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Topic: Stretching Back (Read 1642 times)
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Beckie
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I LOVE Trakehners!
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Hi. I am looking for a little advice on how to proceed with one of my young mares. She is under saddle about a year and a half and beginning some lateral work. My concern is that she is not stretching over her back as much as I would like. We broke her in side reins in a relatively short frame (mistake, I think) and she will give in the neck but not be truely "through."
She also has been chiropracted and shows a tendency to get "stuck" in her hip area. This appears to be a weakpoint with her, although she is short coupled. She spent the first 2 years of her life out to pasture and when I received her from the east coast I had the chiropractor look at her first thing and he did extensive work on that area then. Nothing structural, just strong muscle memory. However, she seems to "protect" this area in general until you work her through it on the lunge.
She lives in a pasture or large turnout area so she moves around a lot. I have given her two months of light to no work, put her first shoes on her and started her back with free lunging to get her to stretch (which she did well). I have also lunged her over poles to improve this. My concern is that it is time to get back on her and I want to continue to make sure that she stretches. She learns fast and I don't want to continue to teach her lateral work without her back being relaxed. I am thinking of moving her to a place where I have miles of trails and give her a few months of trail riding over varied terrain to get her relaxed over her back and stretching more.
Any other suggestions? I kind of feel like it is a critical time for her to overcome this and stretch and strengthen her topline. Additional information: she is 6 so she is now physically mature enough for the work...I start them later and slow so they last and are mentally and physically ready for the work.
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fuzzy
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I find the use of 'stretchy circles' at the trot (and later a little of this type of work in the canter) to be very helpful in this department. But to be honest, what you describe is part of why I very rarely use side reins. They teach the horse to 'set' the head (think western pleasure) as opposed to they way we want the dressage horse to ask "where do you want me to be?"
Also, you are on the right track with the ground poles. Some low in-and-outs and other jumping gymnastics might be something you can use to strengthen your horse's rear end (which will make it easier for her to be through).
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EclypseSporthorses
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Old Hand
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Go The Distance
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Using sidereins in itself is not a mistake, though it is if they are too short. We only use one side rein on the off side and a lunge line on the near side and have had great success with building very good toplines.
Our chiro particularly likes this result in our horses.
Using the one side rein & lunge line much more mimicks the way we ride... having a steady elastic outside rein and a light bending inner rein.
If she is warmed up well this is also advantageous in getting her to use herself and step under with her inner hind.
You can at first ask her to step under for 2 or 3 strides by having her give and bend in while gently driving her forward & out on the circle.
As soon as I get the slightest try" from the horse, I give it much praise to let them know "hey, great! you are on the right track!" they seem to appreciate this and learn quickly.
Teaching her to stretch her back in this way is great too. Ask her to give & bend in for a stride to two as she is trotting on the lunge. The two key things I bear in mind are:
#1 she must go forward in a good ground covering, trot in which she is tracking up for sure, even over tracking.
#2 Once the trot is forward, I keep it forward as #1 priority & then begin to ask her to stretch down with some bending in for 2 or 3 strides. I try to ask for the bend in when the inner foreleg is on the ground, as to help the horse keep proper balance. As soon as I feel the horse soften and come down, stretching the neck down & forward- I give on the 'rein' (lunge line) and this is how I teach them to stretch the topline initially. It works great! As long as you make sure they are tracking up & you reward the slightest try asap!
Best Wishes,
Christina 
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« Last Edit: February 05, 2003, 01:17:00 PM by Christina »
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"Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4
~*Ride-Far-Ride-Well*~
*^The Sky's the Limit^*~
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Barb W
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Sore back, sore sides, new trainer, no more problems. Too much, too soon. Loose rein, trust and very easy on the bit. She is doing so great, it makes me cry. Problems going into the canter, no longer there. These Trakehners need a light hand and love. Her nose in on the ground when allowed to stretch. She is so happy now. Keep the faith./ Koko
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Beckie
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I LOVE Trakehners!
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PROBLEM SOLVED!!! I don't know whether to share the final solution to this problem with the world or not....but here goes. I had the vet out on Saturday to do my annual shots which now include West Nile vaccinations so the vet has to do them.... She took one look at this mare and asked "Is this mare pregnant?" I said, absolutely not, she was bred post ovulation and cycled after she was bred.......As I looked at the mare, with her fat "hay belly" and top line that was not developing properly, I looked back at the vet and said...."But she is maiden." Well, short answer is we are expecting a new arrival in early May by Elazar, who is by Laiken and out of Estelle by Mahon.
The really funny thing is that I have spent the last 6 months trying to "treat" the symtoms of her pregnancy, (mellow attitude, not muscling over her topline well, not going forward under saddle, etc), but I NEVER thought that she might have caught after trying 4 times in the last 2 years, especially when the vet missed her cycle and bred her post ovulation! Of course, I am thrilled both for the impending arrival and that all of my concerns regarding this mare's development are indeed very normal given that she is in foal.
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StarryNight
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Trakehners rule
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Beckie,
That gave me a chuckle 
Best of luck to you and your new addition!
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sherry
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I love Trakehners!
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Tee Hee-great story--reminds me of me and symptoms--that slight nausea and lethargy couldn't possibly be because of pregnancy. Congratulations!
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fuzzy
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How wonderful! Congrats! I don't know Elazar, but Laiken was a fine animal, as was Mahon. I'm sure once your girl gets that load off, she'll come along just fine for you. But even though she's knocked up, don't be afraid to work her lightly right up to a couple weeks before due date (or until her girth wants to pinch - at which point I personally leave off the saddle and ride bareback). The little bit of fitness will help her get her figure (and that topline you're after) more quickly after she foals.
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Amanya
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Preliminary
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Life is Choices
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That is so great! What a good laugh and how exciting! (and such a simple "fix" for the "back problem"!)
Love it. Good Luck to you and your mare.
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