Longitudinal Stretch

Not too long ago Eli started lowering his head while lunging. He always kept it moderately low or at a respectful level, but as of late he's been dropping it right down to the ground where it appears he is sniffing the dirt. It even looks as though at times he can kick himself in the head with his front hoof if he's not careful. He does this more so when transitioning into a trot, at a trot he maintains this low to the ground head position for I would say 3 to 4 circles before bringing it back up and lowering it again.

Example of body position for Eli 

I wasn't sure what to think of it, being Green it doesn't come natural to me reading horses. My concern was that it was a sign of disrespect that I should be correcting (if so how to properly correct?) or if there was something wrong like a foot causing him pain etc.

So I asked our trainer Robyn, mentioned it to a few people and didn't really get a negative response or bad feed back. Our stable owner had suggested turning out Eli in the arena during the winter to allow him the opportunity to stretch and burn off steam, which we have done. Prior to this we mainly lunged or rode him, now we unclasp the lead line and let him go. Our Trainer's explanation was that he is stretching out his back.

Come to think of it, putting all the small changes together this is what I think. He's been taking Glucosamine for a little over two months now, I haven't heard his joints cranking and snapping the way they had, barely hear anything from them at all and on top of that he doesn't seem nearly as stiff as he had either. He's still a bit stocked up at times but even than has subsided a bit as well. With his acting out a bit lately, being hot and neighing a lot etc I spoke with our trainer and admitted that we have neglected him in our hopes to bring Ella up to speed in her training, this I think has also lead to a small or minimal amount of muscle wastage on his top line (across the top part of his back) he isn't nearly as even lined or muscular as he used to be.

So, when I started researching his head position while lunging I came across a lot of Dressage sites, aides, techniques, assistance and what not where the goal or aim was to have the horse perform this on the lunge line. According to what I read there is a particular stretch called the 'Longitudinal Stretch' where the goal is for the horse to drop it's head as low to the ground as possible. As quoted from the Happy Horse Training website (link below):

"The Longitudinal Stretch is the perpetual goal of all work in the lunge, because it is this that strengthens the horse in the right way to carry a rider" 

I attached some pictures I found via the web, Happy Horse Training being once resource and Google images being the other.

My conclusion is that what Eli is doing isn't disrespectful it is actually beneficial to his well being and seeing as how I am not keeping up my end by working him and maintaining his fitness, mainly throughout his back and top line he is taking it upon himself to stretch out the probably sore muscles that are slowing wasting without use and working on strengthening up his back. I am lucky that he is independently focused on this as I wasn't aware and apparently when asking a horse to do the Longitudinal Stretch it isn't an easy goal to achieve, especially without the assistance of tack made particularly for this purpose. Maybe Eli is interested in learning Dressage?

The Glucosamine has to be helping him feel better and coupled with the lack of exercise he has all this energy to burn off. It makes sense, he's been extra active when being turned out in the arena, doing laps at a gallop, turning, bucking bouncing and then rolling in the dirt. Thoroughbreds clearly are Very Athletic, Active Horses! 

If we focus more on Eli and help build up his topline again and strenghten and make bigger his back muscles his predominant wither won't be such an issue either.

Happy Horse Training web link