Flexion and bend: what is the difference?

What exactly is flexion?

Flexion is the lateral bend in the cervical vertebrae of the neck, just behind the poll. You can see it in the horse's inner cheek: it becomes just visible, but as a rider you cannot yet see the outer eye. A rule of thumb is that you bend a maximum of two to three vertebrae. More than that is over-flexion — the horse then evades the loading of the hind leg rather than accepting it. Flexion is achieved primarily through the action of the inner rein in combination with a following leg. It is a subtle position, not an exaggerated turn.

What do we mean by bend?

Bend is the arc that the horse's entire body forms from neck to tail, ideally distributed evenly along the whole spine. On a 10-metre circle, the horse's bend matches the curvature of that circle: the hind hooves track up into the prints of the front hooves. You ask for bend with your inner leg at the girth and your outer leg slightly behind the girth. The outer rein maintains the bend and prevents the shoulder from falling out. A correctly bent horse feels more even in the hand on both sides.

The four practical differences

• Flexion is in the neck (2–3 vertebrae); bend encompasses the entire spine
• You ask for flexion with the inner rein; bend with the inner leg and outer rein
• Over-flexion makes the horse loose in the hand; over-bending costs impulsion
• Flexion is visible at the head; bend is measured by the tracks of the hooves

Recognising and addressing one-sidedness

Almost every horse is naturally crooked, just as people have a preferred hand. A horse that is hollow to the right bends more easily to the left than to the right. Do you notice this because you hang more heavily on the left rein when tracking right, or because the right shoulder falls out? It helps to deliberately ride right-hand circles smaller (start with 15 metres) and keep the outer rein active. Also change rein regularly halfway through an exercise. In the EquiSight horse profile you can note for each training session which side your horse is stiffer on, so that patterns become visible over the course of weeks.

Exercises to refine flexion

Start on the long side and ask for light flexion towards the inside. You should just be able to see the inner cheek — no more than that. Then maintain the flexion on a volte and work towards shoulder-in.

• Light flexion on the long side, 3 minutes per direction
• 10-metre volte with consistent flexion and no over-bending
• Shoulder-in along the track in walk (easiest to monitor)
• Change of rein across the diagonal: ask for flexion at the corner and neutralise on the diagonal

Training bend with gymnastic exercises

Forward riding is the foundation: a horse that does not go forward from the leg will never truly bend. Work in trot on large 20-metre circles and gradually reduce to 15 and then 12 metres. Make sure the tempo stays stable — as soon as the horse speeds up or slows down as the circle gets smaller, true bend stops. EquiCoach can help you analyse your aids: describe what your horse is doing and receive a tailored exercise plan suited to you and your horse.

When is it good enough?

A useful guideline: on a 10-metre circle, the hind hooves track into the prints of the front hooves and you feel equal pressure in both reins. On the straight line, the flexion disappears and the horse travels straight through. That sounds simple, but on average it takes weeks to months of consistent training. Record test moments in the EquiSight calendar — red and green tags for less or more elastic — so you can review your progress over the months.