Long & low - when unridden?

[sonjafoers]

I regularly ride & lead and one of my horses has started changing her 'shape' when she is the one being led and we are working uphill. When she starts to get a bit tired she is lowering her head & neck and seems to be really powering on from behind.

Now to my novice mind this is a good thing and it seems to me she is working over her back more and using herself to get up the hill, however I could be completely wrong & she is doing it because something is uncomfortable.

She does work in an 'outline' when ridden uphill and my leg is on but is she doing the same thing when riderless or am I missing something obvious?

 

[Littlelegs]

Hard to say without seeing. It could be she's just dropping her head cos she's tired, or she could be working. Up a decent hill a horse has to use its back end regardless of how it usually moves. That's why hill work is so good. But a horse that uses itself ridden correctly on a regular basis will do it without a rider too, just think of lunging a schooled horse in just a cavesson, the quarters and back are still used & the head drops.

 

[sonjafoers]

Thank you littlelegs, she isn't just lowering her head & neck straight down if you see what I mean, she has a much lower head & neck carriage but it still has a slight arch to the neck.

Also it's not when she's absolutely pooped, just when she has to work a bit harder up a decent hill. She does it when ridden too but I ask her to do it with leg aids and give/retake of the reins.

It's quite hard to see the exact shape she's making when you're riding another so I just thought I'd query it