2Tomatoes

Lateral Flexion from the leg follows on from lateral flexion from the halter or bridle. I recommend making sure you have this going well before moving on to using the leg, since you will need the rein to help teach the horse what the leg means. You can find the tutorial video for lateral flexion below here in this series of training videos. There are several reasons why we might choose to teach lateral flexion from the leg. Such as:- Acceptance of the leg Encouraging softness and response from the leg Improving natural vertical flexion Using the leg for direction thereby relying less on the hand such that the reins become a refinement tool A big step towards bridle-less riding for those with that in mind It also improves flexion and softness of the ribs when working on the ground Every time you ride and ask for a circle, turn or bend, you should be asking with the inside leg behind the girth - pushing the ribs to the outside. This is a far more natural way of riding and I find it makes much more sense to the horse than having the inside leg “on the girth” and the outside leg “behind the girth”. For a horse to bend left the ribs must move out of the way to the right, and for a horse to bend right then the ribs must move out out of the way to the left. That’s natural biomechanics right there - so why change it. Happy Trails Viki x (Tom-ah-toe) www.beau-cheval.com www.horseandriderhealing.com ©2-Tomatoes 2022
 All text and video content is the copyright of 2-Tomatoes.

Training Natural Softness & Flexion Direct & Indirect bends are pretty much like the lateral flexion exercise, but it is performed whilst the horse is moving. It is possible to achieve on the ground too, but in this video I will be looking at it from the saddle. This exercise is great for helping the horse to release tensions in the ribs, neck, shoulders, poll and jaw, thereby encouraging softness and relaxation. When performed correctly the horse will also be light in the hand. Happy Trails Viki x (Tom-ah-toe) www.beau-cheval.com ©2-Tomatoes 2022 All text and video content is the copyright of 2-Tomatoes.