Bend: Working Equitation Obstacles that teach and support bending and balance.

What I like about Working Equitation is that maneuvering with all the aids, and bending is introduced early on.

I find there is a misconception about 'bending and straightness'. Is there a belief that straight lines will develop engagement and straightness? In fact, exactly the opposite is true. Bend must be developed before the horse can stretch, balance, move through the back, and step under to self-carry. Only when the horse can bend equally to both sides can he be 'straight' and engaged.

Important to understand is that bend is a small degree of flex through the ribs in the thoracic spine, away from the inside aid. The inside rib muscles contract while the outside stretches. This allows the inside hind leg to step under and to lift/move the shoulder. This action enables the horse to reach under and to lift the back. Ongoing bending work improves strength and stretching to allow bigger and deeper stepping. Bend does not describe the neck. The neck will automatically offer a bit of flexion when the bend is correctly away from the inside aid. Bend comes first. Without bend, horses cannot progress in training and will develop problems with stiffness, resistance and contact.

Horses show us in many ways that they struggle with bend and balance. They will be unhappy in the contact. They fall into the bit because they are off balance. This will result in unpleasant force. They learn to avoid this force horses will not seek contact, or, they might try to push through contact it because they don't like the feel. Sometimes riders mistakenly throw the contact away when this happens. Sometimes this heavy feel is mistaken as 'driving the horse into the bit'. Actually it is the unbalanced horse falling forward, and with a heavy the shoulder. The heavy shoulder cannot lift the front legs. This heavy feel on the bit leaves no ability to employ a half-halt. Too much contact or not enough contact, either way the horse still does not know how to balance, and cannot progress in training until he learns to bend.

Luckily, the keys to developing bend have been well-documented by the classical Masters as far back as early Greece with Xenophon. Later, in the 18th century, Antoine de Pluvinel in his work 'The Menage Royal' was excited to explain to King Louis XIII the the benefits of training the horse on the circle, because the horse learns to bend and balance on his own. He began a method that moved toward developing the horse that influenced many subsequent Masters who, like him, wanted to find gentler, more effective ways of training. Francois Robichon de la Guérinière later introduced the shoulder in as a way of using bend to enhance the lifting of the shoulder and deep stepping under of the inside leg in forward motion.

German Masters also agree on the early importance of bend, even though they focus a great deal of dialogue on straightness and engagement. Von Heydebreck in his commentary of Gustav Steinbrecht's The gymnasium of the Horse writes:

Lateral bend alone gives us relaxation, meaning the release of tension in all joints and muscles and with it straightness, a swinging gait, springy back activity, balance and self carriage

Waldemar Seunig in his book, Horsemanship writes:

All longitudinal bend comes from the stretching of the outside [which comes from] beginning bending work and is continued until the horse is confirmed in yielding to the inside leg.

I feel that perhaps the Germans could have expounded more with clarity about teaching bend and using it to develop 'straightness'. This might have mitigated the trends of pushing the horse forward on straight lines and thereby creating harshness in the contact. When there is such heavy force in the reins, what room is left for a half halt?

Often, I hear from clients that they have been told to seek a 'heavy contact' in the bit. That this is correct. This is the horse 'seeking connection'. I beg to differ. This is the horse imbalanced. And the horse isn't liking it. Heavy contact does not mean engagement.

I once asked such a client to experiment with contact. I asked, 'what movement would you say demonstrates a high level of engagement'?

Client, 'The pirouette?'

Me, 'How do the reins feel in the pirouette'?

Client, 'they feel light, not heavy like the trot'.

Me, Why do the reins feel lighter?'

Client, 'Because the shoulder is lifted'.

Me, 'Why is the shoulder lifted'?

Client, 'Because the haunches are underneath, engaged.'

Me, 'So if the trot is heavy, what does that say about the haunches'?

Client, 'The haunches are not engaged'

Me, 'So your trot is on the shoulder, imbalanced and that is why the contact is heavy.'

Training horses to bend and yield is the way to improve engagement and lighten the shoulder. When the horse can balance their body, in motion, they can stabilize their contact and they will 'keep' a steady contact, without a heavy force.

Bending obstacles in Working Equitation

In Working Equitation we have the ability to work the horse in bends earlier than in other sports. I really like WE sport for this reason. For me it is an opportunity to address the importance of using bending work, leg yields turns and maneuvers early in training.

The WE obstacles even at the lowest level require the horse must do circles. The pen is a 6m volte. The drums, and figure 8, depending on the course layout usually offer a maximum circle of 7m. The double slalom can be ridden with wider circles or 'tear drop shape' at the lower levels, but the biggest half circle size will be roughly 6-7m. If a horse has not been given opportunity to navigate turns and circles, it will struggle on a WE course. This will play out as a symphony of signs; resisting contact, tension, changes in gait, changes in rhythm and tempo, hollowing, shoulder and / or haunches falling in / or out.

Further balance is developed from the changes of bend and direction. Take the figure 8 and drums exercise. The circles teach bend. The changes of direction challenge the balance, bend and engagement. In this moment in one or two strides that the horse will show how solid he is in balance and engagement. When training flying changes for this obstacle, the balance and engagement of the canter is critical. Working the circles in either direction will develop this balance and engagement.

Riding the horse on these WE obstacles can help to train balance, but only if the horse is properly bending during the exercises. Training the stiff horse to bend under saddle can be a challenge. Commonly, riders bend only the neck. This causes the shoulder to fall to the outside the circle. Horses can offer all kinds of resistance due to lack of suppleness, and lack of understanding on navigating turns which can be overwhelming for the rider.

For me, the best way to train a horse in bending is to work carefully on the lunge, and in-hand from the beginning. It's important to understand that the development of bend takes time. Just teaching a horse to walk a circle takes time. Starting with turns at the walk and gradually working towards trot the horse can learn the series of turns that form the circle. Slowly his body will reshape and become supple. Then, training in-hand can begin teaching the inside yield step. Once the horse has developed bend and balance, and he has learned to step away from the inside aid in yield - then all these skills transfer to the saddle work making further bending training easier. The horse can now be ridden on a circles and in leg yields under the weight of the rider. The horse will offer less resistance and tension.

Sami 3 year old Lusitano gelding learning to lunge in tack.The round pen offers good support as a circular wall, helping the Sami to learn his turns. Sami has also learned to turn the circle on the lead line over the past two years in regular daily routine handling. This prepared him well for the lunge, so you can see he carries himself in good balance, and with confidence already

Why don't more people use the lunge in their training? Mostly because the lunge in the classical sense has not been well taught in North America. It's used to 'chase the beans out' of horses. Many times I hear people say, 'my horse doesn't like the lunge. He gets upset.'

Keep in mind that without understanding the turn, horses will attempt to walk straight when you send them on the lunge. When they take the straight step off the circle they are met with force on the line, which is unpleasant. This is why often horses get upset on the lunge, and they may act out. They need to be taught, one step at a time. But, it is time well spent. Also keep in mind, if the only experience a horse knows is running frantically unbalanced and bucking on the lunge, then they don't know any better. The horse thinks that is the expectation.

In my experience nothing builds bend and balance as well as a lunge program (without side reins). When used properly the lunge becomes meditative and relaxing, like Yoga. The horse learns to bend, stretch, balance and breathe. After balance is achieved, long reins can be added to ride the horse from the ground. This prepares the horse to move in balance with contact, and without the rider. The foundation to all further training. But that is another post, for another day.

Christina working in double reins to practice her balance with contact. Both reins run directly to my hands. They not fixed as a side rein would be. I only use the reins when the horse demonstrates balance and self-carriage on the lunge circle.

Lise LeBlanc trains Classical Dressage and Working Equitation in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada. She can be reached for clinics, lessons, and training. info@lise-leblanc.com