Older mare with a dipped back

[cristinaee2]

Hi everyone, just looking for some advice. My mare is 23 but still healthy and happy to be in work. She has had a chilled winter so is lacking in top line resulting in a dipped back. I’m now on a mission to get her fit to help her mostly so I was just wondering if anyone could give some suggestions on exercises we can use to help her (***we also don’t have access to any schools or arenas so all work is done hacking) Thank you ?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Hill work is good but I would make sure you are getting her engaged so the back muscles can improve, carrot stretches either side high up and low down one's and as she gets stronger aim for a 5 second stretch and you can also use a tail pull to each side on each stretch but you have to build up to those.

Also make sure your saddle is lifted off the muscles shims can help fill in the hollow bits while they improve, otherwise it will just prevent the muscle coming back.

 

[cristinaee2]

Hill work is good but I would make sure you are getting her engaged so the back muscles can improve, carrot stretches either side high up and low down one's and as she gets stronger aim for a 5 second stretch and you can also use a tail pull to each side on each stretch but you have to build up to those.

Also make sure your saddle is lifted off the muscles shims can help fill in the hollow bits while they improve, otherwise it will just prevent the muscle coming back.

Thank you! Will definitely start doing more carrot stretches! Hills are no problem around me, hill work for my horses is daily?? yes unfortunately at the moment until she looses abit of weight I’ll be riding only bareback? thank you so much tho

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

My older mare has always had a sway back and our physio showed me how to use my fingers to push under her tummy in a line from chest to almost udder to encourage her to lift upwards.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My older mare has always had a sway back and our physio showed me how to use my fingers to push under her tummy in a line from chest to almost udder to encourage her to lift upwards.

That is a good one my gelding is not keen on the pressure from using my fingers so I use a hair shedder all along the tummy to get him to lift, then do a few strokes along back to get him to relax his back and then repeat along the tummy.

He especially likes this at the moment because his itchy from moulting