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 Elite Veteran
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| What are some good exercises to strengthen a horses back, hips, and hindquarters? I know hill work and lots of backing up but are there any specific exercises?
Thanks!
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
 
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I used to work my boy in a surcingle in the round pen to keep his head low and his back rounded. I've heard good and bad about using them to build a top line. Filled my boy out really well when he was competing heaviliy.
I also did lots of small circles at a trot to build his hip.
Good luck!  |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| on the ground ask him to back slowly with his head low. If you have any inclines, then add backing on an incline. Backing circles on the ground. Riding over ground poles set up haphazardly and again at a walk. Walk a 4 strides, trot 4 strides and quietly come down to the walk for 4 strides. Sounds too easy, but I was told to start doing this exercise 2-4 times each time I rode and slowly build up to a few more reps. You want the transitions to be very smooth. I thought, yeah, right. It did make a difference. I learned this at a Lynn Mckenzie clinic when she had a lady there to talk about conformation in relation to elite athletes. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| Back up on an incline |
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| Backing up is a foreign move for horses .. it is rare to see one in a pasture
backup since it is easier to just wheel around out of a tight spot ..
Why don't you just pasture ride them for longer periods of time to leg
them up, practice rein and leg control, barrel cues, circling trees or
bushes, jump a few logs .... and at the same time you strengthen all of
their muscles by making you a better rider and the horse a better horse.
This is what you did as a kid .. ride them at various speeds and lots of
time ... and most will still say that kid horse was the best they ever owned ..
why .. they spent a lot of time getting to know each other and ending
up with a lot of confidence they could do anything together ...
TRY IT .. |
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | Walking! I was doing a rehab on one of my horses and I walked 45 mins every day for 2 weeks before I added trotting or loping and what a difference just walking! Even tho it can be boring because I have such a small place and slightly inclines I have been trying to build his topline forever! It filled his shoulders and his back started raising back up. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | BARRELHORSE USA - 2016-06-26 12:08 AM
Backing up is a foreign move for horses .. it is rare to see one in a pasture
backup since it is easier to just wheel around out of a tight spot ..
Why don't you just pasture ride them for longer periods of time to leg
them up, practice rein and leg control, barrel cues, circling trees or
bushes, jump a few logs .... and at the same time you strengthen all of
their muscles by making you a better rider and the horse a better horse.
This is what you did as a kid .. ride them at various speeds and lots of
time ... and most will still say that kid horse was the best they ever owned ..
why .. they spent a lot of time getting to know each other and ending
up with a lot of confidence they could do anything together ...
TRY IT ..
My horse was in amazing shape as a kid. Especially during the summers. We had a huge field and would play cops and robbers, tag, etc. We were often bareback, and would do the Indian hideaway off the side. I must have had amazing core strength back then hahaha.
Some of the best times of my life were in that old cow field with my friends.
Here's a workout, we would play "cutting horse". One would be the horse, and one would be the cow trying to get past. Our horses always seemed to love that game!
Oh, to be young again. Now I ride and I'm so serious all the time. I never had an agenda back then.
Thanks for the memories!! Goal for my next ride, have some FUN!! |
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