Right Handed or Left Handed?

Welcome to the first blog post!  Let's talk about your horse's dominant and weaker side.  Ask yourself the question, is your horse right handed or left handed?  Obviously your horse doesn't have hands, but my horse, like me, is definitely right sided, meaning the stronger, dominant side is the right side of his body.  What's the easiest way to tell which side of your horse is the dominant side?  His stronger side will most likely be his stiffer side, and his weaker side will be his hollow side or soft side.  The hollow side of your horse bends easily, in fact over bends easily, but the bend is not a correct bend, meaning his spine doesn't match the arc of the circle you are riding, nor do his hind feet follow the tracks of his front feet, illustrated by his haunches or shoulders falling in or out of the line of travel on the circle.  The reason the dominant side of his body is stiff is because the hollow side of his body doesn't have the strength or suppleness to support the dominant side when it's bent.  As a training exercise, try riding the hollow side of your horse in slight counter flexion, with the goal of keeping him straight.  In my horse's case I would be traveling on the left rein in slight counter flexion.  Next overbend the stiff side of your horse by riding some smaller circles with a little haunches-in.  In my horse's case I would be traveling on the right rein with a little haunches in right.
Happy Riding!