Vicki Hammers-O'Neil Dressage, LLC

04/17/2026

This is a very good clarification of the suppleness block of the Pyramid of Training, and a very important concept to understand and prioritize as needed!

In 2019, the USDF issued a revision to the Dressage Training Pyramid, changing “relaxation” to “suppleness," Brenner Klenzman writes. The pyramid is a translation from the original German, where the word in question is Losgelassenheit, a term that does not directly translate to “suppleness.”

I majored in German in college, studied in Graz, Austria, and am a “new” rider, having started in my fifties. As I learn more about how to ride, this incorrect translation made me wonder: Have we in the U.S. gotten off track with the overall intent of the pyramid? Did we translate it incorrectly, and then revise that translation in a way that moved us even further from the original meaning?

Losgelassenheit literally translates to “being in a state of having let go.”

- Losgelassen is the past tense of loslassen, meaning “to let go.”
- The suffix -heit means “a state or condition of being.”
- The entire word literally means “being in a state or condition of having let go.”

Does this sound like “relaxed”? It actually feels closer to “relaxed” than “supple,” but even “relaxed” isn’t quite right. It describes a mental state of non-grasping, of letting go. It’s the absence of external anxiety, a state in which learning and performance can happen freely.

What stands out when comparing the correct translation of Losgelassenheit with “suppleness”? The original meaning is psychological, not physical. “Relaxation” was closer to the intended meaning, while “suppleness” moves even further away. “Supple” is purely physical.

The purpose of the pyramid, as described in German, is:

Basis der Skala ist die Zwanglosigkeit – die physische und psychische Entspannung –, die in jedem Stand der Ausbildung erhalten bleiben muss, um die volle Leistungsbereitschaft und Leistungsfähigkeit des Pferdes zu erhalten. Ein Verlust der Zwanglosigkeit hat meist auch einen Verlust des Taktes, immer den Verlust der Losgelassenheit zur Folge.

This translates to:

The basis of the scale is Zwanglosigkeit (freedom from tension)—both physical and mental—which must be maintained at every stage of training in order to preserve the horse’s full willingness and ability to perform. A loss of Zwanglosigkeit usually results in a loss of rhythm and always results in a loss of Losgelassenheit.

A literal breakdown of Zwanglosigkeit is also informative:

Zwang: force, compulsion, coercion
-los: without
-keit: state or condition of being
Zwanglosigkeit describes a state free from force, compulsion, or coercion.

While the USDF interpretation of the scale leans heavily toward the physical, the original intent clearly carries a psychological component. Looking more closely at the first three steps of the scale reveals a very different, and arguably more complete and humane, understanding of the pyramid.

📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/04/16/what-losgelassenheit-really-means-and-why-it-matters-for-the-training-pyramid/
📸 © Olivia Danielle Photography

12/23/2025

This is long, but it’s full of excellent information. Very worth the read!

The Thoracic Sling: The Horse’s Primary System for Balance, Posture, and Force Organization

For generations, equestrian tradition taught that the hindquarters were the horse’s primary source of power. Riders were encouraged to “ride from behind,” develop engagement, and focus training almost exclusively on the rear of the horse. While the hind end is indeed responsible for propulsion, this view does not fully explain balance, posture, straightness, elevation, or whole-body coordination.

Modern biomechanics presents a more complete picture. The hindquarters generate thrust, but the thoracic sling organizes, stabilizes, and directs the horse’s movement. The forehand—specifically the thoracic sling and its integration with the core—the primary system for organizing balance and posture in motion.

The Traditional View Was Hind-End Dominant

Classical training emphasized the hindquarters as the horse’s engine. This is accurate in terms of generating forward thrust, contributing to carrying power, adding part of the horse’s ability to collect, and sharing load with the forehand.

However, the hind end does not independently determine where the body mass travels, the height of the trunk, the organization of the spine and ribcage, straightness or lateral balance, or the ability to elevate the forehand.

The hindquarters push, but they do not control the system they are pushing into.

The Thoracic Sling Is the Horse’s Primary Balancing and Postural Engine

The thoracic sling is a muscular-fascial suspension system that holds the trunk between the forelimbs. Functioning in place of a clavicle, it does far more than support the front end.

The thoracic sling suspends the ribcage between the forelimbs, regulates trunk height, absorbs landing forces, stabilizes the shoulders during movement, initiates upward shifts of the center of mass, determines how weight is distributed front to back, controls straightness and lateral balance, and integrates with the deep core to manage whole-body posture.

In biomechanical terms, the thoracic sling is the horse’s primary balancing and postural system. Without a functional sling, the hindquarters cannot translate their power through the body in a stable or organized way.

The Hind End Pushes — The Thoracic Sling Catches

This concept aligns with findings from force-plate studies, kinematic analysis, and myofascial research.

Current research shows that the forehand is responsible for most vertical control of the trunk, the thoracic sling plays a substantial role in stabilizing the ribcage, the trunk cannot elevate unless the sling and core activate first, self-carriage depends on thoracic suspension rather than hind-end drive alone, and power from behind becomes ineffective if the front cannot control incoming forces.

In motion, the forelimbs do not simply carry weight. They manage balance, braking, and impact absorption. The thoracic sling processes these forces and determines how effectively they are redistributed through the body.

The Modern Shift Across Disciplines

This updated understanding influences every area of equine performance and care.

In rehabilitation and return-to-work planning, thoracic sling function is now prioritized before intensive hind-end strengthening.

In dressage and classical schooling, true self-carriage requires elevation of the withers through the sling rather than force from behind.

In jumping, a functional sling is essential for correct bascule, shoulder freedom, and safe landing mechanics.

In bodywork and movement support, thoracic sling tension and fascial organization influence cervical mobility, forelimb swing, and trunk lift.

In hoof care, the way the foot lands and loads directly affects how both the hindquarters and thoracic sling must compensate during stance and motion.

Across disciplines, the thoracic sling is increasingly recognized as central to posture, balance, and performance.

Why the “60 Percent Forehand Weight” Rule Is Misleading

The commonly cited idea that the forehand carries 60 percent of the horse’s weight applies only to a standing horse on level ground without a rider. In dynamic movement, particularly under saddle, this percentage increases.

Forehand load rises due to the horse’s naturally forward center of mass, the added weight of the rider, variations in hoof balance and trim, posture and core strength, gait mechanics, landing forces, and weakness or collapse within the thoracic sling.

During trot and canter, forelimb loading often exceeds 60 percent and may reach 65 to 75 percent or more. This increased demand makes the thoracic sling the primary structure responsible for stabilizing and supporting the trunk in motion.

Steering Comes From the Shoulders

In horses, steering does not originate in the head or the hindquarters. Direction, line, and balance are determined by the orientation and control of the shoulders, which are suspended by the thoracic sling.

The thoracic cage sits between the forelimbs as a suspended structure. Wherever that structure is directed, the rest of the body must follow. The head follows the shoulders because it is attached to the cervical spine, which is anchored to the thorax. The pelvis and hind limbs follow because they are connected to the thoracic cage through the spine and continuous fascial chains.

A horse cannot truly go straight if the thoracic cage is crooked between the forelimbs. The hindquarters may push powerfully, but they will simply propel the body along the path the shoulders have already chosen. This is why pulling the head does not create straightness, pushing the hindquarters does not correct drift, and controlling the shoulders changes the entire trajectory of the horse.

When the thoracic sling is balanced and functional, the shoulders set the line and the rest of the body organizes naturally behind it.

Thoracic Cage Balance Determines Hind-End Function

The balance and alignment of the thoracic cage directly determine how effectively the hindquarters can work.

If the thoracic cage is dropped on one side, rotated between the forelimbs, collapsed through the sling, or unstable in vertical suspension, the hindquarters are forced into compensatory strategies rather than true engagement.

This often presents as asymmetrical stepping, uneven push mistaken for strength differences, difficulty bending evenly left versus right, loss of straightness despite strong hind-end effort, and increased strain through the lumbar spine and sacroiliac region.

The hindquarters do not choose these patterns. They respond to the balance problem they are pushing into.

When the thoracic sling lifts, centers, and stabilizes the ribcage, both hind limbs can step under evenly, propulsion becomes directed rather than wasted, carrying power improves without force, and collection becomes easier rather than more demanding.

Hind-end quality, therefore, reflects thoracic organization rather than the other way around.

A More Accurate Model of Equine Power

A modern, biomechanically accurate model is emerging.

The hindquarters generate propulsion.
The thoracic sling organizes the body, stabilizes the trunk, and distributes forces.
The core integrates the two into a coordinated whole.

This framework explains why straightness cannot be achieved through hind-end work alone, why self-carriage depends on wither elevation, why forehand heaviness is rarely a hind-end problem, and why movement quality arises from postural control rather than raw power.

Power without organization creates imbalance which crrates tension. Balance allows power to express itself. The future of equine performance lies in organizing the power the horse already has.

https://koperequine.com/the-thoracic-sling-axial-skeleton-interplay/

07/20/2025

Excellent read!

Trigger stacking and why it is so relevant for safety when handling horses.

What is trigger stacking?

Trigger stacking describes the process of multiple stressors accumulating and increasing the stress level of an animal until they can no longer cope, resulting in an outward reaction.

The triggers can vary in intensity. But the nature of trigger stacking means that the final trigger that results in a major reaction in the horse does not always have to be a big trigger. It can be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

This phenomenon is why horses may sometimes appear to react out of nowhere or have a strong reaction to something that, in other circumstances, they might not be bothered by at all or as bothered by.

In other cases, the triggers in the environment might be so large that the horse reacts suddenly following one big high intensity trigger. A very scary moment.

But, in many cases where horse behaviour surprises people, and they cannot assess the cause, it is the result of multiple smaller triggers.

Let me give a great example of trigger stacking that I witnessed happening at the racetrack.

A pony Horse was being tacked up, tied to the wall in the middle of a shedrow.

Since he lived at the racetrack, he was stalled 24/7, which would serve as a chronic and rather large trigger.

It was shortly before the first race of the night and the barns were very busy with lots of horses walking to and fro. The hectic environment serves as multiple smaller triggers.

There was a fan in the aisleway oscillating back-and-forth.

Every time the breeze hit this horse, I watched him tense up, raise his head and flinch.

Every single time this fan hit him was an additional trigger.

Finally, the last trigger before his big reaction.

Someone picked up and moved the fan.

It was unplugged, so there was no breeze.

But, they moved a little too close to this horse, and the base of the fan just barely skimmed his leg.

This horse, who had already been a picture of tension before, exploded.

He pulled back against his tie, and when he felt the restriction of the rope, he panicked even more.

He pulled until his halter broke.

Then he froze and stood there trembling.

“ wow, what’s his problem!? He did that out of nowhere.” One of the handlers of this horse exclaimed.

But, he didn’t do it out of nowhere. They had just missed all of the signs of his tension growing, and because of that his reaction came as a surprise to the humans.

I watched the whole thing happen from a distance because it was not my horse, and I also had increasing anxiety as I watched how uncomfortable this horse was getting.

I knew a reaction was imminent and his response did not surprise me.

In horse training, a lot of times people feel like horses react out of nowhere.

But, the truth is, we are often just bad at noticing the earlier signs.

If people wear more in tune with the body language, their horse displays, the subtle size, in addition to recognizing the signs of stress, they would be more able to predict behaviour like this and avoid it in the first place.

Being aware of what trigger stacking is as well as the science of stress in horses is imperative for safety around horses.

A lot of the incidents that we see with horses are technically avoidable, whether or not people want to admit it.

There are almost always signs, training methods, and management factors that could be addressed to avoid dangerous reactions in horses.

While there are situations where the environment is so out of control that people are truly helpless to make changes to avoid really dangerous responses from the Horse, this does not happen as often as people might think.

So, next time you feel like your horse has reacted out of nowhere, ask yourself what might have triggered their flight response.

Start taking note of all of the things that happened just before the reaction.

Start looking critically at your Horse’s day-to-day life, and whether or not they are experiencing chronic stressors like lack of turnout, or physical pain.

And remember, just because you did not notice the signs, does not mean that the horse reacted out of nowhere.

06/03/2025

Over the winter Duncan was schooling well but I felt something was just not clicking. Although this saddle felt and looked ok, it was the only thing that hadn’t been checked.
I cannot say enough good things about Michelle Shoffner of The British Touch! She is a WOW saddle fitting genius - she came in and checked the saddle, moving a billet strap, adding air, and “Voila!” Duncan was so much softer and willing to come up through his withers. He felt great!! And this weekend we had a successful show at NEDA Spring, winning the I-1 on Saturday! Thank you, Michelle, for all your help!

12/23/2024

Virtual education is a great way to keep up your motivation when it’s cold and dark out there! Come join us!

Upcoming USDF Virtual Education Series Session: Developing an Effective Warmup. It will feature presenters Vicki Hammers-O’Neil and Heidi Chote, certified instructors through 4th Level and members of the Instructor Trainer Development Program Committee. This session will be held Wednesday January 8 at 8:00pm EST.

You can register at: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h8n7KUUYTDCR1ZP9hLuavw

Education credit is automatically applied to members who attend the virtual sessions!

11/19/2024

🔸FOR SALE🔸

A little random tag sale….

Equifit backpack
Ultra Thinline half pad
Fortiflex no spill lid large
Turn out sheet 80”
Shires ball feeder
Cob size bridle
Rambo 75” fly sheet
Equifit bellboots XL

Make an offer!

04/07/2024

It’s that time of year! And it isn’t just about your horse working up to working at his normal level of training after a lighter winter - shipping, clinics, competing all add more stress to the horse’s body. Before deciding to go off to a show, consider shipping to a friend’s barn to school. Or ship off of your property for a lesson if you typically train at home. Your horse needs more fitness than just enough to go through a test or two - help him to be successful!

03/18/2024

My students know I love work in the walk.

The WALK - mother of all gaits

Most riders spend little time at the walk outside of "cooling out" or "warming up".

Not realizing it is the gait that BIRTHS everything you do, and REVEALS everything you may need.

"The FEI rule book once stated that it was at the pace of the walk that imperfections of dressage are most evident"

Every issue can be felt and seen through the magnifying lens of the walk.

"François de Lubersac, a master from the legendary School of Versailles in the 18th century, recognized that in dressage training, the first gait in which to train is always the walk.

Remarkably, de Lubersac, trained his horses only at the walk, and when he decided that they were ready, his horses were able to do everything at all gaits."

The walk is an anchoring gate. To teach and refine the horses balance, collectabilty, lightness, refinement, propreoception, suppleness, relaxation, lateral gymnastics, and understanding of aids... just to name a few.

There is no better gait to school these concepts then the walk. Testing things up the ladder of movement; trot and canter, and then anchoring back to the walk to fix, progress, or prepare.

The walk is the gait you "polish the stone" of all these qualities, more than any other gait.

It is the gait you come back to again and again, where the root of it all lives.

And remember, as with any gait, there is more than "just ONE walk".

Tempo, balance, stride, and frame can change in so many ways within any single gait that it lends itself to many "changes of gait within a gait", based on what that horse needs at any given moment.

In my opinion, a classical rider can easily spend an entire ride at the walk, and the higher up they ride, the more time they may spend at the walk...polishing the stone.

Mindful footfalls live in the walk.

What is your walk telling you?