So, in the last threeish months have bought a new horse. She is simply amazing and will have an awesome future. However, I have never had any 'chunkier' horses, since I was a child, only ever thoroughbreds.

Safe to say, she has a much bigger stride and is very powerful. This also means I mess up speed with oomph. So she simply isn't building up the right muscles. She carries herself nicely and has an *extremely* powerful backend, however, she has no topline. I have been doing lots of hill work (As I live on the Salisbury plains) And plenty of long and low in the arena. So what I guess I'm asking, is if anyone has any suggestions on what I can do to build her up? This picture was taken when I first got her, so there has been a little build-up since.

My next question; My big old boy, Archie, has recently stopped jumping and gone purely to dressage. He has flown through a few novice and elementary classes and wants to step it up a bit. I have had him all of 10 years and really only been competitive jumping, so has basic show jump changes, however now we want to do dressage, we want to refine it a bit and make it a little steadier.

Are there any dressage divas that could help me out? :D

Thanks in advance

Wow! Two beautiful horses! Just do your best!

so this is for the first horse (i do show jumping so i won't be much help on dressage) i would do stretching, backing up, cavaletti work either under saddle or on lunge work, and yeah hill work.

this is a link explaining in more detail

I would also look on youtube, just a general there are some people on there that know what there doing but I would watch a few and just see what they all do in common.

sorry, i couldn't do much for you.

good luck on both horses

Make sure that when you are in a long and low frame that your mare is lifting through her back, as that is the key to muscle development in this movement. Its easy (relatively) for a horse to just put its nose on the ground, its much harder to lift their back at the same time. To challenge them in a long frame you can also incorporate lateral work and trot poles or cavaletti. If she's having trouble lifting in her back, there are some ground exercises you can try to help her develop those muscles as well. I've had good results using belly and butt lifts on a draft cross who was naturally quite sway backed and needed a lot of work in the topline department. Lunging in side reins as a warm up or as an entire workout can also be a good option if your horse is familiar with that sort of equipment (and you know how to use it correctly-- i.e. don't just crank their head in! Set the side reins to a reasonable length and use your whip to create impulsion and move the horse up into the contact as you would under saddle)

As for getting smoother, more "dressage like" changes, I emphasize straightness leading up to the change, and then very deliberately establishing the new bend and putting on my aids for a lead change. A lot of horses who are used to doing their lead changes only on the jump course get into the habit of rushing and falling in at the shoulder, so breaking the process down into distinct steps helps slow down their brains (and bodies!) for a smoother change.

Hey there! I have brought my Perch x TB along from rehabbing after 4 years in a field following an injury, to now schooling 3rd level dressage (knock on wood because I swear he hears me and yanks his shoes off/otherwise tries to murder himself).

The two ways horses evade doing work that is difficult for them is through crookedness and speed. My guys uses speed so he doesn't have to sit and push off his hind legs and lift his back. I make the trot slower than he wants it to be, and focus on not letting the tempo change (*key* tempo and speed and power are separate things; you want steady slower tempo, not speed, and power in every step so legs on). Eventually when your horse is able to carry themselves this way, work on lengthening and shortening to expand on that push power.

Although, in full empathy, my horse wouldn't slow his trot for anything for like the first year back to work, so we just went sideways lol. Leg yield on circle, shoulder fore on long side, making a circle and leg yielding it larger and smaller. Hope this helps :) PM me any time! I love talking about training!

Thank you everyone! I have had Lady's back done so she is a little looser in her back, and starting to use her core better. Hopefully some more change will come from her in the next few months!

However, Archies changes are still very wonky. He is a very typical tb in movement, however is simply too aloof in his old age to pick anything up. Will carry on trying though! :)

Puriana SuperSport is literally magic for topline muscle building! I heard lots of people raving about it so I tried it, and it did miracles for my horse. I actually have 3 on it now and it has helped all of there toplines improve x10!