Stretch/massage/ridden exercises for.....

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Ginn

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Rhomboideus, trapezius, latissimus dorsi and long head of triceps muscles. (See slightly rubbish pic below - note this is a 2yr old image of her, I couldn't find a recent one).

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Noticed after work tonight that T is lovely and soft (especially her bum!) everywhere but these areas so am looking to loosen her up a little through stretches, massage and any ridden work suggested.

She is also much stiffer on her right rein, any tips for improving and suppling this??

Any suggestions very much appreciated!
 
carrot stretches to both sides, stretching down towards the floor and higher up around your body. Also between the front legs as far as she can go. Foreleg stretches out from the body.

Ridden: if she is stiff on her right rein she is hollow to the left. Her hind leg is probably not tracking straight and the quarters are swinging out. Lots of shoulder fore/shoulder in on the right, and travers (with very little neck bend) on the left to activate her hind leg. These exercises are particularly good on a circle. You need to get her truly into your outside rein on the right rein, and try to elongate the muscles on the left.

Hope this helps!
 
Thanks, all sounds very useful. Spot on about her not tracking straight too. Oddly though in canter she swings her quarters in on the right rein, throwing the left shoulder out so that she is leading as it were with the right shoulder. Consequently we are anything but straight and she ends up very cross because unsuprisingly she finds it difficult. However, in trot she is better on the right rein though very stiff through the shoulder and really struggles with SI left?!??

Am getting someone up to look at her back but general feeling from instructor is that it is a schooling issue which needs time correcting first and then following up if no improvement after a few weeks....
 
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Thanks, all sounds very useful. Spot on about her not tracking straight too. Oddly though in canter she swings her quarters in on the right rein, throwing the left shoulder out so that she is leading as it were with the right shoulder. Consequently we are anything but straight and she ends up very cross because unsuprisingly she finds it difficult. However, in trot she is better on the right rein though very stiff through the shoulder and really struggles with SI left?!??[ QUOTE ]


EXACTLY same as mine. down to a tee. I have worked out however alot of it is down to me - i am going to have physio as i am blocked in my pelvis on left side, and left shoulder wants to fall forward. not sure if my crookedness created my horses problem or she created mine, but i am going to get straighter then see if helps horse - i too do SI to try to help and as she throws quarters in at canter on right rein, we are working on canter shoulder fore to bring shoulders in so in front of quarters...and when she is straight she does come round. Not saying you are crooked but i didnt notice it til my instructor picked it - worth having a ride round and think am i level in my pelvis etc...
 
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In horse and rider this month there is a double page spread on massage, not sure if this is any help...

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I'll buy my copy tomorrow!
 
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Thanks, all sounds very useful. Spot on about her not tracking straight too. Oddly though in canter she swings her quarters in on the right rein, throwing the left shoulder out so that she is leading as it were with the right shoulder. Consequently we are anything but straight and she ends up very cross because unsuprisingly she finds it difficult. However, in trot she is better on the right rein though very stiff through the shoulder and really struggles with SI left?!??

Am getting someone up to look at her back but general feeling from instructor is that it is a schooling issue which needs time correcting first and then following up if no improvement after a few weeks....

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It sounds as though she is weak on her LEFT hind leg if the quarters are coming in - she's going like a banana on that rein? The left hind is being placed medially and the right is taking more weight. this is why she struggles with shoulder in left.

I'd have her seen by a VERY GOOD physio to make sure there isn't any physical issue (pelvis etc). Gentle work to strengthen the left hind, shoulder in in walk, in hand work, all this will help. Right canter will be hard because it is the outside hind that initiates and takes all the weight in the canter stride.

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Thanks, all sounds very useful. Spot on about her not tracking straight too. Oddly though in canter she swings her quarters in on the right rein, throwing the left shoulder out so that she is leading as it were with the right shoulder. Consequently we are anything but straight and she ends up very cross because unsuprisingly she finds it difficult. However, in trot she is better on the right rein though very stiff through the shoulder and really struggles with SI left?!??

Am getting someone up to look at her back but general feeling from instructor is that it is a schooling issue which needs time correcting first and then following up if no improvement after a few weeks....


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It sounds as though she is weak on her LEFT hind leg if the quarters are coming in - she's going like a banana on that rein? The left hind is being placed medially and the right is taking more weight. this is why she struggles with shoulder in left.

I'd have her seen by a VERY GOOD physio to make sure there isn't any physical issue (pelvis etc). Gentle work to strengthen the left hind, shoulder in in walk, in hand work, all this will help. Right canter will be hard because it is the outside hind that initiates and takes all the weight in the canter stride.



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HS -i think you hit nail on head - but will add that trainer did say which Ginn has missed out that T has improved greatly over a 3 week period and looking more balenced and stronger, plus she did go lovely in session
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Kezimac - I know a LOT of this stems from me! I am stronger through my right thigh but buggered my R knee years ago so it all goes a bit to pot from there down along with collapsing through my right hip. However, coordination is much stronger on R side and L leg is deffo weaker all the way down. (If that makes any sense!?) Have had years of physio in the past and nothing seemed to make any difference beyond a certain point but recently was introduced to gym ball (big swiss balls) which as made me so much more aware of assymetries in myself and exactly what I need to adjust weight wise to correct which has made a huge difference to my riding (and made me so, so much more secure and balanced in the saddle).

Halfstep - THANKYOU!! Makes total sense. For some odd reason I'd always thought it was the inside hind that took the weight in canter but thinking about it you're right in that if she can't come through enough with the outside hind, left in her case then it will cause her quarters to swing in. I'm therefore thinking that in canter I need to be using more outside leg in canter to encourage the outside hind through and under more rather than inside (which is what I've been doing) to push the quarters over, which actually ends up with the inside coming through more and probably exaserbates the problem??? Will also start incorporating LOTS of lateral work into schooling and really focus on it out hacking too.

As K_O says she has actually improved hugely in the last few weeks and feels so much stronger, straighter and softer to ride which I think is largely to do with lunging 3x a week to build up muscle and strength without idiot rider bouncing around onboard and confusing matters!! Just want to nip all these little things in the bud early so they don't become big issues later on. Plan is to get physio out in about 3 weeks after what will be a 6 week bootcamp period just to give her the once over but its a bit chicken and egg.... if weakness is caused through schooling (or lack of!) then need to give time for schooling to imrpove and strengthen (and given that she is improving I think this is probably the reason for it) BUT want to ensure there is nothing physical which could also be contributing to problem or limiting progress...
 
Hi! Glad to make sense (for a change LOL)
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In right canter, ride shoulder in all the time. She'll find it really hard but try to insist. Let your outside leg sit behind the girth but don't use it, just "guard" with it. Think of brining the shoulders in front of the quarters at all times. A really good strenthening exercise for the left hind is quarter walk pirouettes on a square.

She's lovely by the way!
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Excellent!! Will definately try that next time I ride. With the walk pirouettes do you mean ride a 1/4 pirouette in each corner of the square?

And thankyou for the "lovely" comment, means a lot!
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