Q.
Chelsie,
I cannot remember the exercises to help my horse to collect her head. There were two I believe- one that brought her head to the side and one that made her nose perpendicular to the ground. Can you please tell me again?
-Monika L. from Phoenix, AZ
A.
Hello Monika,
The first one is Lateral Flexion (side to side). What you want to do is slide down one rein and slowly bring her head around until she softens and gives laterally. So your hand will slide down one rein and then you will gently pull your hand back and touch your thigh with your hand. Your horse should bend her head around, keeping her ears level, and not move her feet. If she moves her feet just keep her head bent until she stops and stands with her head and neck bent and soft.
Next is Vertical Flexion (vertical to the ground). In the horse’s poll there are 2 joints, the atlas and the axis. The atlas moves up and down and the axis moves side to side. Vertical flexion at the atlas is the result of lateral flexion of the axis. If the axis is soft the atlas will drop into Vertical. So to get the axis soft you are going to massage the inside rein (inside of the circle) to get a slight bend in the axis, but just in that joint not in the neck. Your outside rein (outside of the circle) is your supporting rein, it supports the neck so that the neck does not bend, just the axis.
Once the axis is soft your horse will become vertical, then you release your reins to let your horse know that the vertical was the correct answer. So going to the right your right rein is the massaging rein and the left your supporting rein, your horse should have the axis slightly bent to the right and in vertical. Going to the left your massaging rein is your left rein and the right is the supporting rein, your horse’s axis should be slightly bent to the left and in vertical.
Trust this helps,
Chelsie Kallestad
www.chelsienaturalhorsemanship.com
928-713-3468
