Quiet Riding

"I would have nothing to do with a horse whose fetlock and pastern joints are stiff, because he would be deficient in elasticity, would drag his feet, and would consequently be liable to trip."

"The best work for suppling the horse is the figure of 8 performed a yard from the wall, at the walk, trot and canter; but it should be done with the greatest possible correctness, namely, with a light inward flexion of the neck, an energetic application of the outward leg, and support from the inward leg."

"I would have nothing to do with a horse whose fetlock and pastern joints are stiff, because he would be deficient in elasticity, would drag his feet, and would consequently be liable to trip."

"Up and down transitions are far more important than many people realize — as a softener, for balance and obedience, and as a builder of energy. Circles of twenty meters decreasing to ten (with more highly developed horses down to six meeter), as well as serpentines, should be included in this series of exercises."

"Not only is a supple horse more comfortable to ride, but he can be more obedient simply because his body allows him to respond to your requests more easily.

"Any transition — any change — whether it's from one pace to another, going from a straight line into a leg-yield or from bending in one direction to the other such as on a serpentine, will help you promote suppleness."

"...if a horse's body is not completely free and supple, he will not be able to respond to man's demands with ease and with grace."

"While thus combining these three lessons of the shoulder-in, the trot, and the croup to the wall, one will gradually see a horse's suppleness and obedience develop and increase; and, as we have stated, suppleness and obedience are the first two qualities which a horse must have in order to be trained."

"Doing strengthening work before thoroughly suppling the hose makes whatever is already strong stronger, but leaves tensions in place and continues to bypass what is weak or slack."

"Neck flexions are sometimes thought to supple a horse, but just like in people, ninety-nine times out of a hundred neck stiffness is a symptom of problems elsewhere."

"A horse that is well suppled on both sides is the horse that can move truly straightly, so the power of its hindquarters operates directly toward the center of gravity."

"Our strengthening work is more beneficial for the entire horse after the horse is suppled on both sides of its body."

"The horse's back needs a significant ability to swing."

"Suppleness can be neither forced nor mechanically produced."

"A beautifully 'carried,' softly swinging tail is an indication of a supple swinging back that allows the movement of the hindquarters to transmit through to the front end."

"A free, voluminous and rhythmical gait is only possible when the long back muscles swing naturally with elasticity. It is primary, then, to achieve suppleness of the back."

"Swinging is the expression of rhythmical movement with the first steps of suppleness."

"Suppleness or 'looseness' refers to an inner calm, supplely working muscles and a lack of force."

"Suppleness describes a state where a horse is active without negative tension."

"The better a muscle is able to stretch, the more active and dynamic the contractions are."

"Previous problems of insufficient suppleness worsen in a competition atmosphere and expectations from judges and public alike for expression, huge movement and spectacular mechanics frequently cause riders to over-exaggerate their efforts. Rhythm and suppleness are lost. Potentially injurious hover trots develop that are most assuredly without harmony and lightness."

"A horse by his nature doesn't have the same suppleness on both sides. He isn't capable of bending the same nor is he accepting of gymnastics work equally well in both directions."

"If there is equal suppleness on both sides of the body, it is then possible to increase the demands on the inside hind leg of the horse."

"For the hip, stifle and hock to flex, the musculature of the back and hindquarters must be elastic."

"A well-ridden horse develops powerful, yet supple and pliable trunk muscles."

"A final prerequisite for vertical flexion is a supple, or as riders say, a 'yielding' poll."

"The quality of the seat has an enormous and direct influence on the suppleness of the horse's back."

"While a short back is stronger and more able to carry than a longer back, it is more difficult to loosen and supple."

"Mobility and promptness require supple muscles."