# Exercises For Building Up His Topline



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

work over cavaletti poles builds the abdominal muscles, which lift the topline.
walking and trotting over correctly spaced poles.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Hills. If you can find hills to slowly trot up.. stopping at the top for a breth catch (until he is used to it). 

He probably will be pretty much like he is but by stretching his topline and strengthening his abdomin he will be more able to keep working and to carry weight more comfortably.


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## brookebum (Oct 1, 2010)

Yeh! my horse needs muscle too! good question!


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## DubyaS6 (Aug 30, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> work over cavaletti poles builds the abdominal muscles, which lift the topline.
> walking and trotting over correctly spaced poles.


Stupid question:

You mention "correctly spaced poles". How do you correctly space them? I am sure it will depend on your horse's stride length?


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Correctly spaced start out on the ground and matching your horse's trot stride (trot the horse and measure the distance between foot prints to determine this). 

As the horse gains confidence, and without raising the height, you can lenghten the distance a bit to help the horse to extend a bit. Next raise them a little, but go back to the horse's natural stride.. and so forth. 

Start with two and then add more. No more than 6.. and I used to only use 4.


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## DubyaS6 (Aug 30, 2010)

Thanks Elana!


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Elana said:


> Correctly spaced start out on the ground and matching your horse's trot stride (trot the horse and measure the distance between foot prints to determine this).
> 
> As the horse gains confidence, and without raising the height, you can lenghten the distance a bit to help the horse to extend a bit. Next raise them a little, but go back to the horse's natural stride.. and so forth.
> 
> Start with two and then add more. No more than 6.. and I used to only use 4.


It's not the stride, it's the flexion that helps to build the abdomen and thus the top line. When you can feel the horse come up into the saddle, the exercise is being performed correctly.

A horse can still be hollow backed and pulling themselves along with an extended stride.


Once the horse is


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## bellagris (Dec 6, 2010)

backing, backing, backing! 

Backing a horse up is one of the best ways to build the top line, we had an osteopath at the barn not that long ago and she said to give it a try. We have seen excellent results! 

Back them as much as you can, for 10 minutes, or every couple laps in the arena. It causes them to round and builds the topline.


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## Sarahandlola (Dec 16, 2010)

While doing those things feeed this!

Spillers Blue Chip Original - Horse Feed Balancer

It is meant to be great for improving topline and plenty of other things =D I am getting it next week. I cannot wait to try it out.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I agree with mls. Unless you do it *right* poles (as well as any riding) won't do too much. Asking horse to move round will build all those muscles naturally (takes time, sometime quite a lot). Although I'm sure hill work will add strength too (I plan on trying it this Spring given the weather/ground condition cooperate).


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

mls said:


> It's not the stride, it's the flexion that helps to build the abdomen and thus the top line. When you can feel the horse come up into the saddle, the exercise is being performed correctly.
> 
> A horse can still be hollow backed and pulling themselves along with an extended stride.


Absolutely true. That is why you start to raise the Cavaletti as the horse becomes more used to the exercise. I liked to do both (a little longer stride and up is the final goal).

It is important to realize that this is a GRADUAL process and at first a few times (less than 6) thru a set of cavaletti is all you want to ask. You might even want to limit it to every other day in looking at the horse in question.

HILL work is REALLY great. Think about what a horse must do to go up hill.. he drops his head and stretches his top line. Long hills at the trot are so very very good. You do have to allow the horse to drop his head and lean into the hill as he trots up.


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

mls said:


> It's not the stride, it's the flexion that helps to build the abdomen and thus the top line. When you can feel the horse come up into the saddle, the exercise is being performed correctly.
> 
> A horse can still be hollow backed and pulling themselves along with an extended stride.
> 
> ...


This makes a lot of sense thanks mls. I am definately going to try the poles...I'm gonna have my friends trainer watch me to make sure it's getting done right. Also does backing a horse up really work? just wondering


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

I need to find some hills lol. I really enjoy hill work...Phantom seems to like going up and down hills too but at my new barn it's literallt FLAT haha. I'm gonna have to find a few trails nearby with hills hopefully.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Phantomcolt18 said:


> Also does backing a horse up really work? just wondering


If the horse picks up it's feet and backs under itself. If it merely drags his hooves backwards - then no.

I have a student with a horse we have had to back over ground poles to get her to lift and step instead of drag. Lazy, lazy horse.


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

Hmm I believe Phantom drags his feet haha but he is a pretty lazy horse, also he got lazier as he got older, so maybe I'll try that too. I just want him to be comfortable while I'm riding him. I'm also dieting and exercising to lose some weight before show season so it's not as much weight on his back. Plus I promised him if he gained weight I'd lose weight haha gotta hold up to my end of the bargin.


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