Lateral Flexion at the Poll

The term "lateral flexion" is often misunderstood. Many riders attempting to achieve it end up bending the horse's neck instead of getting any actual flexion at the horse's poll, which is the joint between the atlas (C1) and the skull. Imagine a small headlight attached to your horse's forehead. Lateral flexion at the poll involves a slight rotation at the poll to turn that headlight slightly to the side. The horse in the picture above is flexed to the.....(Click on Article Title above (in blue) to read full article)