The problem with modern day poll flexion…

The problem with modern day poll flexion is that it is usually over flexion that is being taught.

The problem with modern day poll flexion is that most riders don’t recognise they are riding in over flexion, because most trainers/riders don’t know the difference between correct poll flexion and over flexion.

The problem with modern day poll flexion is that it is almost always asked for at the beginning of training, often from the backing process and is usually the ONLY head and neck position that's taught.

...and, the biggest problem with modern day poll flexion is that horses suffer as a result of it.

Horses suffer from: not being able to see where they are going, from painful tongues, from tongue paralysis, from lower jaw microfractures, from compressed parotid glands, from poll damage, from neck/back joint arthritis, from bone spurs, from nuchal ligament damage, from kissing spine, from SI damage, from front foot pathology, from hind suspensory damage, from never trusting the riders hands, from never learning to stretch in a relaxed and healthy neck extension, from learned helplessness from maintaining an unhealthy torturous compressed frame for long periods of time and the saddest thing about all of it - over flexion inhibits the horse from improving its balance, its self-carriage, the very thing most riders believe they are improving with their horse being ‘on the bit’.

Now before you start thinking, “I’d never do that to my horse” and you have the image of hyperflexion or rollkur in your mind, I’m not talking about extreme over flexion, the type of position that any sane human being would clearly not use. The over flexion misunderstanding I’m talking about is how the majority of horses are being ridden, it’s the posture you are taught is 'correct', the image you see at almost every livery yard, at almost every showground, it’s the type of image in almost every equestrian advert and in most equestrian publications. So, let’s take a look at what this type of over flexion actually looks like, you might be surprised…to quote an amazing trainer I was taught by - Philippe Karl, “It’s the bloodie dressage position”, though to add, it’s not just used in dressage, its used everywhere.

I’ve attached a collage of 10 easily found images of horses being ridden and lunged in over flexed positions, some of these horses are over flexed and leaning on the rider’s hands and some of them are over flexed and behind the contact, both positions are harmful. What do these over flexed images have in common? Every horse has its nose behind the vertical line and their crest as the highest point of their neck. THIS POSITION IS OVERFLEXION, a less extreme version of hyperflexion or rollkur but still a seriously problematic position for horses and one they would never choose to be in if a choice was given.  

So, now you recognise what over flexion looks like, what can you do about it? You stop riding your horse in over flexion! You find a trainer or school of training that condemns over flexion and that can teach you how to train your horse with correct poll flexion. There is never a training stage or situation when over flexion is ok, even for just a ‘short period of time’, over flexion is never ok for your horse. If your trainer has you riding your horse in an over flexed position, it doesn’t matter how nice the language they use is, their knowledge is lacking.

What is correct poll flexion and when to introduce?

In terms of a correct poll flexion position, the horse’s nose should always be in front of the vertical line and the horse’s poll always the highest point of the neck. However, correct poll flexion should only be introduced once the horse has a thorough education to the rider’s rein aids, the rider’s hands and the horse has already been taught the different head and neck positions available for healthy biomechanics: open poll, high neck, medium neck, forward-down-out neck extension, lateral bend, shoulder balance, flexibility and mobility exercises. Poll flexion should be the icing on the cake, the element that produces the final lift at the root of the neck tensioning the whole top line, it should not be the first ingredient.

One thing to note is that all horses can be retrained from over flexed positions, it’s the job I’ve been doing for 30 years and it’s possible for all horses.

For a comparison to the over flexed collage, I’ve attached a collage of 11 images of some of my clients’ horses, all learning a healthier way to position their head and necks, a healthier way to develop self-carriage, a healthier way to come to a correct poll flexion and collection. 

If your horse could tell you what they would like you to change when you ride them, I wonder what they’d say to you? Be your horses voice, train for longevity and with welfare front and foremost, please stop over flexing your horse. 

#fromtheheart #nojudgement #positivechange #educationisthewayforwards #legerete