Without any video, my first guess of what you're missing is proper bend through the body, which is different from neck flexion. Next time your ride, ride lots of squares so you really have to use your inside leg and outside rein to make the closest thing you can on a horse to square turns. Each corner will refresh the balance and keep your horse balanced on that outside rein. Once the balance is there, the horse will feel more confident about stretching forward into the bridle. Also riding transitions within the trot will encourage stretching.

 

What MBP said

I cannot emphasise this enough. Lots of deep corners, long sweeping bends, serpentines, transitions within the gait. Set him up for each properly, encourage him to stretch down and forwards, and LOTS OF PRAISE when he gets it right!

 

Here is a picture.. We were doing basic figure of 8 and trot poles and also transitions up and down.

Excuse me hand position... I'm not sure what I was doing in this picture it was our warm down after our session

 

That's not long and low, that's plodding.

First photo is long and low, and my coach was very happy with how my girl was going based on this photo. Second photo is low and deep (and I was NOT HAPPY with the girl on her for doing it and never let her ride my horses again).

To get long and low you start with a light, even contact and allow the horse to slip the reins through your fingers until you get to the head carriage you want. You don't just throw the reins away and let the horse plonk around.

 

I am aware that its not ENTIRELY long and low but for him thats a bigger deal then people realize considering he used to be a giraffe.

I am a bit upset we didn't get there but you know what they say Rome wasn't built in a day. Although we didn't get the ' long and low' part we did get some really fluid transitions which I am really happy with. I am looking for my next instructor but the guy who runs the agistment makes it really uncomfortable to get any outside help.

 

It took me something like 8 months to reliably be able to get long and low on my girl and I broke her in myself so I know she never saw the racetrack and never got hauled around by heavy-handed, unbalanced riders. (My hands aren't perfect but they're not THAT bad)

It does take time Just as long as you're aware that long and low is a whole-body thing and the horse must be actively seeking the contact.

 

He has done it before and I am pretty sure in the session he did it at least once but my partner is horse deficient and doesn't know the difference between lazy and active but he tries lol. I am pretty sure in that photo I had just finished scratching my leg below my boots I usually have pretty good hands and I am fairly balanced one of my at least decent riding qualities!

I wish my instructor had of stayed she was really good and gave me a lot of confidence.

 

Well you certainly must be doing something right because he's not muscled like a horse that braces and stargazes

 

He was never a bracer more like bit evader... Well used to be I have seen some real improvement such as head carriage he doesn't hold it so high anymore

 

To be a "giraffe" as you call him all horses need to brace their necks. He may not have been bracing against your hands but he was still bracing.

 

I don't think he's to muscled though yet anyway.. The last owner let him go downhill so it's going to take forever to get him back to a fit anything I am keen to see how he will turn out. Lots of people at my Agistment think he's a very special horse

 

No but you can see in their necks when they're bracing.

He's still not using his topline or he wouldn't have hollows behind his shoulders, and you may well be fighting an uphill battle with his back the way it is (that looks like quite a bad sway) - he may not be physically capable of it - but it doesn't hurt to try!

 

I wouldn't say it's terrible bad sway back :/ I ask the same question to the vet every time he comes for check up if he thinks he has swayback and the vet says no every time but in my my opinion I think he does have a slight away unfortunately but it doesn't seem to affect him.

 

I just see high withers.

 

Yeah his giant withers and lack of topline don't help the appearance of it but there's definitely a sway there. Swaybacked horses do find it physically much more difficult to work over the back (severe sway makes it impossible) and that will make it more difficult for you to get the correct work you're looking for, but that doesn't mean you can't ask him to work as well as he is able.

Is that last photo older than the rest? His neck muscling looks different (more upside-down, which would be consistent with a giraffe-like way of going)

 

That one is 18th of June and this one is 18th of July when my friend was using him for her formal pictures

 

Here's one when I first got him 18/12/2014

 

There's a significant difference between the June and July photos and WOW he looks AMAZING compared to the one of when you first got him!

 

I suppose you only really see a difference when you look at pictures? I never noticed any changes but he has been getting ridden more 2 days of arena work and 1 day of my friend who LOVES his speed out on a trails.

 

Look at the shape of his neck - big difference there. The hollows behind his withers look more pronounced in the more recent photo but his neck is changing shape.

 

In real life I actually think his back is starting to look better like muscle is starting to raise on either side of his spine if you understand what I mean ?

 

Subbing :>

 

For some reason I'm not seeing all the pictures today... but if your horse used to be a giraffe, from the first picture, you look great!

I have a similar type, with a swayback look. To get her back up, she does best when I'm on a completely loose rein. I know it's not "correct" but I feel "whatever it takes" is okay, to stretch over her back. Note: I agree that the bottom of the neck should be parallel to the ground and the horse should be really swinging into the gait for the best benefit.

Counter-bending until there's a dropping and stretching does work, just remember to give when it happens, even a little bit. It will happen more and more.

I still do mostly figures on contact, with attempts at collection, with the stretching scattered throughout the lesson. At least it's not boring to school this way.

 

Yeah I get your meaning, it could just be lighting and/or the angle making it look worse

 

I suppose the only real way to know would be to get x-Rays but at this current moment I think we will be alright lol

 

Ladies and gents we have long and low! Today during our warm down he began to tug on the reins slightly so I let them go through my hands and he stretched all the way down it was so nice. Unfortunately no photo but progress !

 

It looks better in the video but I call it progress he can't do it for to long because of lack of muscle but very proud

 

Something to add, I've recently bought new reins that are about 15-20cm longer each side and they make riding much better.

My horse likes to stretch his head really far down when walking along, I think it's just to stretch out when warming up, it's not his normal way of travelling but in my previous reins he used to stretch as far as the buckle and then kind of know he is restricted and stiffen up a little. Since using my new reins, its like he knows there is more room, and is just travelling more relaxed, even when on a shorter contact.

I've just found that so many standard reins are too short and if you're going to be doing any loose rein work, then it might be worth looking at longer reins, as in the pic yours look like they're not that long.

 

They are way to short for him but I am looking for longer reins but have yet to find any.

 

When you are riding, lift your hands so you have a decent connection with his mouth, then think of your reins as stiff, and PUSH. When he gives to this, you give a smidge, but don't throw the reins away. Try again. Before long, he will be stretching beautifully into the bit.

 

As said above he's done it couple of times properly since then but I haven't been able to get photos :/ he does it easier on the lunge then while riding but getting to it.
Unfortunately the picture above was taken when I was scratching my leg and my partner who thinks horses look exactly the same no matter what was taking the photo lol.

 

I just got my new reins ! I am going to be riding today so hopefully this will give him a bit more room!

 

Firstly, congrats on getting weight on him. He looks like a different horse.

Secondly, I would say that he does look a bit overweight right now. Couple that with a lack of muscling, my bet would be he is unbalanced.

Long and low will only work if a horse feels balanced, warm through his back and is strong enough to do so.

I would say right now, your horse only has 1/3 because I don't know how your work him.

Long and low is effectively stretching the back and neck muscles. I creak out any stiffness before I weight train or run, but I stretch when I'm finished.

Work your horse within his current fitness limits. Don't get het up on neck and head so long as he isn't throwing all his weight on his front and running like a star gazer.

Bends, transitions and correct halts will help this horse greatly. Give him a good 10 minute walk up, using serpentines and figures of 8 and circles. I'm not talking a plod, I'm talking a forward walk. Then use 15 minutes of walk and trot to do other exercises with him, throw a canter in there if you think he is ready for it. On your final trot, push for active, but don't over do it. Keep your hands at the same height, but allow them to travel forward. KEEP to big figures. Keep him bending. Don't throw the reins away, let it out cm by cm. If he brings his head up, then push the trot activeness (not faster, but "up") and continue.

I have to disagree completely with what greetree said about stiffness, pushing and letting it go bit by bit.

 

Firstly, congrats on getting weight on him. He looks like a different horse.

Secondly, I would say that he does look a bit overweight right now. Couple that with a lack of muscling, my bet would be he is unbalanced.

Long and low will only work if a horse feels balanced, warm through his back and is strong enough to do so.

I would say right now, your horse only has 1/3 because I don't know how your work him.

Long and low is effectively stretching the back and neck muscles. I creak out any stiffness before I weight train or run, but I stretch when I'm finished.

Work your horse within his current fitness limits. Don't get het up on neck and head so long as he isn't throwing all his weight on his front and running like a star gazer.

Bends, transitions and correct halts will help this horse greatly. Give him a good 10 minute walk up, using serpentines and figures of 8 and circles. I'm not talking a plod, I'm talking a forward walk. Then use 15 minutes of walk and trot to do other exercises with him, throw a canter in there if you think he is ready for it. On your final trot, push for active, but don't over do it. Keep your hands at the same height, but allow them to travel forward. KEEP to big figures. Keep him bending. Don't throw the reins away, let it out cm by cm. If he brings his head up, then push the trot activeness (not faster, but "up") and continue.

I have to disagree completely with what greetree said about stiffness, pushing and letting it go bit by bit.

I agree he does look fat.. but hes not as fat as he looks weirdly enough he has this weird thing with his back like hmm.. nothing bad that prohibits his work but its like when he was way skinny he just sagged? he has to do 'horse pilates' to give him the muscle to actually lift his back normally.

On the lunge his long and low is beautiful and his back will come up and look fantastic but I think at this moment even though he tries he cant lift his back while I am riding. Kudos for trying though! We are going back to transitions only walk and trot he gets a bit unbalanced in the canter so I want to work on the w/t first before I extend it to the canter. Also at this stage I am not confident in cantering we are getting to it but it just hasn't happened yet.

I wish my instructor was still here but my agistment makes it hard to get a new instructor or even get outside help.