Schooling a horse with no topline?

[wellsat]

Any recommendations/tips for schooling a horse with no topline?

Gerry is reasonably fit and has been out jumping BN with his previous owner but has no topline and needs alot of work if we're going to turn him into an eventer.

What would you recommend as a weekly schooling plan? We do have good hacking so thinking lots of trotting up hills but won't be able to do this in the evenings so will need ideas for keeping his schooling varied.

 

[aidybex]

Lunging with a pessoa can help - especially if ever limited for time with schooling.

I had a few lessons on my boy to help guide me where I needed to be when schooling to fully develop top line. Once someone on the ground has helped I do all the little exercises in the school and hacking out.

 

[bigboyrocky]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=391217

dieing to try this out with my boy whos had a month and a half off due to lameness, as hes lost all his topline and has got a big belly! This is my plan...

day 1- lunge
day 2- school
day 3- canter work
day 4- lunge
day 5- hack
day 6- canter work
day 7- day off

and then repeated.. (obv building the time of lunging up slowly, and the speed/time of canter work) planning on doing simular to this for a month or two just purely to get his topline more back to where is should be and to build up strength (and hopefully slowly burn off some of the belly too!)... before we start thinking about competing again (cant afford to before!!) hopefully do some BS on a ticket and unaff DR, before eventing next year

Everyones said its really helped, so cant wait to see if it works for him

(sorry my reply is a bit me,me,me - just sorted out what our plans are, and cant wait to get back on him!)

 

[wellsat]

Thanks Ellie, sounds like a good plan. Wouldn't normally lunge more than once a week but think that it'll probably help in the circumstances. Going to clip the beast tomorrow and then the work really begins

 

[star]

trotting up hills is bad! either walk or canter. walk builds up the bum muscles. canter develops cardio-vascular fitness. correct schooling will build up good neck muscles.

i have a similar horse - been out BS with previous owner, but not had much schooling and I want to turn him into an eventer so we're going hunting, some fast hacks and one good schooling session a week including lots of long and low work. Worked fab with my last horse so following the same methods again. No lunging for me - personally I can work them far better from on board.

 

[floradora09]

I'm no expert myself but my flatwork instructor says to work them a little deeper to encourage them to loosen through the neck and let go through the back. He also tells me to do flexions to help with loosening the neck up. Once their neck's soft and they've let go through their back they can start to get that really nice swinging elastic trot. By riding them a little deeper it helps build up the muscle and is a much more natural position for the horse because of it's anatomy, then for tests just bring them up a little more (which they won't struggle with as they're neck is soft and they've built up enough muscle to support themselves from the deeper work). Hope that makes sense! I had an enlightening lesson with him yesterday with my 15yo TB, who gets very fixed through his neck and doesn't let go over his back. It's suprising how easy it is to pop them into a 'test' outline when you've done all the deeper work at home/warming up. Maybe your boy needs a little work before getting to this stage, but when you start schooling him you could try that to build up the muscles along his topline. xx