Coyote Creek Stables

Selfie Sunday!!

We’ll have a stall opening up in October. Don’t miss out!!

ONLINE LESSON 16 July 4, 2020 FOUR WAYS TO BRING YOUR HORSE’S BACK UPAND WHY YOU SHOULD Susan E. Harris Have you ever ridden a horse with a pacey walk or a t...rot like a hammer? Or a high-headed horse that fusses, frets and won’t settle, or throws his head and opens his mouth against the bit? How about the horse that bites when saddled, won’t stand still for mounting, or humps his back and threatens to buck? These horses have something in commontheir backs hurt when they’re ridden, and they’re screaming for help in the only way they canby their behavior. Horses were never designed to carry a human weighing 20% of their body weight on their backs. They do it remarkably well and it’s a good thing we ride nice tolerant horses, not tigers! But we need to understand the problems of asking a horse to do athletic work while carrying us, and especially those affect his back. In order to carry a rider without stress, a horse must engage his circle of muscles (a group of muscles that affect his posture in motion) and slightly lift his back. He allows the motion generated by his hind legs to flow through his moving back muscles and uses his spine, neck and head for balance; we call this a back mover. But with a tight, stiff or hollow back, he can’t engage his hind legs for reach, power and balance, and he moves stiffly and awkwardlya leg stepper. He may move out behind (the hind legs swing further out behind than they reach forward), which is a recipe for a sore back! A rider’s weight on a hollow back hurts, and the horse expresses his discomfort in his behavior and in limited, un-athletic movement. When a young horse is being trained, at first he’s alarmed by a human on his back. As he becomes used to a rider he doesn’t buck, but he has no idea how to move carrying weight on top, so he drops his back, raises his head, and takes uneven, awkward steps. If he’s lucky, his trainer rides in a seat that minimizes the stress on his back and gives him a graduated series of exercises that help him regain his balance under the rider, use his circle of muscles better, and gradually strengthen the muscles he needs to carry a rider well. But some horses are never taught how to carry themselvesothers are forced into a false frame (unnatural posture) with draw reins or other control devices. They protect themselves by acting up or shutting down (ignoring the rider as much as possible) and have poor, un-athletic movement. They can be helped with time, knowledge and remedial training. If you think your horse might be sore in his back or not using his back well, the first steps are: Have a veterinarian and/or equine chiropractor check the horse, especially the spine, but also teeth, legs and overall soundness. Hind leg lameness can lead to back soreness, and vice versa. Check saddle fit, with an expert. Also check adjustment and comfort of the bit, bridle, noseband, girth and saddle pad, and any equipment you use. Check the rider are you in balance and supple enough to let the horse’s motion go through your joints? Do you bounce in trot or canter? Are you uneven or crooked in your body? Do you have trouble controlling the horse or catch yourbalance on the reins? These problems can be solved, but will need an educated eye from an instructor to help, Such riders may be riding over their headriding faster or more demanding activities than they’re ready for, or riding a horse that’s too much for them. If so, they should step down to a level where they can ride in balance and without tension while developing safe, effective foundation skills. There are four basic ways to bring a horse’s back up; within each of these there are many different exercises. They are: Get the horse to take longer steps with his hind legs, reaching more forward under the body. This engages his belly muscles and activates the chain of muscles that runs from the back of the hind legs, up over the hindquarters, through the back and neck to the poll. Riding with a following seat (see Lesson # 2, Following Seat) enables and encourages this. To lengthen the hind stride in walk, apply a brief leg aid as the horse’s belly swings away from the leg. (As the belly swings to the right, use left leg.) This asks the horse to take a longer step with that hind leg. As he takes longer strides, allow your seat to go with his motion and allow his head and neck to stretch. Get the horse to stretch his head and neck forward and down, lowering his poll. This engages the dorsal ligament system, which pulls on the center of the spine and lifts the back, using the bones and ligaments to carry the weight of the rider. It’s good for young horses who haven’t yet strengthened their muscles. This is seen when a jumper makes a bascule (arc) over a jump, and in stretching down. It must be voluntaryit CANNOT be forced by devices, bits, manipulating hands or extreme postures like rollkur. Forward and Out" (Lesson # 6) is a good way to develop stretching down in walk or trot. If you spiral out on a circle by asking the horse to take forward and out steps with his inside hind leg, you will feel him stretch out and down and his back rises in a good stretch, his back feels like a whale! If his back is up, his trot is sittable, but if you or he stiffen, bounce or lose the feeling, immediately recycle to a posting trot. Never try to sit a trot on a hollow back! Don’t expect him to hold a stretched posture too longreturn to a normal gait, then repeat the stretch. Bending correctly, using the hind legs (see Lesson # 11, Bending), and/or taking lateral cross-over steps with the hind legs uses the belly muscles, shifts the ribs over, and engages the back muscles. When the hind leg takes a cross-over step, the head of the femur (thighbone) pulls backward and outward on the end of the gluteal muscles, which connect to the long back muscle (longissimus dorsi.) This can activate that muscle, causing the horse to lift his back, drop his head and neck and relax his mouth by chewingreward him! Many lateral exercises, especially forward and out and turns on the forehand, can help bring the back up. They must be ridden correctlymaking a horse step sideways if he’s stiff, tense or forced into a correct position won’t help and may make him worse. Touching the horse on the abdominal muscles (rectus abdominus muscles) can activate them to lift the back. This can be done from the ground (belly lifts or back lifts, which can be practiced during grooming, saddling, and after riding), especially for older horses whose backs drop as they age. If done mounted, this requires an expert rider with correct timing, sensitivity and fine leg control. Improper use of this technique, especially with spurs, can teach a horse to hump up and refuse to move freely forward, or to buck. To do a back lift from the ground, reach under your horse and stroke him at the back of the girth area, on the center line. (Be carefulask him if you may touch him there!) Then scratch with your fingers, scratching more strongly if necessary. When he tightens his belly muscles and lifts his back, remove your hand, pat and praise him. Feeding a treat close to the ground as you ask him to raise his back helps him learn this as an exercise, not being poked or annoyed. Some other techniques for developing the circle of muscles and lifting a horse’s back are teaching him to stretch down while lungeing (NOT forcing his head down with side reins, bitting rigs or other devices!), riding over cavaletti in 2 point position, riding in a light seat or a 2 point seat in the open over rolling terrain, and developing your balance and springs so that your horse can keep his back up comfortably whether you are in posting trot, 2 point position, or most demanding of all, sitting trot. Enjoy the comfortable feeling of the lift and swing of your horse’s backand know that he’s comfortable, too. Susan Harris

Happy Independence Day!!

Tell me I’m wrong

Come check out our selection of lightly loved second hand tack, English/ Western wear and horsey home decor. Have some stuff collecting dust? Consign it with us...! Shop Address: 15885 Main St Suite 150 Hesperia Shop Hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 12-6pm Sunday-Mondays: By Appointment Video Details: Models: Raleigh Lilith, River Edgewater, Shanna Carta, Kristal Katmann-Ridgway, Stylist/Photgrapher: Julia Currier Videography/Edit: Angel Torres

The evolution of the horse, a mammal of the family Equidae, occurred over a geologic time scale of 50 million years. Starting during the Eocene Epoch, transforming the small, dog-sized, forest-dwelling Eohippus into the modern horse.