08/10/2026
😍A little flat work bot camp for our jumpers. 😍
Its fun to play around with frames and balance to challenge the horses to use their bodies in different ways.
The horse should be able to easily change their frame from low and stretched to elevated and collected. For the horses to do this they must have correct balance and a strong topline to help them. A simple shift of the rider’s weight and a relaxed energy is all it takes once the horse has become accustomed to doing this.
It’s important to keep your horse’s ability elastic- meaning they are not stuck in a shape, but able to carry themselves and created an accordion effect from Nose to tail.
None of the horses in these photos are putting immense pressure in the reins, and neither is the rider. The rein is simply for guidance, communication and at the highest level of connection, only for show.
So next time you’re riding, ask your horse to hold themselves in balance and not just on the reins and see, can you get the neck up, in, low, long? And to do it properly it comes from the articulation and balance from the hips of the horse, sending energy up the hind legs, through the back to activate the thoracic sling, to engage the back and lift the shoulders and allow the neck to relax so the corners of their lips are gently in your hands, and only then will you have achieved balance… and can you and your horse maintain it? Well thats the art, the detail and the thing that keeps us riding. From there you can do whatever you want to, jump or pirouette.. doesn’t matter.
