Getting your ducks in a row

I have been musing on the importance of what I call 'alignment' while schooling horses. I'm talking about a straight neck between the reins including being straight in relation to the shoulders, that is, forming a 90° angle across the withers. Then, inside flexion of the poll brings the inside eye into the rider's view but a receiving outside hand gently prevents the neck from leaving it's straight position. Even on a 20m circle, the neck should be carried straight. (This is another controversial topic for some trainers.) The flexion of the poll flips the crest muscle to the inside of the circle, which helps release the lower neck muscles, in turn, these soft neck muscles allow the shoulder to swing in a loose arc with no tension.  Changing the flexion flips the crest over the nuchal ligament and is a fun 'twang' to watch for!

Most of the green horses I ride need a fair bit of work to maintain these parameters. But when they do it, that's when they suddenly learn to use their bodies.

Similarly, flexing at the poll, truly giving the rider the authority to move their heads independent of their necks, is like physiotherapy for horses. I rode a thoroughbred the other day whose neck was almost a zig-zag it was so crooked. This also caused a lot of tension in the contact. I forgot about alignment and even placement (for a little while!) and JUST worked on getting him to flex laterally at the poll. It took ages of trotting about and changing the rein and holding the inside rein very short and gently and gradually rocking the neck back straight again with the outside rein. But when I got it, the horse unlocked! His trot stride length tripled! He sighed a big sigh and snorted and loosened and it was just magic.