The way I teach my horse to be supple to me hands starts on the ground. I have the halter and saddle on. I stand facing the horse standing at about the girth area and holding the lead rope a little ways down the rope and pull my hand to the horn of the saddle. If you have enough tention in the rope the horse should turn his head and take a few (possibly many) steps away from you, thats when you grab the cantle of the saddle and go around with them. Once the horse stops his feet and bends it's head so there is slack in the rope let go immediately as a reward. Do this repeatedly, slowly shorting the distance between your hand and the clip on the lead, on one side until the horse gives it's head easly without moving it's feet. Once the horse turns his head easly with his nose close to the sturrip, you can repeat the same thing on the other side.
Once you have your horse giving both directions, go ahead and bit them up and then do the same steps as you did with the halter, start the rein out long and bring it in, on both sides.
I request this is the first thing you do when you get on a horse, if your just starting a young horse. It's something easy that they learn fast and remember. You can use it if your horse gets scared, upset, nervious, or if you feel like your getting no where in your training, just stop and do this about 20 times, or however many it takes, each direction and start over in your lesson.
I've also noticed in horse that this is taught to first they seem to learn faster then those that are taught this later on in their training.
