Fix my butt

[shayna]

HAHA now that I have your attention!

While it is still rainin hard here in IN i have dreams of getting out and messing with Memphis.... As you know he's a rescue, he was skinny, blah blah blah you know how it is.... Well now he's a chunky monkey and I feel like now I can work him without feeling like I will break him! He needs to strengthen his hind quarters as the muscle must of wasted away... What exercises do you suggest to build up his butt muscles with minimal work (i know that sounds silly but I'm looking for the most effective exercises since I only get to work with him a couple times a week)

I'm not expecting him to look like a body builder! Just like to have something to work towards!

[SmartAlex]

Find a hill. First walk him up, and build to trotting.

[shayna]

hmmm... hills are not easy to find around here.... I don't know if you have been to Indy but its very flat! I will try to find a good one though... any other suggestions?

[SmartAlex]

Jogging in a cart

[5gaits]

You really don't need big hills...just gentle, rolling pastures on slight inclines will help him out. Our pastures are slightly up/down hill and I ride in them and it does help. Or jogging in the cart...

[shayna]

I don't have many places to trail ride right now except on the road (side of the road really) and I haven't really taken him out yet (RAIN RAIN GO AWAY!!!) but maybe I will go in search of hills.... or speed bumps!! don't have a cart (embarrassed to say! LOL i have never known anyone with a cart until i joined this forum! like I said... LOTS of QHs)

[RoxannCain]

Hills, hills, hills, and circles! If you can, circles on hills! Riding in a huge loop on a gentle incline does wonders for hindquarters and balance. If you don't have hills, just plain old lunging/long-lining builds muscles and improves balance.
Hope that helps!

[shayna]

Thanks! lunging I can do! I will go in search of some hills when it dries up!

[jslilley]

Backing is also a good exercise. Start with a little and build up. This is something you can do in the barn on a rainy day, leading, riding - whenever. Think about how you feel if you walk backwards for a few feet. I used to have fun with my horses and this exercise.

[nicole3566]

You can also try walking him over poles on the ground either under saddle or on a lead rope. Then build him up to trotting over them. I would also suggest lots of transitions, both under saddle and on a lounge line. I'm assuming that you ride this horse saddleseat (maybe?), and having a high headset is hard on their hind end. so when you're riding him let him have his head at the walk, which will stretch his back muscles out. And if you have a surcingle and side reins, use the lowest ring and encourage him to work with a low head set. Also, the slower they go, the more their muscles will have to work. I've been doing this with my mare and have noticed a huge difference in the strength in her back and hind end.

[shayna]

Well I ride in saddleseat tack but for him I feel he is going to make a better western horse... at this point when I ride (which hasnt been much, getting ready to ride a few times a week now that the weather is better) i am more focused on moving forward (at all) and on manners.... Im not really working on any style just yet but again he looks more western to me but i always ride in my cutback unless im showing....

And yes thank you thats something I was going to ask later... I have a surcingle and I have read lots about using side reins low to work on butt muscles but i wasn't sure if that was good advice for ASBs since they naturally have higher headsets (not many books cater to ASBs)

I didn't think about ground poles... good suggestion... will do

And I have been backing him a lot more (on the ground)... helping his muscles and I like voice cues and I am trying to get him to the point where all i have to do is say the word and he backs wherever he is...

Awesome advice ya'all!:thumbup1:

[nicole3566]

That's exactly what I've been working on with my horse. I've only had her since October, and when I got her she had horrible manners on the ground and she has so much anxiety under saddle that she wont even walk. So I've been doing alot of Parelli to work on her manners and pretty much starting from the ground up under saddle. But as far as her muscles go, those are all the things I've been working on. I've read that working with a lower headset with a surcingle wont really affect her headset under saddle, and so far to me it seems to be true. Glad I was able to help :)

[shayna]

Yeah my boy is a rescue... I got him in October and though he wasn't a complete skeleton he was about 200 underweight so he has been just hanging out recuperating... now he is a fatty :) so its time to get to work!

[lshort9655@gmail.com]

My trainer says that backing is the best way to build up hind muscles.