| Understanding Lightness |
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 Through relaxation, flexion and strength, refined movement becomes the goalUnderstanding Lightness by Ryan Gingerich All horses are capable of truly refined movement. From the time they are only a few months old, horses can perform the truest expressions of lightness. You may have witnessed young foals performing passage effortlessly across their pastures. This is not a learned behavior, but a gait that is innate within the horse. This refined “lightness” movement requires Relaxation, Flexion, and Strength. To include ourselves in this naturally graceful picture, we start with the first element of my Connective Horsemanship training program: Basic Control. This element teaches us a language that allows us to communicate with the horse in a clear manner about what it is we want the horse to do. This communication can be thought of as a universal translator that bridges the gap between our human language and the language of the horse. Refining Our Language Once you have achieved Basic Control, then refine this new language to where the horse instantly and correctly responds to your cue. Think of cues as the words that form sentences used in communicating with the horse. This refinement is achieved with the next element in Connective Horsemanship: Lightness. Remember, Basic Control is exactly what the name implies. Some horses may exhibit elementary examples of Lightness after Basic Control training, and others may exhibit less understanding of Basic Control. Lightness is what helps reform those horses having trouble understanding the cue language. Lightness also refines the language for the more advanced horse. Relaxation + Flexion + Strength = Lightness First, Relax! Lightness embodies the three key elements natural to the horse: Relaxation, Flexion, and Strength. Each of these elements has a function in the horse’s ability to become responsive to your cues. If one of these elements is missing, you cannot accomplish the others. By assessing on a scale of 1 to 10 how relaxed your horse is, you’ll also know how stressed he is. The horse’s state of relaxation is indicative of the level of understanding he has for go and stop cues. Since all new training techniques are typically met with hesitation because the horse has yet to understand these cues, the horse may react to these new stimuli with fear. Fear is reactive and relaxation is passive. When we ask the horse to respond to our hand or leg cues, we’re asking him to submit and give a correct response. If the horse doesn’t understand the cue and therefore doesn’t respond properly, he will react to each new cue with fear (which denotes stress) and not in a relaxed manner. Our goal is to get the horse to clearly understand what we are asking (cue) with a relaxed body and mind. And Then Comes Flexion As the horse becomes more relaxed, he will begin to flex gracefully and willingly. Flexion enables the horse to utilize his energy in a forward fashion. However, when there is resistance anywhere within the horse’s body, energy is blocked from flowing freely outward from back to front. Flexion produces bend in the horse—a slight bend in the neck and poll area, a rising and rounding of the back (technically called a “bascule”) and a lowering and rounding of the hindquarters. This flexion and roundness becomes much more apparent when the horse possesses a deepened understanding of the go and stop cues. It’s important to note that flexion does not come from laterally hyper-flexing the horse’s head and neck repeatedly with the bit and reins. You often hear trainers speak of teaching horses lightness through lateral bending of the horse’s head and neck (and some of you have undoubtedly seen riders pull their horse’s head to their left knee, then their right knee, sometimes hundreds of times). Let me be very clear here: laterally hyper-flexing (lateral bending or bending to the side) your horse’s head and neck does not teach lightness! Think of it this way: I announce that I want you to relax. You don’t comply, so I grab your head and force your chin to your shoulder. Then I manipulate your head first to the left, then to the right. Then I do that same pattern back and forth, and back and forth, over and over and over again (dare I say hundreds of times?) until I feel that you are no longer resisting me but are complying to the tugs and pulls on your head. Because you are now (theoretically) complying, does that mean you are relaxed? I think not! And, how do you think your neck will feel tomorrow morning? Pretty sore, right? The horse is no different. Repetition is an integral component to most training techniques, but certainly not to this degree. Laterally hyper-flexing the head and neck over and over will only cause the horse discomfort and could potentially harm the horse over the long run. I’ve also seen horses “shut down” mentally from this repetitive treatment (and when they’re shut down, they can’t learn). Forcing the horse to yield to pressure is not training, it’s force. Strength: Physical and Mental We are always teaching our horses! Whether good or bad, relaxed or tense, calm or angry—our actions reinforce good or bad behavior in our horses. That is why it’s so important to have a clear, concise language with our horses; it not only relaxes them, but us too. Possessing a language that’s understandable to our horses helps us relax, think and act properly. The more you practice your go and stop cues for lightness, the better the horse will understand and respond—as long as he comprehends the cues (language). Ultimately the horse will become physically stronger and be able to develop and maintain a relaxed frame. This is when the third natural element comes into play. Strength is not only about physical strength, but also mental strength. Because we are practicing a gymnastic maneuver by asking the horse to carry himself in an elevated and round frame, we expect the horse to get physically and mentally tired. At first the horse cannot hold this frame for very long; he is simply not prepared to do so quite yet. You must practice, practice, practice to get the horse to hold this engaged frame for longer and longer periods of time. During this strength-building process, please remember to keep the horse’s spinal column properly aligned, with proper lateral and longitudinal form. His head shouldn’t be bent to your knee, but slightly off center on a circle, and his neck should be low and long. Using the Three-Part Equation for Rehabilitation These three naturally-occurring functional elements (relaxation, flexion, strength) are imperative for rehabilitating the behaviorally-challenged horse. Applying this formula is what I do—day in, day out. Believe me when I tell you that consolidating the horse with relaxation, flexion and strengthening through my Lightness training will change the horse’s responses. The horse cannot be confused and relaxed at the same time. He cannot be scared and give you proper flexion and strength. If scared or confused, the horse’s responses will be dull or completely muted. That’s why the formula for Lightness begins with relaxation; if the horse is relaxed, he’s learning and is clear about your communication, and he understands your cues. Relaxation becomes the critical springboard for the next Lightness steps of flexion and strength. Each of my five principle elements of Connective Horsemanship®—Basic Control, Lightness, Rhythm, Line, and Connection¬—will help you engage the horse mentally and physically for the ultimate ride. These elements will enable you to properly rehabilitate those challenging horses that we all have. As a reminder, remember that all miscommunication between horse and rider can be solved by a better understanding of the go and stop commands. As always, Train Safe, Ride Safe, Have Fun! For more information on Ryan Gingerich, his Connective Horsemanship program, and how you can improve the way you communicate with your horse, please visit www.connectivehorsemanship or simply call 800.359.4090. |
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