lateral suppleness – Horse Listening

Suppleness is one of those more difficult concepts to explain. Because it relates to "feel", it's one of those things in horse riding that takes a long time to learn to identify and then produce regularly.

To recap, suppleness happens in two ways in the horse's body - longitudinally and laterally.

Longitudinal suppleness refers to how loose and round the horse is over his back. It also relates to how "through" his energy is. If he holds his muscles in tight tension, or he blocks forward energy as you ask for more from your legs, he is likely not "through" and soft over the back.

Lateral suppleness refers to the side-to-side dexterity of the horse. It is involved in achieving good balance around turns, and in the horse's ability to bend. I've written a detailed explanation of how to develop suppleness here.

Both types of suppleness are also involved in the establishment of "connection": that ever elusive goal of becoming "one", or riding in harmony, with the horse. No matter what discipline you ride, softness over the back and left and right are basic, fundamental qualities of good (and healthy) movement.

It All Comes Down To You

Here's the thing. Even when I'm explaining what the horse is (or isn't) doing, it's not really about the horse. It's really all about you. The rider has to learn how to achieve the suppleness that is required and desired. Developing suppleness comes from the seat, the legs, the hands, the torso (= core strength) and quick coordination of all those aids. In fact, one could say that the rider needs to be supple enough to develop the horse's suppleness!

Exercise

Here is today's exercise. I like this one because it can help set you up to "find" suppleness just by virtue of riding through the pattern. You have to be sharp on this one - change your aids quickly to help the horse change the bend, go forward to an upward transition and then back to a downward transition.

Do this exercise after you and your horse have had a good chance to warm up. This can be the "lesson" part of your ride, and be sure to listen carefully to your horse in order to not overwork him too long.

It's a fun exercise because it keeps you hopping, and it really feels nice and flowing once you get a hang of it. The energy is forward but you can't let it go all out "the front end" because then you won't be able to navigate the lateral suppleness that is required to complete the pattern. There are several changes of direction and transitions involved. Click on each image to enlarge. I've divided the pattern into three parts just for ease of explanation. They all run consecutively.

Part 1

1. Start on the rail to the left at trot.

2. Come off the rail before the end of the next corner and proceed to do a teardrop to the left. Make the turn fairly large (approx. 15 meters) so your horse has plenty of energy coming out of the turn and into the straight diagonal line. Prepare for change of bend for the corner that is coming up.

Part 2

3. Bend right, turn right through the corner. You can slightly shorten your horse's strides just before the bend to help him control the forward energy coming off the diagonal line.

4. At C: transition to a canter circle, right lead. Make this a smaller circle if your horse is more advanced, otherwise keep it larger and work on maintaining good energy through the whole circle. Transition back to trot before reaching C again.

Part 3

5. Navigate the next corner, preparing for the upcoming loop.

6. Do a loop coming out of the corner. Notice the diagram shows a fairly narrow loop, meaning that you don't have to go all the way to X at the middle. Gauge the depth of the loop based on your horse's riding level.

Start with a right bend, straighten for 2-3 strides over the middle of the loop, bend left to go back to the rail, and bend right again just before heading into the next corner. The loop can be tricky because it requires a bend to a bend to a bend! This is the end of the pattern because now you will be on the right rein, heading into the next corner.

Keep Going!

Now you can start all over in the new direction. Your canter circle will be on A this time. The teardrop and the loop will end up being on the same side of the ring, regardless of the direction you're going in.

This exercise is designed to give you opportunity to focus on your aids - over and over again! As you get better at the pattern, see if you can sort of "dance" through the direction and gait changes. The idea is to subtly navigate the direction and gait changes while staying on the pattern. Keep up your horse's energy level but don't let him go too fast.

You're looking for keeping good balance as you negotiate each part of the pattern. You may find your horse softening over the back, left to right, and becoming bouncier. If he offers to slow his legs slightly but stay strong and forward in his gait, you know you're definitely on the right track! Make sure you do the same.

Let us know if you try this and how it goes for you and your horse in the comments below.

If you like this sort of pattern work, join my Horse Listening Practice Sessions.

The Practice Sessions is a complete program beginning with exercises like the one above, designed to improve specific aspects of the horse and rider. All set up and ready to go, all you have to do is watch the video, print off the pattern PDF and head to the barn!

But there's so much more! There's quality of movement exercises, theory "Mini-Classes" on specific aids and figures, a private Group page with daily tips, and so much more! Click here to learn more.

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From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book

"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend.

Riding gives us the place to just be.

Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.

But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."

And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.

This book is geared toward the rider:

- the rider's motivations

- the essential skills for the rider

- some specific strategies

- solutions to common problems

- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience

Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!

Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!

Available in digital or paperback.

The shoulder-fore is the like the little sibling that always plays second fiddle to the shoulder-in. But don't discount its power.

When left to themselves, most horses will travel crookedly up a line. In fact, they may also be crooked on circles.

On a straight line, they tend to lean outward toward the rail with their front end. So, if you watch a horse go up a rail from behind, you will clearly see the front end traveling on a line closer to the rail, while the hind end drifts somewhat off the rail. There might be a tendency for the horse's head and neck to point outward, away from the direction of travel. So if the horse is going right, the head and neck point left.

Sound familiar? If so, you're not alone. Most horses start life with a stronger side and a weaker side, and if left unchecked, that crookedness can maintain itself or even become more pronounced through riding. So it falls to the rider to become educated and sensitive enough to feel the crookedness - and then correct it over time. As with all other skills, if the horse is ridden in a manner that encourages suppleness and flexion, the horse will overcome the crookedness.

The rider, too, has a significant role in the process. For if the rider just follows the horse's movements, she will also be riding in a way that points her core to the wall, travelling with a crooked seat and imbalanced posture.

What is the shoulder-fore?

Although we often hear about the shoulder-in, we tend to overlook the shoulder-fore as a less worthy exercise. This is far from the truth. The shoulder-fore is easier to learn for both horse and rider and sets them on their way to becoming straighter and more supple.

The shoulder-fore is a movement that positions the horse's shoulders slightly to the inside of the hips. The way you know the horse is "in" shoulder-fore is by looking at the horse's footfalls. Simply put, the horse that has hind footsteps falling into front footsteps is straight. The horse that has the front footsteps landing slightly to the inside of the horse's hind footsteps is travelling in shoulder-fore.

The shoulder-fore requires the horse to "articulate" more with the joints in the hind end, encourages a deeper stride length, and helps the horse balance better, allowing the energy to come over the topline and release the muscles over the back. It is a movement that should be in your riding vocabulary from the beginning to the end of the ride.

How to shoulder-fore:

1. Negotiate a turn or corner in the same manner as usual. Position your body on the bend to the inside, with your seat weighted slightly to the inside, inside leg at the girth, outside leg behind the girth and rein aids following your shoulders toward the turn.

2. Then come out of the turn.

3. But keep the horse on the same mild bend, going straight on the rail.

4. Feel for the horse's shoulders. They should feel slightly off-set to the inside.

At this point, the novice horse tends to want to fall into the middle of the ring, coming off the rail. It is the job of your inside leg, seat bone and rein to keep the horse on the line. Your outside rein can also help to keep the straightness by half-halting to counter the horse's momentum toward the inside. It can also keep the neck fairly straight.

Get a friend to monitor your horse's foot falls and let you know about the angle of the horse's body. She should tell you when you have it right so that you can memorize what it feels like to have straightness in your horse's movements.

Shoulder-fore everywhere!

When you get good at it on the rail, try it off the rail. If you go straight up the ring on the quarter line, you will have enough room to your outside so that you have to really use your outside aids to help maintain the shoulder fore, but not so far that you can't use the rail as a reference point to see and feel the position of the shoulders.

Then try it on center line. It gets harder to feel the angle when there is no wall to gauge your position with. But eventually, you should be able to actually feel the angle of the horse's body regardless of whether or not you have a wall to refer to.

For more shoulder-fore fun, start up the center line with a right shoulder-fore, then as you cross X, switch to a left shoulder-fore.

Finally, give it a try on a circle. At this point, you should be able to identify the shoulder position on a bend. So when you feel that your horse is pointing his shoulders to the outside of the circle, be a responsible rider and bring those shoulders into the shoulder'fore position, even while you are travelling on a bend around the circle.

Results

See what your horse thinks about it. If you get a snort, be happy! If you get a softening of the neck and jaw to the inside, be thrilled. And if you get bouncy-bouncy, rolling gaits (do this in walk, trot and canter) and the feeling that you are spending more time in the air than on the ground, then celebrate!

For helping the horse to release tension, swing through the back, stay straight and energize is the goal of all riding!

*P.S. All the above is also equally relevant to the shoulder-in. But that can be a topic for another time.

Try the shoulder-in during your next ride and let us know how it works for you and your horse.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

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Would you like to be the rider that all horses dream of?

By following simple, useful exercises, you will be able to develop a better understanding about many topics including:

- the rider’s aids

- the use of the seat

- the half-halt

- accurate turns and circles

- transitions

- horse ownership and horse care

- goal setting for the rider

- rein lameness

… and much more!

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Tag: lateral suppleness

Suppling Fun! An Exercise

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.

Why You Must Shoulder-Fore On the Rail and How To Do It

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding