Physical changes of a driving horse?

[Sixstardanes]

I've been driving Saber every other day for about 30 minutes each outing

and have noticed his topline (back) seems to be getting straighter.

Could this be because of his back muscles strengthening?

When driven regularly what sort of physical changes might one see in a horse?

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I've been driving Saber every other day for about 30 minutes each outing and have noticed his topline (back) seems to be getting straighter. Could this be because of his back muscles strengthening?
When driven regularly what sort of physical changes might one see in a horse?

When you say "straighter," how do you mean? From a side view, judged front to back? Side to side when viewed from the rear? I've noticed before that Saber stands a lot like Kody did when he had his back problems so I've wondered if Saber needs some chiro work. Driving could be strengthening and working the muscles that support the spine so he's either releasing long-held tension or learning to move and stand a different, straighter way.

What type of changes you'll see in a driving horse will vary a little with how they are worked. Just as endurance horses get long and lean, show horses smoother, working ranch horses tougher and more bunchy, driving horses will muscle according to how they are trained. In general any horse pulling a cart will broaden out through the chest as the shoulders and muscles of the torso must strengthen in order to move the load. They will become cardiovascularly more fit, the muscles will toughen all over, and if you drive them enough and on the right surfaces their bones will become more dense and stronger through remodeling. With many horses that's the most you'll see as they never learn to use their backs. A horse who is worked gymnastically over a period of time will continue to change and improve for YEARS, becoming stronger and more supple all over. You'll see their hindquarters fill out in every dimension, their backs will lose any hollows and weak or flat places, the shoulders strengthen and define and the neck! Oh, the neck does glorious things. Any over-abundance of muscle on the underside will fade, the topline strengthens and gains a chiseled look, they start having at least three different visible muscles flexing and working on the crest of the neck behind the poll, and of course with all that new muscle the stride improves tremendously.

THAT is what I live for!

Leia

 

[Sixstardanes]

Straighter as if seen from the side...

instead of sort of going "uphill" (after his wither) towards the rear.

Here's an older photo of Saber showing what I mean

and here's one from yesterday

Other than looking flatter with my palm I can feel part of his spine in one area now.

I have been upping his food since he's been working.

The road we drive on is 95% packed dirt with dips, turns and inclines.

 

[Sixstardanes]

OH! I forgot to add at night Saber gets a busy snacker (that I cut in half and made 2 out of) with hay I've been purposefully hanging it a bit higher in hopes to get him to stretch while eating.

Do you think the driving AND this is what is changing his back?

 

[hobbyhorse23]

It's hard to see what you're talking about in those photos but I would say that feeding him higher to stretch him is not a good idea. What that does is contract the muscles of his topline, which he should be stretching, and stretch the muscles of his underline, which we should be contracting. It also isn't a good idea to feed hay from above the horse's natural head height as the dust sifts down into their nostrils and can cause respiratory problems.

If you want him to stretch, feed him as much as possible from ground-level and do a lot of carrot stretches down between his knees and towards his hocks on each side.

Leia

 

[Sixstardanes]

Doing this sort of stretching seems to made Saber more limber for his turning.

Maybe its coincidental.

It isn't a high feeding just 1-2 inches higher.

He's one who'll try to take hay from the top of the snacker instead of its openings.

This makes him eat from the bottom openings of the snacker.

 

[Kendra]

I've been meaning to get a halter photo of Hawk to compare to his 3 year old pictures - after 4 years of driving, he hardly looks like the same horse! It's his neck mostly ... the difference is amazing ... but also his topline.

 

[Sue_C.]

To give you an idea of the proper stretch that Leia is trying to discribe to you...here is something to try yourself. Reach up for something over your head...and concentrate on how that affects your back. You will notice that that doesn't really do anything other than stretch your shoulders, and arms. Now...bend over, and reach for the ground...THAT you will feel in yourt entire back.

I would say it is coincidental that his turns are better rather than the feed being higher.

Old time horsemen never fed horses from above their shoulders, and most often would feed from ground level as nature intended...that is what will develop that nice solid topline, keep the neck muscles stretched, and keep those muscles limber.