In our continuing series on creating a collected horse, the next thing we need to talk about is how to carry what the horse is learning on the ground to the saddle.
Below, in the video, I get on Luna and show you how collection begins to look from their back. Make note that there’s a proper and improper way for a horse to be collected — we always want the poll above the withers.
Physiologically if the poll is below the withers, the horse can’t truly collect because that shuts the shoulder blades. However, that energy has to go somewhere; most of the time it ends up harming the navicular bone. But if the poll stays above the withers, the shoulder blades of the horse can stay open and the spine of the horse can properly collect.
Physiologically if the poll is below the withers, the horse can’t truly collect because that shuts the shoulder blades. But if the poll stays above the withers, the shoulder blades of the horse can stay open and the spine of the horse can properly collect.
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One of the other things I really like to focus on, is how the horse should hold their head when we ask them to flex laterally. I don’t want their nose turned at a 45 degree angle to my foot — I want the head perpendicular to the ground, ears level and again, poll above the withers. If we create a proper flexion laterally from the beginning, we’ll get proper collection vertically when we begin to ask for it.
I hope you can see how what we’re teaching the horse on the ground, helps when we throw a leg over them!
In case you missed it, here’s Part One in this series.
