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and faces the side upon which the flexion was made. The neck, of course, remains high, as in direct flexion, the muzzle being at the height of the upper part of the shoulder, and the head in, or a little beyond, the perpendicular[1] (Fig. 33).
Thus, as we have seen by the right flexion, this flexion is generally done in quite a different manner. The only way to find out what the lateral flexion ought to be, is to consider the result we wish to obtain from it.
OBJECTS OF LATERAL FLEXIONS.
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To preserve, by the high position of the neck, the equilibrium of direct flexion in changes of direction.
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To strengthen and bind the entire forehand in the changes of direction, by arranging all the parts in such a manner as to make the whole as compact and supple in the turning movements, as in the direct movements.
In changes of direction, the shoulders naturally cover the ground, while the hind quarters give the propulsion ; but
In doing the lateral flexion we should take care not to alter the distribution of weight. To counterbalance the effect of the flexion, the horse has a natural tendency to make an opposition with the shoulder of the side away from which the head is turned, and to put the weight of the forehand on the left leg if the head is bent to the right. This is inevitable as long as the jaw resists, but the moment it yields, its flexion, involving that of the neck, brings about an equal distribution of weight on both legs. If we allow the horse to contract the habit of opposing the shoulder of the side opposite to the flexion, the equilibrium, and consequently the lightness, will be destroyed. In changes of direction, as in movements on two tracks, the shoulder of the side opposite to that of the flexion will always be late. The great difficulty in these exercises is to make this shoulder move. Hence we should always try to relieve it by making only a slight bend, whilst the snaffle rein of the side opposite to the change transfers the weight to the inward shoulder (which has less ground to cover), by throwing the weight at each stride to the side towards which the animal is proceeding. This method enables us to obtain great propulsion in work on two tracks. A too complete flexion will stop this propulsion by overloading the outward shoulder. At first one is always astonished to learn that the flexion to the right overloads the near shoulder, which is the natural result of the attempt made by the horse to counterbalance the effort demanded of him. ↩︎