
Front-Back Ratio
Have you ever noticed that the hindquarter is wider than the front end?
That the hips are wider than the shoulders?
It’s called the front-back ratio and it's one of the 8 dimensions of natural asymmetry.
What the front-back ratio looks like
It is easy to see from above:
So a horse has a bit of a ‘torpedo’ shape.
It's important to be aware of the position of our horse’s shoulders in relation to the hips.
What happens if we ignore it?
Most horses walk a little bit ‘haunches-in’ like, even when this ‘exercise’ is not asked for.
Even more, when the horse is not straightened along the wall of the arena, this effect is enhanced:
- the horse steps too much to the inside with its inside hind leg;
- which makes it impossible for the inside hind leg to step under the center of mass;
- which inhibits the development of the carrying capacity of the inside hind leg.
The problem with the front-back ratio
The carrying capacity of the hind leg is what enables our horse to carry the rider in a healthy way.
But the front-back ratio causes our horse to lean with the outside shoulder against the wall.
As a result, it’s sometimes impossible to get the horse away from the track and to make a turn inwards.
The solution
Simply riding forward hoping that the horse will straighten itself out leads to stiff, “hard” horses that lose the flexibility in their back and as a result in their mouth.
This is why it is so important to do Straightness training!
Shoulder-fore and shoulder-in are good exercises to straighten the shoulders in front of the hips.
Your next STep
You’ve now learned about natural asymmetry, which is the hidden force behind many struggles.
Straightness Training helps you end your struggles once and for all, and create balance and harmony with your horse.
Join the FREE Straightness Training Masterclass and learn exactly how to create real change: