A Holistic Approach to the OTTB Topline

Ah, the ever-elusive OTTB topline.

To start off, I don't believe a topline is only achieved through consistent work/exercises.

A happy, healthy horse, no matter its exercise load, should have balanced topline muscles as it uses these muscles daily for its basal activities: moving around the yard, playing, eating, etc.

There are 3 factors that will get in the way of your horse developing a healthy topline in and out of work.

We will get to the 3 factors, but to start off lets discuss what a topline is and what is it's purpose for our off track thoroughbreds.

What is an equine topline?

The topline refers to the muscle structure and overall shape along the top of the horse’s body, specifically:

• Poll (top of the head, behind the ears)

• Neck

• Withers

• Back

• Loin

• Croup (the area from the hip to the dock of the tail)

Why do we want to build a top line?

A well-developed topline is smooth, strong, and slightly rounded, showing good muscle tone and conditioning. It’s important for balance, movement, and the ability to carry a rider comfortably for long-term soundness.

A weak or underdeveloped topline can look hollow, dipped, or atrophied, especially behind the withers, and may affect the horse’s performance and longevity in carrying a rider's weight.

3 factors that affect topline development:

While topline is focused on the top structures of the horse's back, what is required for this development is a strong, stable core and muscles that are able to contract and extend without inhibition throughout the body.

Anytime I come across an OTTB with an atrophied topline, these are the areas I will investigate for improving their topline development.

These are the top three factors that affect topline development in OTTBs:

1. Physical Tensions: Pain/discomfort

A horse cannot use the topline of its body and engage its core if there is discomfort or pain. Pain triggers the use of brace muscles to protect the painful area.

Here is an example:

If you think about your bicep/tricep muscles, they work opposite each other. In order for the bicep to activate, the tricep has to extend, and vice versa. If the tricep is activated to prevent pain in your elbow, the bicep will not be able to contract.

We can view our horse's topline in the same way. Anytime there is a brace in the body to avoid pain/discomfort, the horse will not be able to activate its core and lift its back.

Let's say a saddle does not fit correctly and touches the withers with rider weight. The horse will drop its back away from the acute, uncomfortable pressure into its withers. The horse will not be able or willing to lift its back and engage its core.

Brace muscles and topline muscles are mutually exclusive.

Another area I will look at if a TB lacks topline is their hoof angles and balance. Hoof pain and incorrect angles can cause an atrophied topline if every step triggers brace muscles to engage or compensation in their gait; the correct muscle group will not be able to activate.

2. Mental Tensions: Posture/self-carriage

   
   

Mental tensions refer to how a horse feels about themselves, their environment, and their people. If you have a horse that demonstrates anxious behaviors in the cross ties or spooks down the barn aisle, then you are dealing with a mental tension.

Mental tensions beget physical tensions, although they are not related to physical pain. This means that a horse exhibiting mental tensions will not be able to activate their core and develop their topline.

In my experience, mental tensions are much more difficult to pinpoint and release than physical tensions.

If a horse is exhibiting mental tensions (spookiness, reactivity, mouthiness, anxiety, etc.), then it will not be using its topline muscles.

We must address and replace the mental tension at its core with relaxation, felt safety, and confidence in order for our horses to explore a different posture on their own and with a rider.

3. Nutrition: Balancing the Body

Muscle development requires muscle ingredients: protein. Protein is broken down into amino acids (lysine, threonine, etc.). Our horses cannot build muscle if they do not have the building blocks accessible to them.

You do not need to nerd out on nutrition (unless you want to), but the core of this factor is to make sure your horse has access to eating the appropriate amount of amino acids in their diet.

In addition to this, make sure they have a balanced diet. This means the appropriate amount of calories, vitamins, minerals, fats, and, yes, proteins..

If you want help reviewing your diet, read our article on OTTB Diet.

3 Exercises for building a strong thoroughbred topline

You can do all the hills and pole work you want, but if your horse is using the wrong muscle groups due to one or more of the above factors, you will not develop a healthy topline.

Now that we understand how these three factors affect our horse's topline development, let's look at three practical ways we can prevent these factors from affecting our horses:

1. Removing Physical Tensions:

   Start by observing your horse's way of going in the field, in groundwork, and with a rider. We need to get an idea if their posture and freedom of movement change anywhere along that spectrum. If your horse moves free of physical tensions without a rider but is stiff and inverted with a rider, then there are physical tensions that you need to investigate.

Does the horse move tenser with a rider because of saddle discomfort, or is it due to mental tensions and how they feel about a rider on their back?

While there is no one-size-fits-all response, the more curious you become, the more likely you will explore and find answers to address and remove your horse's physical tensions.

1. Removing Mental Tensions:

   Like I said, mental tensions can be a bit harder to pinpoint but must be addressed. When we look for mental tensions, we are looking for any behaviors the horse displays other than rest and relaxation.

This is because rest/relaxation behaviors indicate a mind and body free of tensions.

For mental tensions, you will be exploring how your horse FEELS about everything in their world: you, their environment, riding, being in the arena, etc.

3. Rewrite your horse's movement patterns:

   Once you've addressed and removed the mental and physical tensions affecting your horse, you can now rewrite its relationship with movement. You need to retrain its muscle memory, movement patterns, and sense of balance.

Up until this point, your OTTB has likely been using the wrong muscle groups for their balance and way of moving.

It is up to us to retrain the mind and body to develop a strong, stable core and muscles that are able to contract and extend without inhibition throughout the body.

Now that they can move free of mental and physical tensions...

I prefer to begin with a walk, emphasizing when my horse exhibits a relaxed and balanced posture. This serves as the foundational step for developing the topline. Once established, you can apply this walking posture over poles or on inclines.

As your horse becomes more accustomed to maintaining this posture, you can seek it in the trot and canter as well. I suggest starting these exercises on the ground before moving to saddle work.

Your horse can then perform core-building and topline-strengthening exercises such as pole work, hill work, and cardio with excellent results!

If you'd like to take the guesswork and frustration out of understanding and releasing mental and physical tensions from affecting your horse's topline development, the OTTB Restart Online Program is your guide. It's a simple and easy-to-follow roadmap for making huge transformations for your OTTB.

Stay curious and happy partnerships!