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Flexing in motion is one of the most important skills in horse training. Just like your car’s steering wheel keeps you safe on the road, flexing in motion gives you control of your horse’s direction, softness, and overall responsiveness. In this lesson, horse trainer Michael Gascon, explains how to take flexing beyond a standstill and make it effective while your horse is moving.
Why Flexing in Motion Matters
Flexing at a standstill is a good starting point, but it’s only the beginning. Michael compares it to having brakes and a steering wheel in a parked car—it doesn’t help until the horse is moving.
Most accidents don’t happen on a standing horse—they happen when the horse is in motion. That’s why learning to flex while walking, trotting, or cantering is critical. Without it, you’re riding without a working steering wheel.
The Case of Cajun: A Tennessee Walker in Training
In this video, Michael works with Cajun, a Tennessee Walking Horse gelding who came in for training because he was extremely spooky and flighty. When startled, Cajun would lock up his head, making him dangerous to ride.
This resistance is like a locked steering wheel at 70 mph on the interstate—a recipe for disaster. The solution is teaching Cajun to become soft and supple so his rider can guide him at any speed, in any direction.
How Flexing in Motion Works
Step 1: Start With Forward Motion
Michael explains that your seat, legs, hips, and shoulders tell the horse to go forward, while your hands guide softness and flexion. In the beginning, you’ll feel busy—asking left, asking right, back and forth—until the horse figures out it’s easier to give his head than to fight the reins.
Step 2: Reward the Release
When the horse gives his head, even slightly, release the pressure. This release teaches the horse that softness brings relief, while resistance only creates more work.
Step 3: Stay Patient With Resistance
Horses may throw their nose, drift off the rail, or brace against the bit. Instead of fighting, Michael keeps calmly flexing until the horse relaxes. Over time, this creates a horse that can drop his head, relax his neck, and move forward in balance.
Benefits of Flexing in Motion
Michael highlights several benefits riders can expect when practicing flexing in motion:
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Better gait quality – a relaxed head and neck smooth out trot and gaited horse movement.
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Improved speed control – horses slow down naturally when their head drops.
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Softer transitions – moving from walk to trot, trot to canter, and back becomes easier.
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Stronger rider-horse communication – the horse looks for guidance instead of resisting.
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More confidence on the trail – with control of the head, fear no longer controls the ride.
Riding in a Halter vs. a Bit
Interestingly, Michael demonstrates this entire lesson using only a halter. He explains that many horses actually resist more in a bit they’ve been pulling against for years. By going back to basics with groundwork and halter work, horses like Cajun learn to soften without tension.
Once a horse is soft in a halter, transferring that feel into a snaffle or finished bit becomes much easier.
Pro Tips for Flexing in Motion
Michael shares three key pro tips every rider should remember:
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Touch and Release – In the beginning, your horse may snake back and forth. Stay consistent with small touches and releases until the horse learns it’s easier to soften than to resist.
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Sit Back and Look Where You Want to Go – Keep your body straight, head up, and eyes forward. Looking down creates confusion and makes the horse want to stop.
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Start From the Ground – Respect and softness begin with groundwork. If your horse flexes willingly at a standstill, you’ll have better results when flexing in motion at the walk, trot, and canter.
Final Thoughts: Control the Head, Control the Horse
Flexing in motion is the foundation of true control. It transforms a spooky, resistant horse into a calm, responsive partner. As Michael says:
“It’s not a horse’s fear that hurts you—it’s their reaction to that fear. If you can control their head, you can guide them through anything.”
By practicing flexing in motion consistently, you’ll gain smoother gaits, better transitions, and safer rides no matter what challenges you and your horse face.
