18/09/2025
Top line is everything
When we talk about when a horse is ready to ride, the focus usually falls on age; waiting until the spine has set, or until the pelvis and hindquarters are mature. But what I don’t often see mentioned is the older horse's who have 'developed' but who lack good top line because of various reasons, leaving them just as vulnerable as a youngster.
The photo below shows a 12-year-old mare who has significant topline atrophy, stemming from an old pelvis injury. This mare was retired, so fortunately she wasn’t asked to carry a rider or work under saddle, but you can imagine the strain her whole body would be under if she were expected to work in a tight frame, jump, or perform other demanding tasks.
Topline is more than appearance, it is the horse’s framework of strength, running from poll to tail, over the back and into the hindquarters. When this chain is weak, other structures bear the load: joints, ligaments and soft tissues, often resulting in breakdown within the body, and eventually in the horse’s behavior too. This frame work is made up of neck muscles (that support and stabilize head/neck carriage), back muscles (longissimus dorsi, latissimus dorsi, etc., which carry the rider’s weight), loin and croup muscles (that connect the back to the hindquarters and drive power forward) and gluteal and hamstring muscles (for propulsion).
Topline atrophy can develop for many different reasons.
1) Condition: Horses with a low body score often burn muscle as fuel. Once it melts away, the topline is the first to go.
2) Conformation: Some builds simply find it harder to carry and develop muscle. They need patient, careful strengthening through groundwork, lunging, and light riding.
3) Breed tendencies: Certain breeds are naturally more challenged; Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, Arabians, English ponies, Welsh ponies, Haflingers etc can struggle with topline development. This doesn’t make them less valuable; it simply means their preparation must be slower and more thoughtful.
4) Saddle fit: A poor-fitting saddle can undo months of effort, teaching the horse to hollow and guard their back.
5) Schooling mistakes: Riding a horse in a hollow frame, or with restrictive gadgets, often creates muscle wastage.
6) Rider balance: Even a well-muscled horse will suffer if the rider is too heavy, unbalanced, or ill-suited to their frame.
7) Pain and injury: Many times, despite good strengthening work, the root cause can often lie deeper; kissing spine, pelvic injuries, hind-limb issues can all cause a horse to use themselves incorrectly, leading to atrophy and an inability to use their bodies correctly.
For horses who are weak, gentle lunging can help. 5-10 minutes of correct trot on a wide, non-slip surface, 3-4 times a week, can begin to restore strength without the burden of a rider. Note that cantering a weak horse on a small circle can be very hard on their body and can amplify weakness rather than build strength.
Body work is also incredibly important to helping a horse use themselves correctly in their work by allowing tight or restricted areas to release, making true engagement possible. And if consistent body work does not bring progress, veterinary assessment should be sought to identify and, where possible, address any underlying issues.
And when no clear answers can be found, sometimes the kindest gift we can offer is time. Twelve quiet months in a paddock to let the body heal itself can be an amazing restoration, not just of muscle and movement, but of spirit too. And if, after that season of rest, the horse still struggles, then offering them retirement is not giving up, but choosing compassion over expectation, provided they are not in pain or suffering.
