Quiet Riding

"Correct forward-and-downward stretching requires natural balance in every horse."

"An initial effective stretch is achieved when the horse's mouth reaches the level of the shoulder joint."

"A correct stretch must be developed for each horse to fit his anatomy."

"...an incorrectly stretched horse loses his balance and leans on the forehand."

"The correctly worked, well-balanced horse steps under his body with extra activity in his limbs in the stretch."

"...stretching exercises shouldn't only be practiced at the end of a training session."

"The younger the horse or the weaker or tenser the horse's back, the more frequently he must be stretched."

"Stretching in motion is most effective: Begin at the walk and then concentrate on developing a quiet, rhythmic trot, finally arriving at the horse 'chewing the reins out of your hands' at the canter, which achieves the most effective stretch of all."

"Not until the horse happily rides forward can you even think about stretching forward-downward."

"Stretching at the walk is very valuable not just to reestablish balance when retraining the poorly ridden horse, but, as a general rule, for well-ridden horses, as well."

"A correct stretch is an important goal in training for every horse, especially for horses that have 'lost their back.'"