Building up around the shoulders

Beth&Cleo

Beth&Cleo

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Hi,
The riding instructor from the yard had a look at my new girl for me tonight and said that her right shoulder was built up more than her left, so I needed to do some work to even it up.
What exercises can I do to help build up her left shoulder? She is a lot more comfortable on the right rein than the left, so I assume that's down to her un-even muscles?

Sorry if I sound like a complete idiot here :o
 
Yes and it does make a difference. I don't know why as an instructor she's not giving you some specific exercises to do with your girl as she would be the best placed to advise on this as she can see her.

Unevenness can be a number of things - rider, pain, imbalance, weakness, saddle etc.

Mine is weak on the left rein - probably because I am so we do more work on that side but I have to concentrate on being even, relaxed and balanced myself. Trotting on the weaker diagonal is often advised and does work. Lots of collection helps us too so it really depends on where the unevenness is tbh but suppling the shoulder/back will all help.

I lunge too and this has helped enormously.
 
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Can I suggest you have someone like a Bowen/Equine Touch person have a look at her? It sounds like she has had some sort of trauma to cause her to build more muscle on one side, but that could be a hoof imbalance, poll or neck pain, opposite hind end injury - any number of things. Although most horses are less flexible to one side, the over muscled shoulder is certainly making it harder for her.

If she were mine I'd start by finding out why the imbalance is there and trying to get to the bottom of that, and then think about flexing, yoga for horses type of exercises to level her out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKEL-aHCDsE might be useful.
 
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