3 Common Straightness Myths (And How To Fix Them)

Straightness is one of the most talked-about goals in training and rehab…

…and one of the most misunderstood.

Because most riders think straightness is something you create from the outside.

But in reality?

Straightness is something the horse can only offer when their body is capable of it.

After working with horses professionally for nearly 15 years — from rehab horses to performance horses — I can tell you this:

Nearly every horse I meet is crooked.
Not badly trained.
Not badly ridden.
Just compensating in a body that hasn’t yet learned how to carry itself evenly.

Let’s gently clear up some of the biggest myths.

Myth 1 — “My horse looks straight, so they must be straight.”

Many horses appear straight because they’ve learned to balance or manage their crookedness.

They might:

• drift slightly through a shoulder

• carry more weight on one hind limb

• brace through one side of the ribcage

• hold tension in one rein

From the saddle this can feel normal — especially if it’s always been that way.

But crookedness rarely shows up as dramatic.
It shows up as subtle uneven effort.

Over time, uneven effort can lead to:

• tension patterns

• muscle imbalance

• compensation habits

• reduced performance

• discomfort

• injury

Tip:
Next time you handle or ride your horse, notice whether one rein feels heavier, one shoulder feels harder to move, or one side of the body feels stiffer to bend. Small clues matter.

Myth 2 — “If I ride them straight, they’ll become straight.”

This is one of the most common misunderstandings.

Riding straight lines doesn’t automatically create a straight body.

Because straightness isn’t about the line the horse travels on —
it’s about how evenly their body can organise itself while moving.

A horse can go down a perfectly straight track while:

• leaning

• bracing

• dropping the back

• avoiding engagement on one side or diagonal pair

Straight lines don’t fix crookedness.
Correct muscle function does.

In fact, one of the biggest mindset shifts for riders is realising that sometimes we need to do the complete opposite of what we think will fix the issue.

To improve straightness, we often need to develop suppleness in both directions first — helping the stiff side soften, the weaker side strengthen, and the whole body learn to move more evenly.

Because when both sides of the body can function well…

Straightness follows naturally.

Tip:
Focus less on “holding straightness” and more on whether your horse feels even in both reins and both sides of your seat. Evenness is the real goal.

Myth 3 — “Crookedness is just a schooling issue.”

Sometimes it is.

But most often, crookedness is actually a full body pattern, not a training problem.

Horses, like humans, are naturally one-sided.
Just as we’re left- or right-handed, horses also have a dominant side.

This means they often develop through their life:

• one side of the body stronger than the other

• one diagonal pair of limbs carrying more weight

• uneven flexibility through the spine and ribcage

So before we even sit on them, they already have a natural crookedness pattern.

Then we add:

• a rider with their own asymmetries

• a saddle influencing movement

• movement requests they may not yet be physically able to coordinate

When you stack all of that together…

We can’t realistically expect straightness without first helping the body become more even.

They’re not resisting.

They’re compensating.

And when you address the body first, the schooling becomes easier — because the horse is finally able to do what you’re asking.

Tip:
Before asking for more straightness or engagement under saddle, build your horse’s physical ability to support those requests.

What Actually Creates Straightness

Straightness develops when the body becomes organised from the inside out.

That means:

• the core stabilises the spine

• the back can lift

• the shoulders move freely

• the hind limbs step evenly underneath

• the diagonal pairs of limbs work more evenly

This is why, with every horse I work with — rehab, retraining, or performance — I start with foundational exercises that improve how the body functions.

Because when the body becomes more balanced…

Straightness stops being something you try to hold together and becomes something your horse can genuinely maintain.

Where Most Horses Really Need To Start

Not with harder work.
Not with more schooling.
Not with stronger aids.

But with simple, targeted exercises that teach the body how to support itself properly.

This is the step so many horses miss.

And it’s often the step that changes everything.

If You’re Starting To Notice Crookedness…

That awareness is a powerful moment.

Because once you can see imbalance, you can start helping your horse change it.

If you’d like guided support, these are the exact foundations I use with horses in training and rehab:

→ Core Exercises Course - Click here for details
Teaches you how to activate deep stabilising muscles so your horse can actually carry themselves more evenly.

→ In-Hand Exercises Course - Click here for details
Shows you how to influence shoulders, ribcage, limbs and pelvis so straightness becomes physically possible — not forced.

Both are designed to give you structure, clarity, and a step-by-step path you can confidently follow with your horse.

✨ And very soon I’ll be sharing something special that goes deeper into this topic — including why crookedness is far more common than most riders realise, and what you can practically do about it.

Because understanding crookedness doesn’t just improve straightness…

It changes how your horse feels in their body.