bending, where to start?

[curiou_mare]

I recently bought an ex-racehorse so i'm training it. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about how to go about teaching this horse to bend. She does not know how to at all. Thanx :)

[galadriel]

I'd suggest starting from the ground, teaching her to yield to pressure. Once she can do that, teach her to move over at your command; use pressure where your leg would be f you were riding.

Once she's got that, start asking her to bend her neck and body while moving in relation to the pressure. Try to help her to figure out just what bending is all about.

---

Also, for a stiff horse, "carrot stretches" are very useful. If you do them regularly, they'll improve your horse's flexibility.