straightness – Horse Listening

The Power Of Straightness – And A Checklist

I don't like to get too woo-woo about anything to do with horses and riding, but in a way, if there's something you want to go overboard about, it's straightness.

Straightness is critical to everything that has to do with horses and riding, but really, it's mostly for the horses. Because when the horse isn't straight, he's crooked. Which generally happens all the time, and is often not recognized. If we don't recognize crookedness, how can we even begin to work on straightness?

Now, to be fair, riding truly straight is not as easy as it sounds or looks. There is so much that goes into being straight, that it's yet another one of those things that riders spend their entire lives on: achieving some success, then falling apart, then getting even better, then finding new problems as they get better, and then re-establishing what they had before... it's never-ending. And the better they get, the more there is to learn.

But that's what makes achieving skills such as straightness so great! There's so much to it, until there isn't!

So how is straightness powerful?

Well, that's it, really. Being straight is being powerful.

The energy "goes through" - the power from the hind end can be transmitted all the way to the front end. Crookedness takes the power away.

The weight is evenly balanced - so every limb carries equal(ish) weight. This helps to alleviate stress on any one part of the horse's body, whether it's the shoulders, back, hips, or particular feet.

The straighter the horse, the easier it is for him to reach underneath with the hind legs, which means easier to begin to work on collection.

The body is in alignment, which allows the horse to maintain better balance all around. He will have an easier time with responsiveness.

The straight horse will have an easier time with rhythm and tempo. Both become more deliberate, more intentional.

And suppleness. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the odd thing about straightness is that it helps with left to right flexion and bend. And suppleness helps with straightness.

I'm sure there are at least another hundred benefits to straightness! But I think you're probably getting my point already.

Straightness Checklist

The intention of this checklist is to give you some concrete, practical points to look for when you're actually at the barn and riding. Print it off and take it with you!

While you're working on straightness, these are things you're looking for. Again, there's much more to be said about the topic. This is only a place to begin.

Rider's Position

Weight is even on both seat bones
Shoulders straight (or parallel to the horse's shoulders) - no leaning or collapsing
Head looking in the direction of movement (through the horse's ears), chin level to the ground
Legs evenly draped around the horse
Tall upper body

Rider's Aids

Inside leg to support the inside shoulder from dropping in
Outside leg to support the horse's hips from falling out
Inside rein slightly open for flexion as needed
Outside neck rein or direct rein to keep the horse's outside shoulder "in the body" (no bulging or drifting)
Seat, leg and appropriate rein (inside or outside, but usually outside) used for half-halts

Horse

Impulsion from the hind end (use two legs for go!)
Rib cage straight (not bulging one side or the other)
Shoulders are aligned with the body (not bulging)
Neck is straight (not over bent in one direction)
Head is straight and looking in the direction of movement (no twisting, or one ear lower than the other)
Horse is stepping straight with each step (legs do not deviate off the line)
Horse's hind leg footsteps follow along the same line as the front leg footsteps

Well, I think this should be enough to get you started. Even if you can improve on one area over the next little while, it will help you along your straightness path. For example, maintain your position while keeping the horse step straight with each step. That should take a fair amount of dedication to start with!

Now there is one thing I haven't mentioned yet.

Straightness is not JUST about travelling in a straight line. So you can be straight on a circle. You can be straight on a bend. You can be straight in a movement, like leg yield or walk pirouette. You can even be straight on a half-pass, even while the horse is bent in the direction of movement while travelling diagonally across the ring.

This is because straightness is about the alignment of the horse's (and rider's) body. So even while the horse is bent into a direction, he has to maintain "straight" alignment through the hips, ribs, shoulder, neck and head. If he isn't straight, then he'll have a bulging shoulder, or rib cage, or hips swinging out.

And now you can see how straightness permeates pretty much everything we do with a horse, from the beginning levels all the way up. And the secret is that it's not always necessary to work on trying to straighten single parts of the horse's body. In fact, you want to develop the prerequisites of straightness: rhythm (and tempo), suppleness, connection (and contact), impulsion... all of the basics that are discussed in the dressage Pyramid of Training. The better you get at the basics, the quicker and easier it will be for the horse to move correctly, and eventually, straight.

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4 Steps To Better Movement

Improving the horse's movement is one of the first things we should attempt to work on from the minute we get on the horse's back. We should always aim to keep the horse happy, healthy and strong into his old age.

While there are actually other ways to improve the horse's movement, I've distilled it down to four basic steps so you can get started with your own horse. Even if you and your horse are farther along, coming back to these basics might be helpful for you at times.

1. Free Moving Gait

Elsewhere, I've called this "impulsion." But I also like to think of it as moving "freely" - strong, bold, not fast. When the horse moves freely with impulsion, you can see the horse stepping out at will, looking ahead, using the hind legs deeply underneath the body, covering ground effortlessly.

The opposite is the horse that takes short, stilted steps. The legs move but the back is tight and rigid (and maybe it feels like the gait is smooth because of lack of movement). The horse might be looking around, not focused and quick to break stride.

The thing is, many horses aren't inclined to moving freely under saddle. It's tough work to carry the rider and propel through space energetically. As the rider, you have to learn how to get your horse to move better in each gait, how to be more responsive to the leg aids, and then YOU have to be able to ride that gait and not get left behind in the movement!

But with practice, most horses will move forward freely. It can be done.

In general, you always need this sort of forward energy in order to even begin to balance the horse. So it's the first step toward better movement.

2. Rib Cage and the Shoulders "In" The Body

After you have energy, you need to do something with it!

First off, let's consider the rib cage and the shoulders of the horse. If either is "bulging" (or not aligned with the body), there is a blockage of energy that results in falling in, drifting out, slowing down or even spooking. All of these problems are rooted in one cause: lack of straightness through the body.

So now that you've got some energy to work with, you can pay attention to the straightness of the horse's body. Do you feel the rib cage pushing on one leg? It could be either the inside or outside leg. If so, squeeze with the leg to "push" that side of the horse back into alignment.

Can you feel a shoulder stepping outward from the body? It could be either the inside shoulder reaching even more to the inside than the rest of the body ("falling in"). Or it could be the outside shoulder stepping farther out ("drifting out"). In each case, use a rein aid (open, direct or neck rein) to, in effect, "put" that shoulder back into the body. You want to feel each front leg reach straight forward into the next step, not sideways.

You will know you're on the right track if your horse suddenly feels like he's having an easier time moving on his own. When a horse straightens up, his balance improves and he becomes lighter on his feet. You'll feel that energy created by the hind end travel through the horse's body.

3. Straight Neck

This one is fairly easy to recognize and happens all the time! If your horse has his neck turned far into the direction of travel (called "neck bend"), or turned far outside the direction of travel, you will notice a significant change in his ability to maintain balance. He will likely bulge through the opposite shoulder and end up traveling in that direction.

While there are possibly times when we might want to bring the neck "around" to soften the neck muscles or get better access to the jaw and poll, we should always be seeking to allow the horse to have a straight neck specifically to help with balance. Sometimes, riders might have to work at keeping the neck straight if the horse has developed a habit of holding the neck farther to one side.

But if the rib cage and shoulders are kept straight, it shouldn't take much to keep the neck straight at this point.

4. Flexion/Soft Poll

The horse should have flexion (the corner of the horse's eye) into the direction he is moving. So if you're going right, you should be able to see the corner of the horse's right eye. It is generally important for the horse to look where he is going. Also, by flexing the jaw a little to the side, the horse often relaxes and softens just a bit more through the head and neck.

You also want to teach your horse to move with a soft poll. Rather than moving along with the head braced and the nose pointing up and out (try it yourself to see how it tightens your neck, shoulders and upper back), you want the horse to respond lightly to your rein aids. When he feels pressure from the reins, he should soften and "give," bringing his nose to a "more" vertical position. The nose can stay slightly above the vertical. The key is that the horse will respond to the rein aids and soften when needed.

A soft poll will allow the horse to release the whole connected muscle structure over the neck and to the back under the saddle. This release will help allow the shoulders to work better and the back to swing more.

Put It All Together

Well, it can get complicated to try to do all four steps in succession in movement.

So if you find it difficult, start with one step at a time. Go for the energetic gait first. When you can get a consistently strong gait, try to straighten through the rib cage and shoulders (this step may take some time to understand and master). Make sure you still have that energetic gait and straightness.

Try to straighten the neck soon after you're getting straightness through the body. You still should have the energetic gait and the straight rib cage and shoulders.

Finally, work on the flexion and poll. You still should have the energetic gait, the straight rib cage and shoulders, and straight neck!

You see how it builds together.

Take your time, try and try again, and feel for improvements as you go along.

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We all want our horses to improve in their athletic

development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....

But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.

Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.

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Just as with all the Horse Listening Collection Books, this book is focused on helping the rider improve for the sake of the horse. But this book goes deeper into the best training articles from the blog - horse-centered theory, strategies and ideas you can try with your own horse.

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

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.

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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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Living (Horse) Life in the Basics

.Although we revel in our various disciplines, riding and training styles and breeds of horses, there is simply no denying it: the basics are the basics and they are the same for us all.

Can you distinguish the difference between good and bad movement?

Even if the you are unfamiliar with a discipline's competitive or technical requirements, chances are, you can tell if a performance was well done. The fact is that all movements share several components to them that are fundamental to the quality of movement.

Despite our differences, we are all working toward the same basic purpose.

Rhythm Rules!

Every aspect of riding is rooted in rhythm. Without a sense of rhythm, all riding movements will be sabotaged and become relegated to a lurching, uneven-striding, uncertain series of steps, reducing our rides to a series of jolts, whip-lashed starts and stops, and tension in both the horse and rider.

Take the competitive trail horse, for example. When negotiating miles and miles of uneven terrain, there is no substitute for efficient, energy-saving movement. Whether at the walk, trot or canter, the gait must inevitably become regular to be non-taxing and economical.

Watch the hunter horse. The best mover is the one that masquerades as a metronome - each stride ticking away in an unwavering time measure.

Anyone who has participated in a western trail pattern knows the essential dance that must occur in order to negotiate the obstacles in a smooth, cadenced manner.

I could go on and on, and cover all the disciplines I know of, and even those that I don't. The point is that rhythm is one of those commonalities that we all work toward.

Flexion

There are two types of flexion: longitudinal and lateral.

The first allows the horse to stretch over the topline and use his back effectively. The second allows for side to side stretches. Both are essential to allow for soft, released movement that permits lighter strides and even use of musculature.

Flexion is what allows the horse to be supple left and right, and to lengthen or collect in movement. All figures, patterns and tricks require both kinds of flexion to be performed with ease and strength.

This one is pretty self-explanatory.

Every aspect of riding horses begins with impulsion. The key is to have good enough communication with your horse so that he can put in the energy needed at the right time.

If you are heading into a corner with the horse trotting toward the arena walls, horses will often slow their forward inclination. You need to ride through the corner or turn so that the horse can maintain the established rhythm. This is when "go" enters the scene.

Imagine a barrel horse without "go".

What would a road horse be like without an easy ground-covering gait?

Contact/Connection

I might call it contact, and you might call it connection. It is the language that you and your horse share.

In the end, we are both talking about the same thing: the horse reaches to your aids - seat, weight, legs, hands (and bit or hackamore or whatever other kind of equipment) and there is a communication process that you both participate in.

The better the connection, the more subtle the interaction. The onlooker might only notice the results of the process - but you know how amazing it feels when the horse is "on the aids" and you progress together as one.

Straightness

After finding bend and flexion, all horses must also discover the beauty of straightness.

Without body alignment, all movements lack strength and suppleness. The shoulders must be in line with the hips. The straighter the horse's body, the more efficient the movements become.

Moving straight, even on a circle, is a lifetime goal that is often difficult to achieve.

Collection

Many disciplines discuss the relatively complicated concept of collection. All higher level movements rely on it. Many of us claim to do it.

But don't be fooled! Most of us probably achieve "roundness" and confuse it with collection.

Collection is achieved only when all the above components are in place and practiced on a regular basis. True collection starts with a flexing of the joints in the hind end, a tilt of the haunches and a high level of activity that results in an elevated front end. When you first discover collection, you might be amazed at the energy surge and strength it takes to even begin to collect.

But if you look carefully, you will recognize it in many riding disciplines.

The Training Pyramid

If you think I've pretty much described the dressage Training Pyramid in my own words, you're quite right.

If you think my point is to illustrate the commonalities between horse activities, you're also right!

How does the Training Pyramid work into your daily rides? Comment below.

If you enjoyed the above article, you might also like:

https://www.horselistening.com2012/01/10/how-do-you-develop-feel-in-horseback-riding/

https://www.horselistening.com2012/08/08/riding-is-simple-but-not-easy/

https://www.horselistening.com2013/06/10/why-you-dont-need-to-panic-when-your-horse-falls-apart-during-your-ride/

https://www.horselistening.com2013/04/29/go-and-no-the-connection-between-forward-and-half-halt-in-horse-riding/

https://www.horselistening.com2013/02/17/why-you-should-ride-the-left-side-of-your-horse-going-right/

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: straightness

The Power Of Straightness – And A Checklist

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands!

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

Click here for more information.

4 Steps To Better Movement

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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

Living (Horse) Life in the Basics

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

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