"Falling in"? (or out!!)

[Coblover63]

Please can you explain that this means as I have to admit that I really don't understand I know it is something to do with a shoulder (????) but I've never really understood it.

If anyone could post a video so I could actually SEE what it is that would be even better!!

 

[Littlelegs]

Sorry, not got a vid but will try to explain. Basically it means the horse isn't straight. That could be because its either going in, or out, on either a circle or a straight line. For example, on a circle the horses hind legs should be on the same track as the fore legs. And the whole of the horses body, from top of tail to nose should have the same curve as the circle. So if you looked from above, the line of the circle would exactly dissect the horses body. Falling out through the shoulder means the horses body is not following the line of the circle, the shoulder is too far out. Commonly, its seen when the 'bend' is all in the horses neck, rather than evenly through its entire body length. So the neck & head are on a different circle to the body. Falling in through the shoulder is the same, but in reverse, shoulders too far towards the circles centre compared to rest of body, neck & head bending outwards. Same for straight lines, instead of entire length being on the same straight track, if you looked from above, part would be too far in or out. Easy way to try it yourself is to ride in an active walk/trot. Leave right rein very loose, & don't use legs or position, use just the left rein to try & turn left, so horses head & neck facing left. Horses body will end up going right, shoulder first. Of course it can be more subtle than I've outlined above. A very obvious case you can see two lines of hoof prints, where the horses hinds & fores aren't following the same line at all. Whereas with a well schooled horse, it might be just a very tiny degree of falling that's hard to spot. Hope that makes sense & someone can find a diagram/vid for you.

 

[FfionWinnie]

When riding it feels like going round a roundabout on a motorbike (falling in) to various degrees. And like their back end is kind of angling the wrong way falling out. That's how I'd describe it anyway. You want to be going round the round about like a very straight and correct old lady with the push bike pointing vertically

 

[Coblover63]

Thank you! Is it something you can see from a rider's perspective? Or is it a feeling?

 

[Littlelegs]

Both really. A very subtle amount might be easier to feel than see, more obvious cases you can see too.