Training symmetry and good posture with your horse: why it’s so important

Horses are a really bad design for riding! They are also naturally crooked.

So my view is that we need to work with these 2 issues to help our horses, through correct training, starting with understanding both of the above issues.

Crookedness: horses are crooked from the beginning of their lives, and over time end up with one hind limb stronger than the other, and this transfers through the body. So in training if your horse is crooked and you don’t address the crookedness and unequal limb and body use, you will just be strengthening the crooked pattern.

This can lead to poor posture, overloading of a limb/pair of limbs, and on from there injury, back tension developing into kissing spine, uneven hoof development. Significant issues can develop.

Posture: it’s crucial to train your horse to engage his core muscles and lift his back, from the beginning of his training! Training your horse to lengthen his topline and work over his back will allow his body to move fully and build correct posture and strength for ridden work.

If this important part of training isn’t done, your horse is at risk of developing back issues such as Kissing Spine due to a weak back and the bones along the spine coming too close together.

I have found different ways to train horses to work symmetrically and in good posture..these 2 issues go hand in hand.

Corrective groundwork along with daily core engagement exercises are the 2 most important and effective pieces of training that I use! 

But they can seem overwhelming and difficult. I have learnt over the last 10 years working with horses, the specific exercises that work, and have simplified them to make them easy to learn and implement for my clients and training group members! 

***If you would like help with this important, specific, ongoing training, my Ebooks and Online Courses cover core exercises and in-hand work. You can access them via the menu bar above. 

Jenny x