[RememberTheName]

Agree with Spinnaker.

The guy I ride, his owner teaches children's lessons, so at least HALF if not more of his arena time is just plodding about. It's usually on the trail that he gets his more advanced riders (I ride him both, but more often on the trail) because he's not a beginner horse on trail. You can work on muscling and proper form on the trail. Just yesterday I got the longest stretch of canter using his hind end, rounding his neck and his back, and coming through with impulsion that I have ever gotten from him--on the trail. In my opinion the trail can actually help with the muscling, because if you add in the hills and stuff using their hind end is that much harder and so builds that much more muscle.

[Callie's Mom]

You can definitely do work under saddle to help but getting some time in with the surcingle and side reins to help build not only the neck but the back, and hind end and just a totally frame would be great for a horse with a ewe neck.

[Spinnaker]

I would recommend reading this thread through. Building the Topline It explains a bit more about toplines and building muscle tone, etc.

I take my guys out in the fields and on the trails to help get a nice forward movement out of them when they're bored in the ring. It can really help them use their body, stretch, and get their butts moving and working.

EDIT: I should note that it is not the work in the fields and trails that builds the topline, but what I ask of them while they're out there. It is just a more "exciting" place to be than in the same boring ring, which entertains them more and makes them a more willing partner.

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by Susification

thx ppl!

but when I hear 'proper work' i don't really know wat it means.

Hence my suggestion for the search terms

Because I'm not doing any gymkhana and dressage and stuff... My boy is a simple pleasure horse: trails and kisses and funny tricks...lol

Well, then you are faced with choices here. Please don't take this as snarky, because it's not meant that way at all

You can have "just a simple pleasure/trail" horse and accept that he will never develop a nice topline, or you can work to develop a nice(r) topline, which is healthier for his long-term soundness, WHILE you do your trail/pleasure riding.

It really is that simple a choice.

"Dressage" doesn't have to mean a dressage saddle and riding in a tophat. "dressage", lowercase d, ONLY means correct training. That doesn't just mean your horse will w/t/c halt and back up quietly and when you ask. It DOES mean teaching the horse to not go along on his forehand, teaching him to push with his hind end and not pull with his front end, teaching him to lift his neck out of his withers instead of bracing with the underside of his neck, teaching him to lift his back and using muscles to support his spine, and you, instead of dropping his back and damaging his back and eventually hocks and stifles as well.

I lunge him every 2 days for 15mins each sides at every gaits, then I hit the trail in the mountain for about 1.5hour, which is more exercises then every other horses at the barn combined!

One can do 4 hours of exercise a day and not be doing anything conducive to building a better topline. It's about HOW the exericse is done, which is the whole point You cannot fix an upside-down muscled neck by simply hitting the trail. The horse already has the wrong muscles built, so he will continue to use the wrong muscles because they are the strong muscles, and you'll get nowhere in that department. It doesn't matter if he can go all day - continuing to travel in that U-shaped frame WILL damage his body over time.

I like the idea with the surcingle tho, I'm gonna buy one.

any other ideas? please?

Do your search In fact, I'll make it easier so you don't have to search - go to www.sustainabledressage.com FORGET that it's a Dressage site. Look at it for what it REALLY is - properly riding a horse so that the topline is properly built.

At the moment I would not recommend a surcingle and side reins, not until you have an understanding of what it means for the horse to be moving/working back to front. Otherwise you are apt to just let the horse go around avoiding the contact of the side reins, or leaning on them, still on his forehand, hollow back, building the muscles on the bottom of his neck, etc.

[WPapps]

to get a neck similar to this























you will not achieve it through so much work-out, as your horse sounds like he naturally does not have a neck like a "stallion" topline workouts such as biting him up will help redistribute the muscle from the bottom of his neck to the top- but do not plan on it making a "stallion" neck, but more so a correct neck.

to achieve something similar to above with is a "stallion" neck, your horse would be to put on a gross amount of weight which could potentially be bad for his health. it is something that is frowned upon in AQHA, and is not apart of their breed standards

the horse below, nic it in the bud would be an example of a stallion with a built muscular neck who is not carrieing the extra weight of fat up on the crest
shiner lena doc is another great example of a beautifully shaped stallions neck


Good Luck

[nooska]

My girl was born with a big neck lol but shes a welsh cob its to be expected!

[Roleysnewmom]

uphill.. one of those euro devices work great. And if you know how to properly use them side reins would help too. All of these devices/techniques are working up to one thing; working in frame with impulsion.

[Kodachrome]

JB has given you great advice... my boy is registered QH, and he has a fabulous neck... ALL thru dressage work.

He went from this over a year ago, where he was simply my pleasure horse...




To this, after a year of dressage work:



It's hard to see in the pictures, but he's muscled up nicely now in ALL the right places - he has that wonderful muscle that is so defined now in his neck, and his backside is crazy insane. LOL!!

[codyntampa]

Proper work is key, but if you are experienced enough, I would recommend lunging a couple of times a week in a chambon. I have seen huge improvements with this tool in the proper hands. Start slow when introducing it to him and slowly progress. I like the chambon because it encourages stretching and doesnt create a "false frame"-Make sure the horse is forward and engaged through the hind quarters as well or this won't have much effect.

[crayon]

Crested is different than correctly developed though.