LG's Skivvy
Active Member
Hi,
My horse is coming along quite nicely but he still needs to build a fair bit of muscle, he looks slightly hollow in his hind quarters and finds it hard to really engage his hind quarters.
I want to do some focussed work on top line and hind quarter muscle, I've been searching around the internet and hill work seems to be the recurring factor but I've no hills to work on.
I'm not really one for too many training aids but I've used a pessoa (copy) on him previously and started using it again though I've never been convinced of it. He tends to fight against it and shove his head up in the air rather than working long and low - maybe I am doing something wrong. I've tried a chambon twice, the first time I borrowed a friends, he reared up and snapped it. The second time I bought one but it pulled the bit so far up in his mouth I never used it again, maybe it was too small? maybe I should persist?
I'm also trying to trying to vary his head carriage, working up for increasing periods of time followed by stretching him down, lots of transitions, half halts, leg yeilding on a circle
What else can I do to build his muscle? he has a tendancy to work on the forehand and does get very tight through his chest and shoulders.
It feels like I'm working hard and achieving very little at the moment... I might be working hard in the wrong ways. On the other hand though maybe I'm just to close to him to see the changes.
I should probably add we don't do jumping.
I'm fairly new, go easy on me... please... any advice is welcome
My horse is coming along quite nicely but he still needs to build a fair bit of muscle, he looks slightly hollow in his hind quarters and finds it hard to really engage his hind quarters.
I want to do some focussed work on top line and hind quarter muscle, I've been searching around the internet and hill work seems to be the recurring factor but I've no hills to work on.
I'm not really one for too many training aids but I've used a pessoa (copy) on him previously and started using it again though I've never been convinced of it. He tends to fight against it and shove his head up in the air rather than working long and low - maybe I am doing something wrong. I've tried a chambon twice, the first time I borrowed a friends, he reared up and snapped it. The second time I bought one but it pulled the bit so far up in his mouth I never used it again, maybe it was too small? maybe I should persist?
I'm also trying to trying to vary his head carriage, working up for increasing periods of time followed by stretching him down, lots of transitions, half halts, leg yeilding on a circle
What else can I do to build his muscle? he has a tendancy to work on the forehand and does get very tight through his chest and shoulders.
It feels like I'm working hard and achieving very little at the moment... I might be working hard in the wrong ways. On the other hand though maybe I'm just to close to him to see the changes.
I should probably add we don't do jumping.
I'm fairly new, go easy on me... please... any advice is welcome