How a horse is supposed to “lift its back” is a topic of great confusion for many riders – at ALL levels of riding.

Instead of going over my version of Gavin’s clinic, I thought you might enjoy some direct quotes. I taped as much as I could from Gavin’s lecture in Kentucky, October 2009.

Some of the common indicators that people use to determine if a horse is moving correctly include:

The form-function principle as it relates to a horse’s body, suggests that each part of the body; each unique form, is designed to carry out a specific function.

The value of simple models to deal with hard problems.

Bio-mechanics entails looking at the natural structure of the body in order to better understand how it should ideally function.

The term disengagement means the horse no longer has a source of power from its hindquarters.

There is sometimes a huge difference in riding positions between what is fashionable and what is bio-mechanically sound. The reality is that balance is balance is balance.

Many riders think of collection only as a frame that is created by manipulating the head and neck into an arched position