Ageing, ewe-necked horse - flexibility and muscle tone?
Hi all, I have a 25 year old lady who is starting to show her age. She's an Arab, and very energetic, but her top line is suffering. I've stopped riding her as she has a ewe neck and can't seem to physically collect, which causes a number of issues in terms of her comfort and flexibility. A couple of days ago I briefly lunged her and tried out running reins, which work like a dream on my other horses. She seemed to be trying to lower her head into a collected frame but didn't seem able to maintain it. Her teeth have been done recently and she much prefers her current bit to anything I've used previously. I stopped after a few circuits because she seemed uncomfortable. So, my questions; Is it possible to increase her flexibility at this age, or is a ewe neck a permanent thing? She has a short neck and tends to carry herself like a llama. Without being collected and worked in a decent frame, is there a way of improving muscle tone? Eg, the property has a lot of hills; would riding her up hills have a positive effect, given she'd need to drop her head and engage her ass? Is it kinder just to leave her in peace to age and graze?
Submitted January 14, 2018 at 12:12AM by cwaabaa
via reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Horses/comments/7qaiea/ageing_ewenecked_horse_flexibility_and_muscle_tone/?utm_source=ifttt
