Topline?

B

bubbledreamer

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 February 2006
Messages
118
Visit site
Hello,
How do i improve my horses topline. She is 5yrs old and has no topline on her neck or allong her back. She holds her head really high so all the muscle is under her neck.

Thanks
 
do you know why she is holding her head high, are teeth, back and tack all ok?

If so then its a schooling issue, you need to work on getting her relaxed and working long and low, think of her as a rear wheel drive car, you want her working from behind, really using her hind quarters, rounding over her back and then softening into the contact.
Rather than fighting eachother, he hollowing and ending up with the ewe neck it sounds like she has.

I find lots of transitions in the school to get the horse listening to you really help,keeping things calm.

you could try a Pessoa on her too.
 
As she is pretty young, have you tried lunging her in a pessoa to get her used to working in the correct outline from the ground. Other than that lots of hill work helps them to encourage the use of the back and engagement from behind.
 
get her back and teeth and saddle checked if you haven't already. then long, low work into a soft allowing welcoming contact will help her learn to go in the right way. if her topline muscles are weak, she'll need lots of rests, not working in an outline for too long or she'll get sore. massage really helps too, there is a network of qualified equine massage therapists and they'll tell you what massages will help your horse and how to continue along the right lines etc.
 
Agree with all the above things.

What breed is she? While some breeds mature and develop very quickly, others, such as Irish Sports Horses, are typically long gangly and weak behind, and can be 8/9 before they fully mature and develop - meaning that they realy 'fill out' into their frame. Therefore, it could be something that time and 'nature' sort.

Deffo use a pessoa on the lowest setting if you can to really encourage her to go long in her outline. Loads of long and low on the flat, and bending excerises to encourage her to flex and soften and supple - meaning she will start using the correct muscles. Introduce some basic lateral elements if you can too!

Have you reviewed your feed too? It sounds stupid but every little detail can help. I'm a big fan of Bailey's number four top line cubes (which are non-heating.) Some research into this area of the market could be really helpful!

Good luck!
 
My horse is IDxTB and is taking a long time to mature. He is just 8 and was 6 when I got him. No matter how much work I did his top line wouldnt develop, and is only just doing so now. He still doesnt have much on his quarters though. He works correctly, but did find it hard to work from behind at first and was quite strung out. I use the pessoa about twice a week to lunge in and also work him very low for a lot of the schooling session and just bring him up for a short while in the middle. A harbridge is great for helping with this as it encourages them lower but doesnt force them at all and it does not interfere with your contact diretly.

Also, like said above, just check it isnt a medical issue for the head carridge before you start reschooling.
 
Lots of gadgets have been mentioned to try & get your horse to work from behind & work in an outline. You can do this with perseverance & schooling & gadgets are not required. Transitions have been mentioned & they are fine but you also need to do alot of shoulder fore & leg yielding. This will get your horse to swing his legs through & get his hocks under himself & he will move so much better, work from behind & hold himself in time in an outline. This will take time, it is not something that will happen quickly.
As most will testify there are many quick fixes in the horsey world to get things to happen, but these seldon have any lasting effect. Take your time, it's worth it when the results come.
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Lots of gadgets have been mentioned to try & get your horse to work from behind & work in an outline. You can do this with perseverance & schooling & gadgets are not required.

[/ QUOTE ]

What you are saying makes sense, (sep) about the perserverance, but 'gadgets' shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

I would never substitute them instead of correct riding, but when used to 'compliment' riding they can aid muscle development and progress. Sometimes, for example, it can be helpful to lunge a horse to encourage it to become soft over its back without the weight of a rider on top.

Gadgets shouldn't ever be overused, but when used correctly and at the right time, they can be very beneficial. I wouldn't rule them out immediately!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top