03/25/2025
For anyone that rides with me…this! This is exactly what I am talking about when we talk about flexion, balance and overusing your inside rein. Exactly all of this.
I know I am going to upset some people but I am just going to say it. I wish people could understand we don’t need over flexed horses to get any sort of job done or any competition. Some of the best horsemen I know don’t flex beyond 25 to 45 degree flexion and it comes from the axis/C1 not from C3 or C4 which is what we do often see. Once the ears are below the withers and rotated and no longer horizontal the horse is out of balance. Exactly as the below pictures show. Rehabbing a horse that has been overflexed for years is a slow and long process to redevelop the correct flexion for proper balance and a soft contact rather than either a brace or avoiding the bit which is not “soft”, there is a big difference.
