Especially during winter times, when turnout time is limited or even non existent, our horses might feel stiffer. Suppleness is important as it makes the horse’s movement more rhythmic and elastic. Here are some tips to achieve this:

1. After properly warming your horse up start with lateral work in walk. Work on some shoulder-ins and leg yields. Remember, quality over quantity! Instead of making 20 poor quality lateral movements, make 5 good quality ones!

2. Spiral in and out on a 20 meter circle. Make sure to keep your rhythm and impulsion while spiraling in. Ride from your inside leg to your outside rein. You can do this exercise both in walk and trot!

3. Bend and counter-bend your horse. You can start in walk on the right rein and bend your horse to the opposite direction. Keep your left leg on the girth, and ask the horse to bend around it.

These are some really good exercises to try! Keep in mind that we want our horses to feel equally balanced and supple on both sides, so every exercise should be done on both reins!