Re: sore back advice

["S. Brown" <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>Ironically, Pat is interested in doing dressage, IMO she has been more
>concerned with frame rather than impulsion/rounding out his back (she rides
>in side-reins all the time so Archie has not been able to stretch his neck
>out and down).  

This "over-concern" with frame is one of the biggest sins in dressage
training.  Too many people will crank a horse into a frame so that it
"looks" good but what they are doing causes a lot of harm to the horse.  It
may not be her size that is causing a great deal of the back soreness on
the horse -- it may very well be the artificial frame and the SIDE REINS!
Not only do side reins give the horse a perfect place to lean on, hence
putting them horrendously on the forehand, but they also *cause* tension in
the back and neck, which exhausts those muscles very quickly.  You can look
at a horse at a show and immediately tell if they've been trained in side
reins.  The musculature on the underside is overdeveloped while the
top-line remains underdeveloped.  Anytime a horse is allowed to lean on the
bit, they are muscling up that underline on their neck and traveling on the
forehand.  Yes, they keep the head down...but this does not mean they are
in a correct frame.  If she really feels the need to have some assistance
in this area, have her work with balancing reins.  Also, these devices (and
the only ones that I like are the balancing reins) should not be used while
riding, only lungeing or long-lining.

The correct frame is obtained by using the leg and seat cues, a steady
outside rein, and an active, communicating (always) inside rein.  Even when
you're on the trails, you should have an inside rein and an outside rein.
If the horse can't pull against you, he learns to carry his own body with
the power in the rear instead of pulling himself along with his forehand.
He can only carry his own body if he has developed the muscles in the
topline and the abdomen.  A horse forced into an artificial frame, leaning
on the side reins will NOT be using it's abdominal or back muscles
properly.  A strung out horse will sway his back and then if the rider is a
HW, the back will get sore!  It would probably get sore even if the person
were a lightweight.  With a horse that has a long back, it's doubly
important that they develop that top line -- and twice as difficult for
them to do it!  Also, the amount of sitting trot that is done should be
very limited until they have stronger back and abdominal muscles.  Horsey
sit-ups are a good exercise on the ground that helps also.

Good classical dressage basics should be required before the horse can
enter any discipline!  JMNSVHO! ;-)  I can really see their benefit in
endurance...another reason that I think my horses will do okay.  For the
most part, they have a nice frame because they have learned to carry
themselves, use their rear end as the engine, and stay light on the front
end.  

Sue