When riding, are you consistently aware of which bend your horse is in?  How do you determine which way the horse is bending in his body? Do not be fooled by the direction his head is turning.  Some horses can have their body in right bend, but have their head or nose tilting to the left.  True bend is established through the horse’s barrel and continues forward through the spine up the neck. Glance at the horse’s neck just in front of the withers where it extends out from the back.  This will give you a true reading of which bend your horse’s body is projecting.