Why Your Horse Feels Better for a While… Then Slips Back Again

If you’ve ever had a phase where your horse suddenly feels better — softer in the contact, easier to bend, more relaxed through their back — only to find yourself a few weeks later dealing with the same old issues again…

You’re not imagining it.
And you’re not doing anything wrong.

This cycle is incredibly common, even for thoughtful, dedicated horse owners who are doing “all the right things.”

The missing piece usually isn’t effort.
It’s where the training focus is placed.

The frustrating cycle so many riders experience

Most riders recognise this pattern:

• One rein always feels heavier

• One side bends easily, the other resists

• Straight lines don’t feel straight

• Long and low feels possible… but only with effort

You address it.
You add exercises.
You focus on strength.
You feel a shift.

And then — somehow — you’re back where you started.

This isn’t because your horse is lazy.
And it’s not because you’re inconsistent.

It’s because most horses are naturally asymmetrical — just like humans are right- or left-handed.

And unless that asymmetry is trained intentionally, the body will always drift back to its dominant patterns.

Why improvement fades (even when the exercises are “right”)

Here’s something that often comes as a relief to hear:

👉 Exercises don’t fail — they get absorbed by the strongest patterns in the body.

When training focuses mainly on outcomes — a softer contact, better bend, more lift, a rounder outline — those improvements can show up… but they don’t last if the underlying straightness of the body hasn’t changed.

The horse simply reorganises themselves back into the pattern that feels easiest.

This is why riders often feel like they’re endlessly circling the same issues:

• always managing the same rein

• always activating the same hind leg

• always correcting the same crookedness

Not because the work didn’t help —
but because the foundation never shifted.

The shift that changes everything

This is where a powerful mindset change happens.

✨ When you stop fixating on outcomes and start working on foundational straightness, everything you’re working toward with your horse begins to emerge naturally.

Instead of asking:

How do I get my horse softer?

You start asking:

How do I help my horse organise their body more evenly?

And when that happens:

• contact becomes lighter without forcing

• bend becomes easier without holding

• long and low becomes a default, not something you chase

Because the body is finally able to use the strength it already has — more evenly, more comfortably, and with less compensation.

Straightness is a lifelong pursuit — not a quick fix

Straightness isn’t about making asymmetry disappear.

It’s about:

• seeking the most symmetrical movement possible for that horse

• reducing compensation

• allowing all areas of the body to contribute more evenly

Much like a Pilates or rehab-based approach in humans, the goal isn’t perfection —
it’s improved balance, coordination, and longevity.

We mobilise and rebalance the areas that compensate,
while activating and strengthening the weaker areas,
so the whole system can work together — not fight itself.

Over time, this is what helps reduce overload, strain, and recurring injuries.

Where strength and straightness come together

Strength work is incredibly valuable as it builds the capacity of the body.

But the real change happens when that strength is guided by a straightness framework.

Rather than thinking:

Is this exercise enough?

The question becomes:

Is this exercise helping my horse move more evenly over time?

When strength is layered into a clear straightness strategy, it stops being about isolated exercises —
and starts becoming training that evolves with the horse.

A question worth asking yourself

Take a moment to reflect honestly:

Does what you’re doing now actually result in a more symmetrically moving horse —
or do you keep circling back to the same difficulties in one direction?

If it’s the second, that doesn’t mean you need more exercises.

It usually means you need a clearer, more progressive focus.

Why this time of year matters

The horse you’ll be riding in spring is being shaped right now.

Winter is when:

• pressure is lower

• expectations can soften

• foundational work can happen without rushing

Even though… yes… it still very much feels like winter ❄️😉

This is the season where quiet, consistent straightness work pays off — not immediately, but profoundly.

If you want guidance rather than guessing

Some people are happy experimenting on their own.
Others want clarity, structure, and reassurance that they’re moving in the right direction.

If you’re ready to stop chasing outcomes and start training with a clear, guided pathway, my Strength & Straightness Programme brings everything together — strength, straightness, rehab-aware training, and progressive support — so you’re not piecing things together alone.

👉 Explore the Strength & Straightness Programme here: Click here for details

And if you’d prefer a smaller starting point, building your horse’s core strength is a powerful foundation — especially when you begin to view it through a straightness lens.

👉 Start with the Core Exercises course here: Click here for details

Either way, the shift begins with how you think about straightness.

And once that changes — everything else starts to follow.