Stiff Topline?

Question

Okay well my horse goes into a frame etc. easily but when we first begin to warm-up he has a stiff top-line, my trainer says that doing counter-flexion for a FEW steps will help him...can someone explain why...also if you have any more tips on how to "release" or relax a horses topline please tell me and also there is little point in telling me if you cant tell me why...

Answer 1

Let your horse have a free-reign and walk him/her like this for at least 7 minutes before you pick up a light contact. Once you do that, ask for a stretchy-walk (ex: Horse's nose is reaching towards the ground). Once the horse does that, pick up the reigns a bit more, and ask for a normal trot. Let the horse trot around for a minute or two to warm up a bit, then ask for a stretchy-trot (same idea as at the walk). That should help =)

Answer 2

I believe counter fexion is for releasing and relaxing the shoulders and neck. I have never heard of using it to relax a horse's topline. Ask your trainer why they think it will help your horse. I would start warming him up with longer reins(but wiht contact) for at least 10 minutes and using inside halfhalts and inside leg to ask him to step under himself and use his rear end to relax his topline. Then when he goes to the bit with longer reins his neck and topline will stretch more and helping it to release. You also need to be very relaxed so that he can be relaxed and streth his topline.

Answer 3

The term counter- flexion denotes flexing in opposition to extention.  The spine is in extention when it is hollowed, and in flexion when it is rounded, so counter-flexion appears to be extention, or hollowing of the back.

Unless I am in the head of your insructor, it's hard to know how she interprets these terms.  When you say he goes into a frame easily, that is contradicted by then saying "but .......he has a stiff topline.". If he is stiff, he cannot easily go into a frame.  Releasing and relaxing a topline are terms I've never heard in many many years of working with impulsion and collection.  I'm not saying they are wrong, I just question how to interpret them....and apparently, it hasn't been explained adequately to you as the student either.   There is no way any kind of stiffness is going to be worked out in just a few steps.  Nothing of this makes any real sense to me.  My answer may not be what you'd hoped for, but it's the only one I have.