RE: Drags Toes

[Wendy Milner <wendy@wendy.cnd.hp.com>]

Lynette asked:
>In my heart I feel that the best
>thing for my horse would be to start exercises, massage and stretching to help
>him gain strength, etc. I want to do the right thing. Does anyone have any
>ideas, training exercises, stretching exercises or other opinions on what I
>should do?

Dressage, dressage, dressage. I'm almost getting to be a fanatic:-)

If you are now just hand walking him, try setting up ground poles.
Walk him over the poles.  He will look down (and stretch his top line),
and pick up his feet to get over the poles.  Then do the same when
you are riding. First do it at the walk.  Then do it at the trot.

Leg yeilding to the right and left.  This causes the horse to 
stretch the hind leg under himself, actually crossing over.
Good for stretching, and general good knowledge for getting 
around a trail.

>P.S. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on and I have a
>question: In all my endurance books most of the pictures of Arabians look like
>they are traveling hollow with their heads up in the air and their hind legs
>strung out behind them. Is this because they are tired or just the way they
>move? Would this cause problems?

*Soapbox mode on*
In most cases, this is truely hollow back, is detremental to the horse
and rider, and is caused by lack of knowledge and training.

An Arab, as we all know, can do the most extrordinary things
such as teleport sidewise, snake his neck in six different directions,
and travel a great number of miles in bad conditions.  Some people
(I'm sure none on this list) let their horses run with the heads
up, legs strung out, and almost out of control.  The horse is
mostly in charge.  If you asked this person to bring their horse to
a collected walk, side pass, or heaven forbid, turn the horse around
and walk the opposite direction of the herd, they would not be able
to do this.  I call this out of control, even though the rider would
not agree with me.

When the horse is going down the trail hollow backed and strung out,
they are using more energy than if they were traveling correctly.
(Correctly changes with the terrain.) They also are rough at the
trot, which causes the rider to bounce a bit more, which causes
the horse to go more hollow, which causes the trot to be more
rough, which ends up with a sore back and sour horse.

Now, take this hollow backed horse, put him and the rider into
training.  Get the rider in control.  Teach rider how to get the
horse in a good frame.  Build up the muscles of the horse.
And turn them loose on the trail.  You have a horse that can 
travel correctly.  The rider can collect or lengthen the stride
of the horse.  The rider can place the horse on the trail where
they want - around the rocks, around the ruts, etc.  And the horse
is going to travel much smoother, making the rider feel better
and the horse feel better.

By doing this, you can take a horse that usually finishes in the
middle of the pack, and put him in the top ten (if that is where
the rider wants to go).

And, this is not a weekend fix.  A tired horse will still get strung
out.  A weak rider will still bounce.  You need to count the
training time in years, not weeks.  Just like the rest of the
endurance training.

*Soapbox mode off*
--
Wendy

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 Wendy Milner                     HPDesk:   wendy_milner@hp4000
 Hewlett-Packard Company          e-mail:   wendy@fc.hp.com
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