Teaching an older horse

[Loopypony]

My mare is now 11 and for the past 5 years of ownership has been in work for 2 of those years at a push due to lameness issues!

She's now been given a clean bill of health and the go-ahead to be in full work with no limitations. I've been riding her properly for the past 2-3 months, however have only recently started work in the school.
Now, she's never worked correctly with me. She pokes her nose out like a beach donkey and plods along!! I've tried the usual asking to come round, stretching down etc. but am struggling. I am unable to lunge her so I am somewhat limited I guess.
I find her very stiff but she's been checked by the chiropractor and sports therapist who both say it's down to training her muscles rather than a physical pain preventing her from bending etc.

So, any ideas on how to teach her to go long and low, stretch down properly and bend?! I can probably manage a bit of lungeing but due to her previous hisory I don't want to push her on the lunge.

ETA: she is starting to work round in short bursts but I want her to bend and stretch before working round!

 

[Littlelegs]

I'd do it out hacking, with a reasonably loose contact same as with a youngster. Out hacking she's more likely to be forwards so just work on nice loose forwards paces, once you have that she'll drop long & low herself. Going uphill is fab too.

 

[Loopypony]

She's really spooky and sharp to hack so she tends to be a lot more tense when out hacking unfortunately! Will attempt it though.

Sometimes I do wish she was younger, found my big lad much easier to break & train than retraining my little mare!