Training an elastic topline
Developing the topline means we need to allow for the freedom of movement.
Movement is dynamic.
What this means is that it is ever changing, adapts to stress, becomes limited when unsupported and increases in range of action when supported.
When we try to force a certain way of moving, it actually limits the horses freedom of movement. When we focus on their core strength and balance, it increases their freedown to move.
This is why we need to exercise and condition our horses to perform the movements we ask.
When they are exercising we are creating an environmental stress that their body is adapting to. When that stress is too much, or there is an underlying injury or imbalance the body adapts to reduce movement to protect from injury. When there is just enough over a period of time the body adapts to support movement and in becomes enhanced.
In fact, with all things going perfect and no underlying physical or training, from introducing a new exercise it takes:
- 6 – 8 weeks to develop coordination of the movement (the nerves to innervate the muscles)
- 3 – 4 months for muscle condition
- 6 – 12 months for bone and ligament density and the movement to become part of their conformation.
So from the time an exercise is introduced it will take at least 6 – 12 months for your horse to be able to do it easily no matter how hard you push them. That’s just how long it will take for their body adapt to the movement.
When we are talking about an elastic topline that is basically what we are talking about. The horses self carriage muscles are developed so that the horse can relax and swing in their movement, their stride and their frame is adjustable and they have some degree of lateral flexibility for bend and leg yield.
The one place you can go wrong with working on an elastic topline is to do too much suppling work without balancing it with strengthening work. For example long and low with canter transitions, 10m loops with rein back and polls. Suppling the muscles also makes them weak. Strengthening the muscles makes them tight. Again this is what we are talking about with movement being dynamic.
The elastic topline is the end result of combining our suppling exercises with our strengthening exercises. Asking for the movement evenly in both directions and shortening and lengthening the stride, frame and lateral muscles through bend.
Starting Again
The truth about starting your horse again.
There are many reasons why we need to start our horse over.
Pregnancy…
Injury…
Family commitments…
Holidays…
and the list goes on.
After an extended break, or sometimes even a relatively short break, you will probably find your horse cannot immediately work at the same level you left them at.
This may create feelings of guilt, annoyance, frustration, anger, or even inadequacy.
I get it because I am there right now.
After the loss of multiple family members and ongoing injuries with Custard (the gods, or whichever diety you choose to place your faith in, have a wicked sense of humour at times), I haven’t been able to work him properly for more than 6 months. And even before I feel confident with starting him again under saddle, I have had multiple professionals assessing and supporting his physical comfort.
The positive part to all this is that I get to beta-test our Green to Self Carriage Course along with some of our other students! The purpose of the beta-test is not to see if it will work (it will), but to see if it is easy to flow up and down the training scale for different horses and riders. Super exciting time for us right now!
So as Custard and I start again, I wanted to share some cold-hard truths I have uncovered:
A break
can be just as important for your horse as it is for you.
Your feelings about starting again are valid, but irrelevant to your horse’s needs. As long as you have continued to provide to the emotional and physical needs of your horse during the break, your horse couldn’t give two hoots and a flying lollipop that you had to stop work (and in fact, probably enjoyed the break). So I am afraid you (and I) will just have to suck it up - perhaps using that flying lollipop you horse has hidden…
You WILL NOT be able to start where you left off. You will need to go back to exercises that you horse finds easy, and work your way back up the training scale.
You WILL have to move your goal post. Your horse WON’T care.
Starting again is so much easier if you have the correct foundational muscular development already established (or establishing) in your horse - as that which we have outlined in the Green to Self Carriage Course. Healthy muscle and movement that feels good is easy for the horse to maintain in the paddock. Poor development is harder to fix and harder to scale up the developmental scale.
Sometimes, a break is actually necessary for your horse and just as important as a vacation from work for us. Considering the time off a necessary mental and physical break, rather than the loss of time, will be much easier for your own mental well-being.
Join us on the Equestrian Movement Facebook page for videos and updates as Custard & I start out again. And if you are in the same position as I am, have heart - you still have your horse, and he/she still loves you just as much as before the break.
Want to help us beta-test the Green to Self Carriage Course? Click here to learn more!
The Best of Behaviour and Training Articles (2018)
A summary of your favourite articles from 2018.
2018 is officially gone, but not forgotten! Here is a list of the top articles around training and behaviour, as read by you, for 2018:
Why you should play with your horse (and 12 games to play)
All work and no play makes Doris a dull girl – and it’s just as true for your horse as it is for you!
Building a little bit of play into your routine has significant benefits, including:
Improving the bond between you and your horse
Improving your horses work ethic (and your own work ethic as well)
Increasing training techniques for you and your horse
Improving the physical, mental and emotional well-being of you both
2. 17 Easy Exercises to Develop a Bond With Your Horse
Establishing a bond with your horse is a lengthy and complex process. Here are some exercises and activities that can help you do just that.
3. What if your horse doesn't want you to ride?
Have you ever wondered what your horse is trying to tell you when they are:
Bucking
Rearing
Bolting
Flinching
4. Is your riding hurting your horses' self carriage?
A horse in self carriage is a remarkable feeling. But it takes more than good training for your horse to achieve self carriage.
5. 9 Things No One Tells You About Owning A Horse
Owning a horse is amazing.
The intimate bond of horse and human, the ability to ride whenever you like, a place to escape to when home or work is too much…right?
6. Heads Held High - Why Your Horse May Be Head Tossing
We all see beautiful images of horses working in a self-carriage frame, and then come across a horse that tosses his head or needs to hold it high. It can be frightening, frustrating and unbalancing when we ride these horses.
Understanding why this might be happening can improve our chances of correcting this unwanted behaviour.
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