Establishing Top Line

[TooMuchRebel]

My horse really needs some topline and overall muscling. She’s been slowly coming back into work lately and show season is starting up. I have to lunge her for around 20 minutes before each ride (her fractured splint bone left a bit of a calcification and before she’s warmed up her tendon will rub it occasionally causing a slight limp. It goes away after about 20 minutes of trot work so vet said to lunge before riding) so I figured I’d use this time to help build topline.

I currently ride her over some ground poles and there’s a small sand hill in front of the barn I ride her over to help her back end. What else can I do to help build this topline? Specifically on the lunge line? For lunge work I have access to a cavesson and surcingle but no side reins or anything.

Any exercises help, either for under saddle or on the lunge. Also, for what it’s worth, she’s blind on her left side. Don’t know if that’ll cause problems with some of the exercises or not. TIA!

[beau159]

In my opinion, building a good top line on a horse just requires regular exercise and asking the horse to travel in a collected fashion. If they are using their body correctly, then they will be using their back (and top line) correctly.

Give your horse time. It takes time to come back from an injury and get physically fit again.

Personslly, id rather spend the time riding a horse for their warmup rather than lunging. Those small lunging circles can be hard on a horse’s body.

[Scribbler]

Teaching lateral work in hand slowly and correctly helps lift the abs and raise the back. Turn on forehand to shoulder in on circle to shoulder in straight. Short sessions not letting her rush or fall around.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

I’m also kind of surprised the vet would recommend lunging that much. Little circles are hard on joints, as beau159 said. I wish I had realized this sooner. I think I went a long way towards giving my arthritic gelding a sour attitude towards work by always lunging first.

[SuzieQNutter]

To me lunging without sidereins is not lunging and will do nothing towards creating a correct topline.
Correct work only creates a correct topline.

This can be done with the correct use of side reins, although you would not trot a horse for 20 minutes in sidereins. 10 minutes in side reins is equal to an hour of riding.

If you do not know how to lunge with side reins make sure you are taught properly.