Flexion - What is Flexion?

By Christine Turley

When asking for flexion your horse needs to stay straight through the body. He should only be flexed at the poll. To get your horse to flex, use your rein to ask his head to move towards the pressure. Keep in mind that his ears should be at the same level, if they aren't then his head is tilting and it is not correct flexion. You should just be able to see his eye of the side you flexed him towards. It is important his body stays straight as well as the neck staying straight.

When teaching your horse to flex you should do it on a straight line, generally the centre or quarter line of you arena. If you don't have an arena set up some cones or jump polls as a straight line. The straight line is really for you to be able to judge if he's travelling forward in a straight line and if his body and neck are staying straight.

When you have asked your horse for the flexion, watch to see where he flexes first, and see how much he flexes if at all and judge to see if you need to use less or more rein contact for the correct flexion. Ensure that your horse is moving forward in a straight line and also make sure that as you ask for the flexion that he does not slow down. He needs to keep moving in a good rhythm. Repeat asking your horse for flexion, making sure that you reward him for doing a good job and making it difficult when he does it incorrectly. Flex your horse to each side, making sure that if he is stiffer on one side that you help make it easy for him. (If he's really struggling you can teach him how to flex from the ground). If he is doing it easily at the walk and on a straight line, ask him to flex on a curved line. Ensure you also ask him to flex to the outside. With flexing your horse to the outside on a curved line, make sure he's staying straight through the body and neck. It is much harder for the horse to flex to the outside then it is to flex to the inside rein. Keep asking him to flex and then straighten, and then flex and straighten.

It is important that you give him a break as well. You will be able to tell if he's getting irritated, or he's just mentally tired. Do it for a few laps and then leave his head alone for a little while and work on going forward. Go around the outside track and just walk or trot asking him to stay forward, ask for a few lengthened strides and then ask him to slow. This will keep his mind active and prevent him from becoming bored. When your horse is bored he is a lot harder to train. Make sure you change rein and do the same amount of work on each rein. If your horse is stiff to one side and very flexible to the other, you may have to focus a little on one side. Make sure though that you train as evenly as possible. You want your horses' muscles to develop as evenly as possible.

Flexing your horse is a vital part of starting your lateral movements. It helps when you start working on two tracks with shoulder-fore and leg yielding. It is also good for your horse body and allows his muscles to be more flexible and helps his movement.

If you have access to mirrors then try and watch yourself ride. You will be able to identify where you are going wrong and when it is going right. This will allow you to see and feel what you and your horse is doing. If you don't have access to a mirror then video is probably the next best thing. If it is possible get some one to video tape you so you can play it back when you have finished. It is important to get as many different angles as possible, video from the side, as well as from the front and back. You can even show your instructor or a friend and ask them to help you. If you don't have access to any of the above tools, then try to get some one to watch you, even if it's someone who knows nothing about horses. Explain what you are trying to do and then ask them to see if you're doing it. If you explain what you are trying to do this will help you also because it is concreting in your mind what needs to happen. You will develop your skills a little slower then if you could see and feel what is going on, but you will be able to do it.

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