The Biomechanics
of the Bend
In true bending, the rider flexes the horse's body into alignment with the bend, so that the action of the hindlegs follows the direction of the horse's body, allowing the energy that each hindleg generates to be transmitted forwards towards each corresponding foreleg.
The rider achieves this alignment of the horse's body principally by the postural influence of the inside
of their body, which stretches and sends weight down into the inside
seatbone and stirrup. This creates a 'pillar' around which the bend of
the horse's body can be formed, with the help of the outside leg
stretched back to flex the haunches in, and the inside leg aiding to
flex the ribcage out.
The outside rein is released forwards to
permit the flexion of the neck onto the bend, and the inside rein gently
positions the horse's head inwards, into alignment, while receiving the
softening of the jaw created by the channeled energy flowing through
from the inside hindleg.
In false bending, the energy generated
by the inside hindleg (greater than that of the outside hindleg due to
its increased leverage) is sent towards the outside shoulder via the
natural rotation of the horse's ribcage to the outside when the inside
hindleg pushes off.
This flow of energy, being misaligned with the
direction of the horse's body, creates a continual unbalanced force,
which the rider is compelled to contain with a holding outside rein.
This, in addition to blocking the flow of forward movement, prevents the
horse's neck from flexing onto the alignment of the bend, and the jaw
is unable to release and soften onto the contact.
The rider feels
this resistance in the inside rein, and often attempts to relieve it by
'fiddling' or 'playing' with the inside rein. The real problem, however,
is that the inside hindleg is not carrying under to support the flexion
of the inside of the horse's body, and enable the release into the
inside contact.
Without a postural pillar around which to form the
bend, the rider's seat is pushed outward by the horse's ribcage, and
ends up off-centre on the horse's spine. No amount of 'inside leg into
outside rein' can remedy this structurally unsound postural dynamic,
because the horse is receiving no support for a correct aligned bend,
which is in itself contrary to the horse's natural way of balancing
while turning.
True bending is the key to the longitudinal
stretch, which lifts the horse's spine into a healthy and strong posture
for carrying a rider. This is because true bending harnesses the energy
from the hindegs, and channels it through the horse's body, in the same
way as an archer flexes a bow. It is much harder to align the horse's
body in work on a straight line, but by strengthening the longitudinal
stretch through correct bending on both reins, the horse's body will be
drawn towards evenness, and maintaining alignment in straight-line work
will become possible.
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