Upon studying horse training for any purpose there seems to be a lack of starting young horses correctly.  In most cases two months of ground training would bring a smooth transition from the pasture to lunging, carrying tack,  having a relaxed swinging back,  along with some work in hand to make sitting on the horse pleasurable and correct. 

     The young horse now having been able to study the trainer and the trainer having been able to study the horse’s special habits and idiosyncrasies are now more familiar with each other making riding the horse a pleasant experience for both.

     Too often horses are halted by pulling on the reins instead of stopping a particular gait with a quiet (not moving) hand. Their first mentioned results in bending horse’s necks and over flexion instead of communication through balance.
     In many cases over flexion and over bending the neck haunts the horse through his whole riding career.

     Classical dressage brings a great difference in preserving the natural gait and rehabilitating horses whose gaits were spoiled. Getting the croup to sink down (hankenbeigung) and making the back elastic again will improve those marks of your dressage test where the horse could not exhibit its full potential regaining balance elasticity and suppleness once more.