From: Lynn
Hi Jessica, Thanks for the good advice about Beau and Ziggy. Beau is continuing to do better and better on the trails, and is walking down hill quite readily now. He also seems to have stopped jigging almost totally! And Ziggy is happy in the sun with his mares....
I have another question regarding your answer to the flexion test question from last week. We were told to take Beau for a ride before having his flexion test done (pre-purchase). We did, and went for what we thought was a moderate ride (about 10 miles, all walking and/or trotting, not too many steep hills.) He did not seem to mind the ride at all and did very well. Imagine our surprise when he failed the flexion test, which was about 1 hour after we returned from the ride! Beau was 3.5 y old at the time, and this was definitely the longest ride he had ever done in his life.
When I bought Hannah (my 21 y old mare, who was 18 at the time of purchase), I was told that she should do the flexion test cold. She did, and only mildly failed on one leg, due most likely to arthritis. She has never been lame in the 2.5 years (and over 4000 miles) I have ridden her. I am just careful to warm her up very slowly. Anyway, to get back to the story about Beau, the owner was shocked that he had failed, as he had previously passed flexion tests that were done cold. So the next week, she took him to UC Davis, and had him reexamined (cold), and he passed. So, we bought him (obviously!) and concluded, after some reading of information which I got from a horse health course, that his failure after the ride was most likely due to our over-riding him for his tender age and lack of conditioning, even though he seemed fine on the ride (and certainly was not lame afterwards, except for the flexion test stuff.) What do you think of all of this?
Another question about Beau, which relates to your discussions about converting a horse between English and Western styles. Beau was trained English (on the bit) and used to do a lovely trot (in the ring) with his neck arched, and presumably his back rounded. Since we don't do any ring work, but only trail ride, and since Hannah is a Western horse (and that is how we learned to ride), Beau is starting to carry himself more like a Western Pleasure horse, with a flat neck, and I am worried that he is hollowing out his back. When I discussed this with my husband, he said that he thinks he should always ride with a loose rein, Western style, rather than keeping the contact with the (snaffle) bit that would be needed to round him up. Is it possible to trail ride Western style, but have the horse's back rounded up?
Looking forward to hearing from you - Lynn
About your flexion test question: yes, it's best to do them "cold", and I'm not at all surprised that Beau failed the first one! That's a very long ride for such a young horse, and he had probably pushed his muscles to the limit. Then, after an hour, he was getting stiff -- and that's when he had the flexion test. I would pay much more attention to the results of the one done at Davis.
About Beau's back and neck: if he's hollowing his back and flattening his neck, it is NOT because he needs more contact in front. The pretty arched neck that you like to see can be very pretty indeed if it comes from a happy, strong horse that is carrying itself and its rider well, and carrying its neck and head. A horse that moves well will develop his back muscles and the muscles of his neck -- you'll feel the muscle under you when you ride, and you'll see it in front of you, from the withers to just behind the horse's ears.
You can't bring a horse's back up by doing ANYTHING with the bit or the reins! If you use a curb, or try to make Beau's neck arch through constant contact with a snaffle, you will succeed in teaching Beau to overbend his neck and tuck his jaw back toward his chest, but this will not lift his back, or help it in any way -- in fact, it will hurt his back!
If Beau is working well, using his hind end, and is relaxed through his back and neck, he will develop his "carrying" muscles over time. If his back hurts for any reason -- or his neck -- or his mouth -- he is going to drop and stiffen his back. Beau is still young, and he may be telling you that his back is sore. Check his back, and the fit of his saddle -- and remember that if you want Beau to carry someone up and down hills and for long periods, you need to develop the muscles that will allow him to do it in comfort.
If he isn't sore, than perhaps he just isn't being asked to step up under himself from behind. His rider needs to use his legs to ask Beau to move forward energetically -- not FASTER, but with larger steps and more engagement. If he shuffles along with a sagging back, he won't develop the muscles that will allow him to move differently -- if he moves forward in an active walk (that's the one that makes him feel as if he is going somewhere!) under a balanced rider, he WILL develop his topline.
It all takes time -- muscles don't develop overnight. Keep working with him, be careful that he doesn't get sore anywhere (especially in the back!), and let me know how he does.
- Jessica
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