Are you riding a false frame?

What IS a false frame?

A false frame is when the rein aids have been used to control the flexion and angles of the neck instead of the flexion and angles of the hocks. The reins have been used to create “submission” to the bit instead of “acceptance” of the bit.

In this way the horse can have its head down in a frame - but it is still working on the forehand.

The self carriage muscles get developed incorrectly, with the horse rotating the pelvis under for “engagement” instead of transferring weight onto the haunches and getting deeper into their hocks.

This puts a lot of stress on their croup and they often will twist and collapse through the pelvis. The topline, especially behind the whither where the saddle sits, becomes weak and hyper extended from over flexing through their neck and crest instead of engaging their core and using their back muscles. When they are in a false frame they are often behind the vertical.

Your horse is not working in true self carriage.

Signs a horse isn’t working correctly in self carriage.

The horse is swinging its head left and right as it works.

If a horse is swinging its head left and right as its working, particularly in walk and trot, the rider is see-sawing its mouth left and right to keep its head down. This works particularly well if the rider can time the pressure of the bit for when the foreleg is lifted. The horse can’t pull and resist the contact and has to put its head down.

Flexing away at the third vertebrae.

A horse in a true frame should feel like its almost pulling through the bit, but that you can half halt and rebalance them without resistance. This means they are working through to contact and flexing correctly at the pole with the pole as the highest point.

When they are working behind the vertical, flexing away at the third vertebrae, they are balanced on the forehand and just tucking their nose down, staying hollow through the back.

Bulky, bulging muscles at the top of the neck behind the pole.

These muscles show that the horse hasn’t been taught how to work in a frame with a soft relaxed jaw and gullet. It will have its mouth clamped down on the bit and against the bit.

This means they can’t correctly flex or bend and have had their head held in flexion - which isn’t true flexion.

To get bend the rider will be yielding the shoulders out/displacing the shoulders so to get the horse “soft” because they won’t be able to pull into the bit this way. You will also sometimes see the horses swinging their head left and right as well.

Just because a horse has its head down doesn’t mean it is working correctly.

In fact a horse that has been made to work with its head down without engaging their core muscles correctly will have more musculoskeletal problems then a horse that is worked hollow.

It is important that if you are wanting to take the physical soundness of your horse into consideration that you can identify horses that are working in a false frame or are using themselves correctly, rather than just “are they working in a frame or not”. This will give you the best tools to know which techniques work and who to ask advice from - and who is doing it just for show and accolades.