In order to progress when learning to ride a horse, you’ll need
to understand the terms ‘flexion’ and ‘bend.’ There is an
important distinction between the two and they have separate
functions. In this post we’ll look at flexion. What is Flexion?
A horse is flexing when he turns his head sideways in the joint
between his head and neck, called the axis joint. This is the
only part of the horse to change: the rest of the horse’s spine
stays straight. If you look at a horse flexing to the right,
you’ll see the back part of his right cheek bone slide under the
parotid glands, closer to the neck muscles. (The parotid glands
are part of the horse’s salivary system. They are the fibrous
bulges you can see between the base of your horse’s ear and the
back of his lower jaw.) When your horse flexes to one side the
crest of his mane flips over to the side of the flexion: his
head stays straight with both ears at the same height. You can
see a glimpse of his inside eye and nostril if he is flexed
correctly. Why Flex Your