bending

[stephydoo]

when i take gymy into the school he is always well behaved and reacts well to my aids, he never needs to be slowed down or sped up but the one thing he doesnt do well is bend
i do a lot of bending excersises ie lungeing, riding through cones, lots of circles but he just doesnt bend, what can i do to improve this?
when out on a hack i also try to get in as much circles as i can

[Ipsa]

You could do some exercises on the ground with him to see if he is able to bend easily.
Get some carrots or other treats and hold it out beside his head and see if he can bend his head and neck without having to move his body. He should be able to get his nose around to his elbow on each side without any problem.
Check that when you are riding your aids are correct as it is sometimes the rider stopping the horse from bending without realising it. Maybe have a lesson so you have that extra pair of eyes on the ground.