21/02/2023
Have you ever had a horse spooking out of 'nothing'? I think we have all experienced that. However, I say horses do not spook out of nothing, the spook is the result of tension building up, a tiny thing can be that little drop that makes the whole thing flood. Good news is there is a simple solution to this; the bend to stop. So, are you a safe rider? Do you master the bend to stop? If you want to be a safe rider I say this is the one most important thing you need to practice. When done well and with feel, there are so many benefits to the bend to stop; it helps the horse become relaxed and soft and it prevents tension from building up to a potentially dangerous spook. When training the bend to stop I focus on connection and the correct movement of the horses body. I release on a soft response and the inner hind leg stepping over. When the connection is lost I simply ask for forward and try again. In the beginning, it might take a bit of time to get it right, but once the horse knows it it is easy to repeat the exercise and make sure it is still good. When this is done on a regular basis it can be used whenever tension is building up and prevent the big spooks that seem to come out of nothing. Do you have problems with the bend to stop? Share a video in the comments below (max 3 min) and I give free advise on how to improve.