This picture, taking during a schooling session with my grey Bashkir Curly horse, illustrates what it looks like when a horse is heavy on the forehand. Heavy on the forehand is a flaw in most types of English and Western riding (the exception being events like cutting or working cattle horse events where the horse needs to be down in the front). Heavy on the forehand refers to how the horse is carrying themselves. Ideally a horse will carry themselves with most of their weight on their hind quarters. For most courses, due to conformation, this type of movement has to be trained (although it is healthier for all horses to be light on the forehand). You can see in this photo this horse (who at a standstill looks to be uphill croup to withers) actually appears to be downhill from croup to withers, this is due to the fact that the horse has most of its weight on it's shoulders and front legs instead of the hind end. Then a horse is heavy on the forehand they appear more to be pulling themselves forward with their front legs instead of pushing themselves forward with their hindquarters. This photo is a good example of what many judges and instructors would refer to as heavy on the forehand.
