Topline developement?

[dianneS]

I have a foster pony. He is through a local rescue, he's 13.1hh and slightly underweight and wormy. His previous "home" fed him hay from a rack and he had no grass to graze at all. He also had very little room to move or exercise. He hadn't been worked with at all in over a year. He's four and been ridden three times.

He is very high-headed and has that hollow look about him. Grazing with his head down, being able to move around and run with the other horses should do him wonders in itself. He's in no shape to start riding him yet. I need groundwork exercises to work this guy's topline and develope muscle.

He's very new to lunging too and freaks out a bit on his "bad side" but he's not terrible. How can I get him to relax and start to lower his head on the lunge? I don't have a round pen, but really wish I did.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[goodhors]

I think you actually would have better results, faster, using long lines and not a lunge line.

With the long lines you have control of both ends, he can't avoid following direction. You can
give when he does, to train him for ligher contact, carrying his head correctly (though that takes
a while), reaching and driving from behind to use his back.

We don't lunge horses anymore, teaches them bad habits like pulling, so they go poorly
balanced out on the circle. With long lines he is not allowed to swing out, go poorly balanced
as he goes in the circle, nothing to unlearn. Long lines just give you much better control
while working with horse.

You want BIG circles, so lines need to be more than common 15ft or so. Constant bend is hard
on young bones. We do mostly 60ft circles, which allows less leaning on lines, not much bending.

You need a whip with a long lash that WILL TOUCH him if he ignores directions. Horse is
surprised by the touch, ususally doesn't need more than that for FORWARD. You can use
a training surcingle or make one with a girth and strap to hold rings for the long lines on his sides.
Lines need to be held up on his sides to be run around his rump to your hands, not tangling in is feet.

 

[dianneS]

Everything I've read about long lining says that they need to be proficient at lunging first? He's not. He still freaks out on his "bad side" and isn't all that great on his "good side" yet.

 

[MrsDieselEngineer]

Sounds like you need to work on lots of leading from both sides before working on anything longer than a lead.

 

[goodhors]

No, not true for our horses. We just DO NOT lunge them at all. They start basic
training with long lines and build skills from there.

Having a helper the first few sessions will make things easier. They lead around the big
circle, while you drive and give vocal commands. Leader can keep horse moving FORWARD, not
stopping or getting tangled with not knowing what to do. Horse follows along and gains understanding by
having a "leader" with them. Should understand Walk, WHOA, pretty quick. Ours usually only
need the leader for a couple sessions, then the handler with lines, whip, is in control.

You NEED something to carry the lines down onM his sides, so he is BETWEEN the lines, not under them.
As mentioned, a surcingle with rings low, make your own with girth and strap, saddle with the
stirrups tied under belly, lines thru the stirrups, will all work fine. Doesn't have to be fancy or
expensive, just holds the lines in place from bit, thru rings or stirrups, to your hands.

Main thing it to keep him going forward.

 

[sawfish99]

I agree with Goodhors that long lining would be good exercise, however, I do think lunging work would be productive. I think a basic surcingle would be helpful for both along with a set of side reins (the ones with elastic in the rein, not doughnuts). remember that at 4 and green, he will need a lot of reinforcement and patience.

Top line development will be a long and slow process. Take some side profile pictures while he is standing and have someone take some while he is trotting (or video). Then take new pictures every 4-6 weeks and compare to monitor the development.

Head height largely a function of confirmation. Not every horse is going to develop a nice rounded neck at the trot.

Good luck.

 

[goodhors]

I would disagree with the previous post in using sidereins and lunging.

With the longlines, you can constantly give and take with the horse head, mouth.
You can reward or take him up for short times, then let him go longer again.

Sidereins are a CONSTANT setting while out on the line, plus you have no rearend
control so he WILL swing out unless you have a fenced pen. With the constant pull
on mouth, horse never gets reward when he goes correctly by release of pressure.
Our horses just hang on those reins, which is why we no longer use sidereins.

What you will see at first, is head going up and down A LOT. Horse is hunting for his
most comfortable postion to carry his head. He must find his own balance point,
then you can help improve it by bringing in nose, pushing the rear to get reach. In
going toward collected work, head will NEED to rise somewhat, to balance himself.
This is where you will be building neck muscles, topline, by getting him using himself.

Using those quickly and easily adjusted lines in your hands, you can have him working
collected for a few strides, then release for reward, let him relax, then ask again on the other
side of the circle. Going collected, learning to BE collected, is hard work, not his natural
self-carriage. You don't want him getting sore by doing it very long. He has to build
up his strength and muscles over time, so very short sessions are best in his circles.

And he gets his reward when you "release" his rein pull, can go long again. You will
want him going forward, overstriding if he can, driving from behind. I will agree that
head height can be partially confomational, but muscling to carry neck rounded usually
needs to be built. QH and other low-headed Western breeds have a difficult time being
collected, because they are not built to LIFT the front end when driving from behind.