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You've heard it said before, 'ride the back of the horse and the front looks after itself'.
But do you really understand it?
It literally means work the haunches, ride them, supple them, create energy, strength, flexibility and the front of the horse will sort itself out. But that's not what is happening in most cases today.
We, as riders, sit facing forward and all our attention is focused on the head of the horse, and often we mis-use the reins in an attempt to create the illusion of poll flexion. That's why so much emphasis has been misplaced on draw reins, and other gadgets, lungeing systems in the last half century, to pull the nose in which has degraded our understanding of correct training.
It doesn't work that way.
The suppleness of a horse begins with the haunches. To be exact, with the ability of the horse to bend its hocks and to step under.
Straight, hollow and stiff-legged horses cannot properly carry flexion in the front. Stiff legs = hollow horse. When the horse is hollow, and stiff the appearance of the front neck and jaw must be open, with very little flexion. It is a mirror of the situation in behind. If we try to pull the head in when the body is not ready - we get tension. If the rear legs are not engaged - this fake flexion in the neck will produce a horse that is on the forehand, shoulder collapsed, and hollow back. This can be BOTH above the bit, or below/behind the bit. Both are signs that the engagement is not there. Both mean the same thing. The gait will not be correct. It will always be lagging behind, causing late changes etc.
Many equestrians are awakening to the problem of fake flexion, but few understand why it happens, and what true flexion looks like.
Early training must consist of exercises that supple and strengthen the hind quarters, isolating the haunches and bending the hocks. When the horse can bend its hocks and has more piston power from behind, then, he can engage properly, can get under and lift the shoulder. When this happens, the horse naturally flexes the poll.
Running a horse forward, forward, forward, forward on straight lines, with stiff unbending legs does not produce these results. Horses must be taught to supple their haunches, not load the forehand, MORE. They do that enough on their own. When trained progressively with the right exercises, horses become strong and flexible. It's like YOGA and good for them. Circles, lateral work, turns, working in hand, reversing (properly) , hill work (properly) and using poles - are all excellent for hind engagement.
In fact, it's NOT good for horses to have their back loaded when they are unable to carry the load with a round back. This causes stress, and over time, hollow horses will develop a variety of soreness issues. Roundness comes from rear engagement, not from pulling the reins. We need to teach horses to bend their hocks and step under.
This bridge is only as strong as the arch under it which supports the load.
Have a look at Sami's daddy, Napiero, having fun. In order to lift his shoulder and have such exaggerated and proud expression in his neck and head, he MUST bend his stifle and hocks. Without that, he would not be able to flex like this to express himself. This is the grand expression of power and pride that we want to cultivate under saddle. We want the power, we want the elevation, we want the roundness. It comes from the haunches.
The carriage of the head, neck and shoulder are a reflection of the engagement of the hind end.
Napeiro Interagro - Paradise Lusitanos - Leduc AB Canada
As equestrians, it is in our interest to fully understand this. The WHOLE point of dressage is to help the horse build itself up to carry better, and lighter.
Yet, what we see today in dressage is horses that are under more stress, heavy in the bridle, collapsed and on the forehand, hind legs lagging, and do not carry properly.
Time for change.
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