After your horse is going forward freely and is showing good rythym and relaxation, suppleness exercises can be added to your training regime.  Suppleness is described as bending without breaking,being limber,elastic, and flexible.Suppleness is the looseness and flexibility that a horse can exhibit. Just as any athlete has to stretch his muscles, so does a horse.

Suppleness has two types. Longitudinal and Lateral. Longitudinal includes the haunches, back, neck,poll and jaw.When these body parts are loose, it allows the horse to swing through his back and give the longest stride possible.Lateral suppleness is the degree to which a horse can bend its body and neck to create a circle or to move sideways. The masters say that they live in shoulders fore. this tool is created by the horse being supple laterally. Both types creat a horse that can be straight and long, using all of its body correctly.

Most problems with resistance are caused because the horse is not relaxed and supple. remember that often to go forward you must go back .

More on this later and happy gaiting!