relaxing at poll

Question

relaxing at poll   QUESTION: hello ma'am, do horses relax at the poll when they bend their neck down to the ground and graze? does relaxing at the poll give good relaxation to the horse?

ma'am, if you dont mind, can you please tell me what does "relaxing at poll" and "breaking at poll " mean?

ANSWER: Hello Rohit,

Thank you for your question.  Horses naturally have a lot of flexion through the poll and spend their days flexing.  A horse that relaxes or flexes at the poll while being ridden is one that bends and softens through the poll and gives his head to the rider, rather than stiffen through the neck , stick their nose out and refuse to give to rein pressure.  A horse that breaks at the poll flexes so much that it's nose goes behind the vertical.  Ideal flexion (although this is open to debate) is when a horses face remains vertical to the ground.  Granted, this is a little outside my area of expertise.

Thanks, Corlena

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks for your answer ma'am. now i have a clear idea.

but, why do horses relax while grazing? i have observed most of the horses stand while grazing rather than lying down. may i know why?

Answer
Hello Rohit,

Horses naturally have a wide range of flexion through their neck, including their poll.  Horses in a natural environment naturally flex.  Flexion or lack thereof only becomes a problem when we bridle and work horses and we move from a natural state to an induced exercise state.  Then many factors begin to play a role in flexion and head carriage including the use of aids and training methods.  

Horses don't normally eat while lying down and do their grazing while standing up...it's their natural state.  

Thanks, Corlena