Why your horse in a forward-downward posture?

Many riders wonder: why does my horse need to move forward and downward?

If we ask the horse for longitudinal flexion, the horse will naturally lower its head and neck forward and downward. This is because the longitudinal flexion causes the horse to lengthen the outer back muscle.

A long back muscle cannot hold the head up; as a result, the horse adopts a forward-downward posture.

This is necessary because, while riding, a horse carries us not with its back but with its abdominal muscles. Therefore, the horse must relax the topline and tense the underline.

When the horse moves forward and downward, the hind leg also has the space to step under and take up more weight, thereby relieving the forehand.