective as the two reins. Don't forget which ever method you choose it will be hard work for him so keep the sessions short, go for quality not quantity.

He looks a really useful sort, hope you get him back to full fitness and have fun.

 

[bellgave]

If you are going to lunge make sure you do it in side reins or even beter a pessoa as this will get him in a good out line and get his bum under him.

 

[fizz-tally]

thanks everyone

he hunted & x /c before his injury & i would love to slowly get him up to doing some local sj again

 

[GTs]

My concern with side reins, or a possoa is it will force him too much - his build does not favor being forced into a frame. That is just MHO, could be wrong having never seen the chap move.

 

[AmyMay]

What a lovely looking horse. Whatever work you are doing certainly seems to be paying off, I think he looks wonderful.

I think that ultimately you may not get the kind of top line you are after though because he has such a high wither. My loan horse is exactly the same. Despite always being ridden correctly etc she has a pretty cr*p if non existent top line because she is so high withered.

Anyway - I think he looks wonderful.

 

[Parkranger]

Firstly he looks lovely now - just needs a bit of muscle and work! I'd put him on baileys topline (really helped my boy) and lots of hillwork in walk and schooling to get him working from behind. I'd agree with GTS about pessoa's etc...I think they're great but more for horses who are already half way there - my boy fought and fought working in an outline - 3 weeks later my instructor can't believe how well he's going.....the minute my legs are back and in a nice classical position, head down, bend and bum moving forward. However, we're only at that stage in walk but we'll get there.

It's obviously going to take him but he basics are there I think - you'll be fine....

x

 

[fizz-tally]

thanks again everyone