07/05/2023
We cannot make a horse more supple…
A huge majority of new clients want me to assist them in improving the suppleness of their horses. Conversely, most of them actually need help with stability and alignment, but the perception is that their horse lacks suppleness.
The thing is though, I can’t make your horse more supple. Neither can you.
What we can do is foster trust.
The horse must trust that the rider’s hand will not surprise him; that the leg is stable and consistent in how it communicates with the horse and that the rider’s mind is clear and focussed.
Most importantly, the horse must trust that the rider is listening every stride, so that the horse can communicate, “This is a little too difficult, can you make it easier?”, if needed.
You see, no matter what discipline you ride, your horse will always be a horse. A prey animal.
Dressage horse = flashy prey animal
ShowJumper = prey animal that jumps
Reining horse = compact and agile prey animal
All-rounder horse = prey animal with many jobs!
The first question that a prey animal asks itself in any given situation is, “Am I safe?”
If he feels the answer is no, then we have already got a roadblock on our path to ‘suppleness’.
Suppleness starts in the mind. When we stretch our bodies, the first sensation is of mild discomfort which quickly melts into relief, so long as we breathe and relax into it. We do not start to affect change on the soft tissue structures until a short while after.
I believe the same is true of horses. The first barrier we meet will be the horse’s nervous system. Only once we have passed through this ‘barrier’ do we start to affect the body of the horse.
Be aware that the ‘barrier’ can come back down and block you at any given moment. For example, following a change to the environment in the stable or arena.
An exercise cannot make a horse more supple.
A training method cannot make a horse more supple.
Only the horse, flowing through subtle transitions between postures, tempo’s and gaits with a relaxed mind, can make himself more supple.
My advice: start by only doing what you can do well. Gently. With relaxation. Next, build on it. Make subtle changes to it. When you make changes, try not to lose too many of the things you liked about the work. It’s OK to lose a little for a short time, but if you lose too much, go back to doing something that you could do well. Gather all of the components which you liked about your work and start from there.
Work within the comfort zone of the horse, with only moments of working at the edge of the comfort zone.
The nervous system is the first gateway to suppleness. Relaxation and quiet dialogue are the keys.