Too much under neck muscle, not enough topline!

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PonyRiders

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Hi
I've not had my horse long and when I got him he was extremelly muscley under his neck with very little top line. The previous owners use to let him work with his head high, hollow in the back and very lazy behind.

Just wondering if anyone has any good ways of helping to build the topline and reduce the under neck muscle. He is struggling to flex and carry himself well atm due to the excessive under neck muscle. I'm currently working him on a long rein and encourage him to realy strech and let go over his back and to work from behind.

ridden and ground work ideas please

:)
 
Just wondering if anyone has any good ways of helping to build the topline and reduce the under neck muscle.
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Work him properly - without asking to much of him at this stage, and it will rectify. But it will take time.

He doesn't need to work on the bit, but he should work in to the contact.

I'm a great fan of hacking to get horses working properly - so my advice would always to be to hack, hack and hack some more. Always making sure the horse is striding out, and working well in to the contact (but again, not particularly on the bit).

You have no quick fix for this one though.
 
Correct work and some stretches on the ground getting him to flex his head and neck did it for my boy. I dont think theres any quick fixes and it takes a long time but as you see them every day its harder to notice untill you look back.
 
I have exactly the same problem with my horse. 2 weeks ago i had the back lady come and she recommended carrot stretches particularly getting him to reach between his front feet.

She recommended some other carrot stretches also (he doesnt bend very well in neck) and i can already see an improvement!
 
Lots of hacking on a long rein encouraging him to stretch down, then when you school him work him correctly from behind and into a contact to get him starting to use his topline.

Remember that at first he will tire very quickly so won't be able to do huge amounts of work "on the bit". Let him stretch down regularly to recover.

To help get him working correctly do lots of transitions and changes of bend so that he works from behind. Make sure your transitions are sharp and crisp and come from behind.

Depending upon your level of experience and how he reacts to the schooling etc you could also help encourage him to use the right muscles by lunging in a pessoa or equi-ami or bungee, or riding in something like a harbridge/market harborough/bungee/chambon. This should only be used for short periods to help him build the correct muscles, should be adjusted so as not to push him too hard and should not be considered a substitute for correct riding.
 
My cob came with a similiar neck, but a year on there has been a vast improvement.

I use either side reins or a lungee bungee and lunge twice a week in these, and even when hacking, ask for an outline for at least half of the ride.

He is always fed hay from the ground.

Good luck!
 
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why dont you try this....... somone obviously thought it was a good idea at some point.
402661_237444193016480_100002527022497_490715_1567202349_n.jpg

:cool::eek::eek::eek::eek:
but in serriousness, try and get the horse to relax and go long and low, i had the same problem with my mare and i found loose bungee reins on the lunge really helped her.
 
As above, don't worry about 'an outline' or contact but always ride with more leg than hand. A horse that is ridden properly (and has the correct musculature) will hold itself in an outline even without reins. Hacking over different kinds of terrain helps to develop the right muscles and whatever you do don't feed from a net, that will only make matters worse.
You will need to be very patient, it will take a long time.
 
Make sure his saddle fits and there are no back issues. Horses are very good at compensating for their way of going if something is uncomfortable. An over developed under-neck can be a way of avoiding using back muscles due to pain. Not saying it will be this but something worth eliminating before you try and work at it through schooling....I speak from experience!! :rolleyes:
 
I got my horse straight out of playing polo, so she had very backwards muscles. Took about a year to correct them. Lots of streching etc. However, it still takes her a while to totally submit & stretch down, i think this comes from always being upside down. Dont give up tho! Will happen!
 
i have a pessoa - lovely bit of kit - sounds like it could help your po out, really encourages the long and low stuff, my old horse was very upright and after using the pessoa a few weeks he was scooping up sand in his nostrils lol
 
I'm def a fan of the pessoa and the carrot stretches! I have also used an item which I'm not sure what they call, its literally one long piece of stretch bungie type cord that goes from girth through bit and sits at the top of the head. I would also concentrate on some circles. You say the horse doesn't work that well from behind, so spiralling in and out will help him supple up, and start listening to you
 
Pearlsasinger said:
As above, don't worry about 'an outline' or contact but always ride with more leg than hand. A horse that is ridden properly (and has the correct musculature) will hold itself in an outline even without reins. Hacking over different kinds of terrain helps to develop the right muscles and whatever you do don't feed from a net, that will only make matters worse.
You will need to be very patient, it will take a long time.
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I would disagree with not riding in to a contact. If you want a fit, properly muscled horse then you should always ride to one.
 
Encourage your horse as much as you can to take the rein down into a long and low contact, he may find it difficult to do at first, and will need lots of breaks.
I'd also feed hay etc from the floor every night rather than a net as again this will help him stretch through his back
 
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