Her hind end never felt strong--always weak and off. Back: the area where the saddle sits, beginning at the end of the withers, extending to the last thoracic vertebrae (colloquially includes the loin or "coupling," though technically incorrect usage); Barrel: the body of the horse, enclosing the rib cage and the major internal organs; Buttock: the part of the hindquarters behind the thighs and below the root of the tail The top horse is certainly carrying more condition, but he's got a completely different muscle development. At 10 years old, I had her tested for EPSM--she was positive. The topline should be rounded and strong, not sunken in in any way.

Regular hill work of balanced gaits going both up and down will help build stamina and muscle retention. So, whether you are doing sliding stops, jumping fences, trail riding, doing flying lead changes or simply trotting and cantering or loping, your horse's "hind end" muscles are working hard! Horse Anatomy - Muscles of the Rear . “Preceding a lead change, the higher-scoring horses increased their contact duration of the hind limbs and decreased the length of step and time between forelimb impacts to prepare to execute the lead change in the succeeding airborne phase.” (5) The race horse engages the hind legs more forward under his body than the dressage horse.

Here are 5 stretches to help keep your horse's hind end relaxed and flexible. One challenge in working with the gastroc muscle is that so much of it is located underneath other major muscles in your horse’s hind end, so let’s begin by pinpointing its location.

External anatomy.

I gave up on her as a dressage horse and just rode her on the trail. It also strengthens your horse’s abdominal muscles, which helps him utilize his hind end. We all know that horses propel themselves forward from their hind end.

As your horse’s strength progresses, you can add other gaits, focusing on your horse’s balance at all times. Ideally, the pelvis of a dressage horse should be long to give a large area for attachment of the propulsive muscles, and it should have a moderate slope to facilitate tilting the pelvis, lowering the haunches and moving the hind legs forward under the horse's body. I don't know if this will help - but my OTTB had a torn butt (yes that's what the vet called it) in his right hind end.

If he mainly travels "on the forehand" it can set him up for future lameness. Working a horse up and down natural hills is a great way to activate the muscles in his hind end and back in a natural way without trying to maintain a balanced frame. When we speak of building topline in horses, we are speaking of developing all of these muscles.

Most riders would agree that a warm-up period under saddle is a necessary and important part of a horse's fitness program, but many may not consider that the muscles of a horse's back and hind end should be warmed up and stretched prior to weight being placed upon them; this can be an important preventative maintenance technique. Ride with a soft rein and make sure you adjust your weight as your horse traverses both up and down.