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Much of what I observed, experienced and was taught in these months has come
up recently and perhaps I can add some value to the discussion. Would also
appreciate feedback on the following so we can continue to learn from
each other.
My 7 yo gelding is Bask and Khemosabi on top, CMK (I think) on bottom. He's
15:1, narrow but deep, with very long neck and medium long back. He came to
me with some kind of muscle problem in the right hip, which vet/chiro thought
would be fine with some work and regular adjustments.
That he got, but towards the end of a year of LSD, he began to rush down the
trail with his head up, his back had hollowed, he had difficulty going
downhill, and he forged and interfered badly. He developed that tell-tale
bulge under his neck, and the crest was straight and weak. His back became
painful all over, despite extra padding and saddle adjustments.
When even weekly chiropractic adjustments didn't seem to make much
difference, my vet suggested I take him to a local dressage trainer, who has
a reputation for "rehabilitating" horses. Six months later, I have a new
horse and a new attitude. Here's what it took:
1) Longeing, five times a week. I was taught to use a surcingle with side
reins and a poll pressure device that keeps the horse from raising his head
(side reins alone won't do this). They also placed a string of large wooden
beads around his rear pasterns to increase the pumping action of the hind
legs. The longeing technique imitates the rider's hands working with
softness and elasticity to encourage the horse to stretch his neck forward
and down, thus bringing the hindquarters under him and rounding the back, all
without a rider's weight.
2) Chiropractic adjustments, acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy,
microcurrent treatments, and stretching excercises. Yup, he got the works
and loved every moment of it (I told my friends my horse was at a spa). I
can't isolate the beneficial effects of each of these therapies, but clearly
in sum they were successful in relieving soreness and rehabilitating muscles.
3) Therapeutic arena work with a trained rider, still using the poll
pressure device and wooden beads. He graduated to this after 3-4 months of
longeing and the above therapies to relieve pain and strengthen his back and
the muscles in the HQ. The rider concentrated on keeping his back rounded,
HQ under him, emphasized moving HQ to the left to strengthen observed
weakness in that leg/hip.
4) Hill work. When I saw the "hill" I nearly laughed. It's steep, but you
can trot up it in 10 seconds. But the point is, you don't. Hill work means
inching your way up and down in "granny" keeping your weight back, the
horse's head low, HQ tucked under him, and most importantly, tracking
STRAIGHT! His weakness in the left hip/leg caused him to travel crooked.
Flexing his head to the left and pushing his HQ to the left forced him to
use that weak leg. Don't overdo this exercise; as Tom Ivers just said, if you
work the horse too hard, he'll lose his frame.
5) Riding lessons. My first dressage lesson on an ancient Arab schoolmaster
immediately revealed that I carried my right hip back and low, and that my
left leg was weak and turned out at the knee. (Could it be that my weak left
leg and weight thrown to the right had something to do with my horse's
weakness in the left HQ?) So I've been to the chiropractor, which helped
resolve some of my problems, and I continue to work on the others. Also
learned to put my weight in my heels instead of on the ball of my foot when
doing a rising trot. Try it--you'll like it.
6) Never stop learning, never forget the lessons learned, never ignore
warning signs.
Chaco looks and moves remarkably different from the horse he was 6 months
ago. His neck bulges just below the crest, the underneath part of his neck
is now concave instead of convex, the dip in transition from loins to back is
greatly evened out, his hindquarters bulge with powerful muscles, and he no
longer forges or interferes.
Now it's up to me to keep him this way as we rejoin our riding companions out
on the trail.
Linda and Chaco
Heading back to the beautiful forests, beaches, mountains and spring
wildflowers
of the Pt. Reyes Peninsula with a fresh start and a new outlook
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