Horsemanship with Richard Winters

Richard Winters explains how too much lateral flexion can hinder any horse’s performance.

Suppleness and a soft feel have become universally sought-after traits developed in horses of just about every Western discipline. Whether training a barrel prospect, a ranch colt or a future cow horse, most horsemen work to instill flexion through the poll, neck and spine and look for their horse to quietly yield to their reins, seat and feet.

Clinician and cow horse trainer Richard Winters says these attributes remain vital to training: however, over-emphasizing lateral flexion can be a detriment at some point. Essentially, when a rider asks a horse to turn left, does its shoulder flop out to the right, or does its entire frame guide in the same direction?

“The analogy that makes sense to me is water in a bucket,” Winters say. “If we bend our horse in one direction, where does all the water go? I want the water to go in the same direction. But if I over-bend my horse, his momentum is drifting away from where I’m trying to go.”

Winters admits that he didn’t fully grasp the concept of how a horse guides until a few years ago. The Poolville, Texas, horseman travels throughout the nation conducting horsemanship clinics. He also trains and shows reined cow horses, which he says has broadened his perspective and sharpened his skills. Riding with leading cow horse trainers such as his daughter, Sarah Dawson, and her husband, Chris Dawson, has opened his eyes to a higher level of performance.

Read the full article in the February 2025 issue of Western Horseman.

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