Discussion # 117: There are some who say that balance and impulsion are somewhat contradictory terms… that the more impulsion your horse has, the more he will push himself on the forehand. But this is not really true...

There are some who say that balance and impulsion are somewhat contradictory terms… that the more impulsion your horse has, the more he will push himself on the forehand, and out of balance. But this is not really true. 

Real impulsion implies balance through engagement - even at the gallop. Impulsion is stored energy created by the desire to go forward, and supported and contained by the carrying power of the "coiled spring" of the hindquarters. We must be very careful to not confuse speed with impulsion. The horse that loses his balance and gets heavy on the front end when he goes faster has more speed, but not real impulsion.

Your thoughts?? Can you explain how you can tell the difference between the horse that has mere speed vs one that has true impulsion when you are watching them on the approach to a jump? (Click on Discussion Title above to read this educational discussion)