i’m trying to build my horse’s topline and have been working on it since august. he still feels very unbalanced, especially in the canter. i feel like he should have a better topline/balance since we’ve been working on it since august. i included a picture of his topline from september (i don’t have a more recent one). does his topline look terrible for how long we’ve been working/is this time period too short to have easily noticeable changes? due to injury i wasnt able to ride a ton in august/september
What have you been doing when you say you’ve been working on it since August? When in August did you start? I ask, as if you started late August and took the above photo early September it won’t be a good representation. I would give 90+ days of consistent work between before and after photos, if looking for a change.
Topline = \ = balance and vice versa. They often go hand in hand, but you could have a young horse in full turn out who isn’t broke (therefore likely unbalanced undersaddle) with a strong topline or an older horse with Cushings who is naturally balanced and has the muscle memory but an overall weaker topline. If he has a healthy, age and workload appropriate amount of topline but is struggling with balancing in the canter, a vet work up would be my first thought.
That picture isn’t great for evaluating topline with his head turned to the side.
How is he unbalanced in the canter? Falling out of gait? Cross cantering? Motor biking in turns?
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yeah i couldnt get him to look straight lol! we started in early august and hes been doing lots of riding up and down hills, pole work, tons of flat work, new terrain, and some small jumps. hes only six and gets ridden about four/five times a week (only twice by me still because of my injury). he keeps a steady gait but does motorcycle turns (falls in around turns) and just feels uncomfortable. he had a full vet work up in may, and was diagnosed with a stiff stifle but the vet said that shouldn’t affect him because it was so mild.
what’s the diet? What’s the turnout like?
I’d say you probably need a trainer, assuming the diet is where it should be.
Horses who drop their shoulder to the inside haven’t been taught to stay upright, and it’s harder, so they’re not going to offer it up (much) without a good reason
Do you have another pic where he’s not turning his head?
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i have a trainer. he is on turnout all night long and in his stall all day. he gets hay in his stall and a grain mixture before being turned out in a grassy paddock. I’m looking for a better picture but ill probably just have to take a new one
Another picture I recommend getting besides a straight side-on profile is to get on a fence or mounting block behind your horse standing square (safety first!) and get a picture from tail to head. That will show any asymmetry side to side as well.
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This photo makes him look super asymmetric but I don’t trust it. Get him square in even light.
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i was thinking the exact same thing 
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What’s the grass like? How many hours in his stall and how many pounds of hay? What grain and how many pounds?
grass is lush and green, about 7-8 hours in his stall, roughly 20 lbs of hay, and id definitely have to double check on his grain
When was the last time you checked saddle fit? Does your trainer use your saddle? Does your trainer have the same issues you do?
he just got a new saddle, it fits fine but he does use a gel pad. my trainer uses a different saddle and she has the same issues as me
Some things you can check. Square the horse up keep his head facing forward. Stand in front of him and locate the point of shoulder on each side with your fingers. Are they even?
Feel his withers on each side. Are they built up the same?
Get him square head facing forward. Stand on a mounting block or fence behind him. Is his backbone straight? Are his hips even? Are his shoulders the same size?
Watch him walk and trot away from you with someone else leading him. Does each side of his butt rise and fall the same?
As far as motorcycle turns, horses need to learn to carry a rider around a corner. Lateral work is good prep for that. Start teaching turn on the forehand, then leg yield and shoulder in in hand and then under saddle. This will give you techniques to keep a horse upright around corners.
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To address the motorcycle turns, lessons with a dressage trainer will make a lot of difference. It sounds like the horse needs to learn to carry himself in balance and be more adjustable laterally. Working with a dressage instructor will allow you to focus on your horse’s movement more, and ultimately that will make him more comfortable and will help him to build up his topline.
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Good stuff here - one thing to add, assuming the horse is sound and tack is appropriate.
I find that a LOT of people spend most of their time at the walk and trot, especially if the canter is harder. They usually putter around at the walk and do all their “schooling” at the trot, then do a couple laps of canter and call it done. To improve the canter, sometimes you just have to canter more! Especially if you jump as a main part of your discipline.
Obviously you have to start at the walk teaching lateral work and getting the horse stronger, but don’t forget about the most simple tool in your toolbox: transitions! Lots and lots of transitions in and out of the canter to start, making sure to come back down before it falls apart. Try spirals at the canter, and square turns to balance out the motorcycling.
Good walk work will help too (this is where a good dressage trainer comes in, training at the walk is something other disciplines tend to skip or be less focused on), as well as transitions at other gaits and backing up in hand. I just see a ton of riders (myself included!) that are very comfortable and capable at the walk and trot but fall apart at the canter, because we forget to spend real time at the gait. The horses follow suit.
Anyways, the first pic looks like an under-muscled horse but your timeline is also very short - I wouldn’t expect to see huge changes especially if the work hasn’t been consistent and done perfectly. When we are learning alongside them it tends to take a little longer to see results. Also, you probably have some nutrition holes in there that might be helpful to address (what exactly is he eating? Hay testing is harder to do than finding out the weight and exact contents of his bucket), you’d be surprised what a protein boost in a deficient diet can do. Building a good topline isn’t rocket science, but it is hard and takes time. Good luck!
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You hit the nail on the head for me. I started tracking my rides with a free app called Equilab, and I totally do not lope enough. And I’m a barrel racer! It has helped me be more cognizant of this shortfall and work more at that gait.
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I will add that whatever a problem is at a canter, is usually a problem at the trot but to a lesser degree. And what shows up at the trot, is usually already a problem at the walk, just to a lesser degree.
Lots and lots of canters are improved by improving the quality of the trot, and the t/c transitions.
Cantering for the sake of cantering isn’t what improves the canter.
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Slightly unrelated but how do you build up the big muscles on the sides of the neck? Especially on one coming back from rehab?
Stretching to the bit and lifting the withers
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