[scooby-doo]

I have a TB who simply will not build up muscle, well enough muscle to see anyway. I have another TB on the same work routine whose work is of less quality but he is now huge. Currently they are just doing lots of trotting circles/lines for about 20mins a day as well as 10mins of cantering and walking work. They are also jumped once a week. I was thinking of maybe introducing trot poles or little crosses? Any ideas as to why he isn't building up and how i can get him to?

Also i have a different horse who has the most unbalanced canter which i have had trouble fixing. On the left rein he has a smooth, collected, calm and balanced canter, on the right rein he leans inwards with his legs right out to outside [they are barely beneath him] and to balance himself his head goes up in the air and on an angle. I have tried doing lots of small, slower circles, putting my outside leg on, leaning outwards but so far nothing has worked. It's only when he is going around corner's or doing circles, straight lines are fine. Major help needed asap as he is mean't to be doing a dressage test soon!

[John]

Originally Posted by scooby-doo

I have a TB who simply will not build up muscle, well enough muscle to see anyway. I have another TB on the same work routine whose work is of less quality but he is now huge. Currently they are just doing lots of trotting circles/lines for about 20mins a day as well as 10mins of cantering and walking work. They are also jumped once a week. I was thinking of maybe introducing trot poles or little crosses? Any ideas as to why he isn't building up and how i can get him to?

Also i have a different horse who has the most unbalanced canter which i have had trouble fixing. On the left rein he has a smooth, collected, calm and balanced canter, on the right rein he leans inwards with his legs right out to outside [they are barely beneath him] and to balance himself his head goes up in the air and on an angle. I have tried doing lots of small, slower circles, putting my outside leg on, leaning outwards but so far nothing has worked. It's only when he is going around corner's or doing circles, straight lines are fine. Major help needed asap as he is mean't to be doing a dressage test soon!

Is the one that only goes good to the left been raced?

[scooby-doo]

No he commenced his training but i don't think it got that far along that it would be the problem your thinking of.

[Gutter_Doll]

These things can't be fixed in a day. Or a week. Or a month. But you can get well on your way. The horse is either not getting appropriate nutrition (namely proteins) or/and he's not using new muscles correctly when the other whose whose supposable bulked up, has been using them.

[SaddleUp158]

The horse that has trouble balancing at the canter going one way- I would not worry about small circles, those will only make it more difficult for him to balance. Start working him on large circles with a slight bend in the direction you are going. Help to balance him with your outside rein as a steadying rein do this at all gaits. Work on lateral work going both directions, starting at a walk. As he becomes more balanced you can slowly slowly tighten your circles.

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by scooby-doo

I have a TB who simply will not build up muscle, well enough muscle to see anyway. I have another TB on the same work routine whose work is of less quality but he is now huge. Currently they are just doing lots of trotting circles/lines for about 20mins a day as well as 10mins of cantering and walking work. They are also jumped once a week. I was thinking of maybe introducing trot poles or little crosses? Any ideas as to why he isn't building up and how i can get him to?

The work routine you describe is not really geared towards building muscle. It's geared towards laying a foundation of fitness upon which you build in order to create muscle.

Some horses, just like people, can look at a workout and gain muscle. Others have to work very hard for a long time to see just some results.

If you're only now thinking about introducing trot poles, then perhaps that should be done before any more jumping Set properly and ridden correctly, they do indeed encourage a horse to build good muscling, both from pushing up and forward over the poles, and from lifting the back and lowering the head.

You have to look at his diet too - he can be eating ample calories, but if he's not getting enough quality protein, lysine in particular is one that can be easily lacking, then he can't build muscle appropriate for his work load.

Also i have a different horse who has the most unbalanced canter which i have had trouble fixing. On the left rein he has a smooth, collected, calm and balanced canter, on the right rein he leans inwards with his legs right out to outside [they are barely beneath him] and to balance himself his head goes up in the air and on an angle. I have tried doing lots of small, slower circles, putting my outside leg on, leaning outwards but so far nothing has worked. It's only when he is going around corner's or doing circles, straight lines are fine. Major help needed asap as he is mean't to be doing a dressage test soon!

Why would you put your outside leg on? It's your inside leg that needs to go on, at the girth, to move him out.

"small, slower circles" - at what gait? If he's that unbalanced at the canter, he's unbalanced, though to a lesser degree probably, at the trot, even probably somewhat at the walk, so go back and figure out where the issue starts. This is a very basic one-sidedness issue that is common. It's solved by working both sides equally, working to the degree that the weaker side can handle.

What lateral work do you and he know? You can't fix any of these issues, with either horse, without good lateral work. Shoulder in and leg yield (some will debate whether it's lateral work, but it's still very useful) are basic basic movements that you *must* learn if you want to straighten and help balance a horse.

[finelycrafted]

I agree with JBandRio. From the sound of it, the horse is not getting the proper exercise to build up muscle, regardless of how another horse might build up. I've always been a fan of hill work, if possible. It builds the more bulky muscles that you probably want because the horse is pushing his body more. Think about it this way: if you were to run 5 miles everyday for 5 months, you're going to be in great shape. However, if you were to then go on a 3 mile long hike up a mountainside, you will be toast (sore and exhausted). You didn't build the thicker muscles that tend to come with that sort of exercise. Your legs were exercised to be lean and toned. Not to say everyone reacts the same; this is just a simple comparison.

Framework tends to build a nice topline as well, and trotting poles will certainly help the horse use himself in a different manner that will inspire different muscle growth.

Diet may also be a major contributing factor to this horse's condition. You may want to consider upping the protein level. Calories alone are not enough.

As for the canter, proper riding does wonders to fix that sort of issue . However, you can use your environment to encourage him not to lean. For example, a friend of mine had a a similar problem, and to dissuade the horse from tilting over (only on days when he was being a bit hard-headed and wouldn't listen to her aids), she rode him around the outside of a roundpen that had been temporarily placed inside the ring. I watched a few of those sessions, and it actually worked with him. He stopped the nexk-twisted head leaning and was able to balance himself more.

[scooby-doo]

I would love to do hill work with him however my property is relatively flat, well actually it does ascend but at about a 5 degree angle. He is currently being fed hay, wheaten chaff, min amount lucerne chaff, pony pellets and speedi beet.

[scooby-doo]

I tried putting my outside leg on to push his legs more under himself as when you put your inside leg on he will simply obey and yield to the outside - and i don't think there is a balance between the 2 to be had with him :P

And im not sure about the trot pole thing you said JB - do you mean because of education or fitness/muscle?

The 1st TB is quite an experienced showjumper and the 2nd TB has been jumping educated - i said that as i meant to improve the muscle / fitness level.

The 1st TB knows most of his lateral movements, which out of interest - would this help building muscle?
The 2nd has not yet been introduced to such things as should in's however leg yielding certainly - however how would you fix the balance with leg yielding?

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by scooby-doo

I tried putting my outside leg on to push his legs more under himself as when you put your inside leg on he will simply obey and yield to the outside - and i don't think there is a balance between the 2 to be had with him :P

You have to teach him what the aids mean. If he is "motorcycling" around the curves, it is because his body is leaning in; it's not because he legs are leaning out. It is a combination of rein aids and leg aids that straighten a horse

And im not sure about the trot pole thing you said JB - do you mean because of education or fitness/muscle?

Both

The 1st TB is quite an experienced showjumper and the 2nd TB has been jumping educated - i said that as i meant to improve the muscle / fitness level.

If a horse leans this badly around curves, he isn't straight, therefore isn't balanced, therefore really shouldn't be jumping (much).

The 1st TB knows most of his lateral movements, which out of interest - would this help building muscle?

What are "his" lateral movements? Lateral work straightens the horse. A horse needs to be straight to do correct forward work. Lateral work engages abductor and adductor muscles. Forward work engages extension and retraction muscles. Done correctly, the horse gets stronger.

The 2nd has not yet been introduced to such things as should in's however leg yielding certainly - however how would you fix the balance with leg yielding?

See above - SIs and LY are baby-basic lateral movements. They help balance the horse by putting parts that are not straight back in line. If the shoulders aren't in front of the hind end, you put them there. If the haunches swing out or drift in, you push them back. If the ribs are bulging, push them back on. Basically, whatever body part is "sticking out", you push it back in. That is how you straighten and help balance a horse.