13/04/2023
This is a very interesting read
'Suppleness'
OK, so there's lateral suppleness, then there's longitudinal suppleness. The former is the bend around the inside leg on corners and circles, where the spine of the horse needs to be on the circumference of the circle or route through the corner. The latter, is the degree of coming through of the body from behind freely with hocks engaging, muscles rippling through a supple frame with long and unrestricted strides, to the bit.
Lateral suppleness: Quite often, it's clear that a particular horse bends one way more willingly than the other way, and so I look to see if there's corners being ridden deeper one way than the other. If a horse is lacking sufficient body bend, showing no bend, or indeed has the wrong bend, then this will be noticed. The deduction I make will depend on the degree of lack of lateral suppleness. So a horse that's showing very little bend or no bend will appear little 'wooden' and a minor deduction made, whereas a horse with incorrect bend with the shoulder falling in will get a larger deduction.
Tests where there's 2 x half 10m circles from B to E or vica versa enable anyone sitting at C to clearly assess the supple change of lateral bend, or otherwise. To me, a lack of lateral bend is a result of stiffness, tension or bad riding. Usually a combination.
Tip: There are many ways to show more inside bend than you currently have and although it may not feel totally through and elastic, it will appear more correct and even. Think outside the box and do what you have to to achieve it (open up the inside hand, varying degree of vibration down the rein, firmer inside leg with a looser ankle..) ensuring the rhythm and stride length are not compromised. In training, work with your trainer on suppling exercises so that you don't need to make these adjustments so positively in a test environment (leg yields, shoulder-in, renvers, travers, half pass). Also try control the quarters on corners and circles, as a neck bend may be one box ticked, but quarters swinging out is most definitely not.
Longitudinal suppleness: The length of stride or degree of overtrack is a clear indication of how much longitudinal suppleness there really is. At the lower levels, I don't expect much more than a horse with a clear and even overtrack in walk, a tracking up in trot, and a round loose action in canter. Connection is next on the Scales of Training, and that deserves a post on its own, but to me longitudinal suppleness is appreciated most when the energy that's created ripples through un-restricted muscles through the body with long strides into an elastic contact. It's only as you go up the levels that I'm looking for joints that bend well with even foot flight and spring in the steps.
Tip: Increasing the speed in walk, trot and canter won't necessarily increase the stride length, it won't necessarily make the longitudinal suppleness appear better either. Conversely, too slow a pace will not improve the ability of the horse to show off his/her suppleness. This is far more common in tests, as it feels comfortable to sit to and is an easier ride. So It's about a balance. Vary the connection, work within the gears of the 3 paces and marry up the feel on top to the actual stride length seen from the side. It may initially feel that your hurrying a little to achieve a trot that tracks up, but work on the quality of the trot at that pace with suppling exercises and transitions to normalise that feel. Make it more comfortable for you and the horse.
One things for sure, if you do the same as you've always done then you'll get what you've always got!
