'Curling' one side through neck

M

MuddyMonster

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 September 2015
Messages
6,952
Visit site
My native has a funny habit of loading his outside shoulder, curling his neck to the outside which then results in his body coming away from the track in a bizarre side stepping kind of move!

I think it's evasion (or more likely, my poor riding ... :D) as he has regular physiotherapy and he doesn't do it at all hacking & it seems to be most prevalent when he's expecting an upwards transition, particularly going up into canter.

He's taken a long time to establish a trot rather than a hollow scurry, or setting his (huge) neck and running but now his trot is more forwards and rhythmical - but this issue still lingers.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on how to help correct this?

Thanks :)
 
I am not quite understanding what you describe, sorry!

Usually a horse will evade by pushing out one shoulder and then overbending the opposite way. So you basically need to take back control of the shoulders.

Exercises I would use would be flexion to the outside, if on a circle, for a few strides, then back to true bend. Counter canter is pretty amazing for straightening the shoulders.

Obviously shoulder in is ultimately what you want to be practising, but quite difficult when a horse is evading as you describe.

If I have got the wrong end of the stick, I apologise!
 
Sorry, it's probably my poor description skills! Thank you for trying to help despite that :)

So, say we are going large down the longside to A on the left rein. Ponio will curl his neck round to the left (so I'm assuming he's loading his outside shoulder - but based on what you've said, it could be his inside) rather than over bending behind the vertical. In turn that then pushes the rest of his body off of the track so that his body and bum is to the inside of the track (kind of like an incorrect reverse, unwanted shoulder in with absolutely zero finesse :D )... does that make more sense?!

What I then struggle to do is get control of his neck/shoulder again to straighten him up.

I'm not sure whether I should be trying to create bend to the inside to help his body back over to the track or if I'm better trying to straighten his neck and his body will follow.

I'm also a bit uncertain if there are certain exercises that can help - we've been playing with leg yielding on circles and to the track to help him learn more about flexion, which he's getting the hang of. We've been teaching him shoulder in in-hand, but not yet taken that under saddle. He's green in the school & not the most flexible of horses, so we are taking things slowly (he's had a chequered past & a few years ago spent more time trying to dump his rider than not, so dont want to undo his trust/his goodwill by asking too much & being too pineckity in one go. He's not what I'd call a naturally dressage orientated chap, he'd much prefer to be out & about hacking than going round in circles :D so do try to be mindful of this. If that makes sense?)

My trainer has gone on a working holiday at the moment, but have got lessons booked for when she's back but was just hoping for some handy hints in the meantime.
 
Last edited:
yes it would make more sense if he was loading the inside shoulder and then bending towards the outside, to then fall in off the track?

However, the answers are all going to be the same, it's a straightness issue. How is he down the rein, is he even in both reins? i'm going to hazard that he's not. Whichever rein he is light in, you need to encourage him to take that forwards more, and move him off the rein he is heavier in. I actually find counterflexion can be too much for this kind of problem, but it's towards that feeling that is helpful.

Shoulder-in or at least shoulder-fore would be an excellent exercise for him, it is a fabulous straightening exercise and very helpful for contact problems because it confirms the inside leg to outside rein response and gets the inside hind underneath the horse more, exactly where you want it. If that's too difficult to start with, then leg yielding would be a good starting point to get that connection to the outside rein and to begin to straighten him. Try to ride it without too much flexion if you are struggling to control that. Right some LY, then ride straight to check you are really in control, then LY again.
 
ahh cross posted with your update, OP. I'm still a little confused by your description.

On the left rein, is he bending his head too much to face the left, or the right?

If he bends too much to the inside, and also falls in? A little unusual, but still, if that's the case, what is stopping you from correcting that with the outside rein?
 
No, we are both on the same page! He is basically bananaing :D

I would be taking his head and neck to the right/outside, then once his shoulders are straight go back to true bend .... and repeat. Once he is warmed up do this on a circle, before trying to take it around the arena.

Anything that helps you move a certain part of his body independently will help.

It will get better :) and then he will learn something else to make you scratch your head :D

Disclaimer - this is just what I would do - obviously ask your instructor :)
 
Great, thank you for your suggestions :) I'll look forward to trying some of them out!

Milliepops - on the left rein, he'll bend his head far too much to the right (so to the outside).

Does that make more sense?
 
Yes absolutely. So lateral work is your friend. Shoulder fore or shoulder in and leg yield towards the outside rein to get the submission to your inside leg and connection to the outside rein. Feel that he needs to stay more upright and into your outside rein . Don't worry if he can't do it perfectly to start with, you don't have to deliver the exercise in perfection to feel the benefits.
 
MuddyMonster said:
Great, thank you for your suggestions :) I'll look forward to trying some of them out!

Milliepops - on the left rein, he'll bend his head far too much to the right (so to the outside).

Does that make more sense?
Click to expand...

Ah, the opposite of what I thought, sorry!

In that case I would actually do some work on the lunge/long reins as well.

Use a roller, a stretchy bandage around his bum, attached to each side of the roller. Bridle and cavasson. Use a bungee, clip it on the outside of the roller then pass through the bit, only on the inside bit ring and then clip onto the roller on the inside. You are basically putting him onto an inside bend. It doesn't need to be tight, just a suggestion really, they soon get the hang of it. You can either lunge from the noseband or use long lines.
 
Haha - it's my awful descriptions Demented Elf!

Thanks for all your help both & patience whilst trying to interpret my problem, I'll be putting it into practise & hopefully see some benefits in the future :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top