Falling out through right shoulder. Napping?

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goodtimes

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My horse is 5. I have took my time with him and spent most of the summer hacking and long reining. We have now upped our school work, going in there 3 or 4 times a week. In the school, we stick to walk and trot but canter in straight lines when out hacking.

On the left rein, when riding a circle ( more like a sqircle) at the same point in the school (opposite the gate) he falls out through the right shoulde. To the point where I sometimes end up with my leg in the hedge. I've done the usual, riding squares, half halt before the corner, outside rein and open inside hand ...maybe I'm doing that bit wrong!

As it usually in the same place, I'm guessing he is napping? I don't know.

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
 
It's the natural crookedness of the horse and will correct as training progresses .
They often have a Favorite place to lose the clarity of the lateral (bend )line in my school the horses consistently do it in the top right hand corner it's the highest most open corner .
Keep your out side rien close to the neck and resist the temptation to use the inside rien as it will make it worse other things to try are a little gentle counter flexing and or laying your schooling whip down the outside shoulder .
Also you could make a transition to walk and do a baby leg yield to the left ( flexion to the right horse moving left ) round the corner and then continue .
 
It sounds as if he is napping to the gate and finds it easy to drop out through the right shoulder, try asking him to bend right before you get to the point where he falls out, hold the right bend so he cannot fall out then straighten him once you are past that point, be careful that by opening the inside rein that you are not turning him too much to the inside and allowing him to fall out, once he realises he cannot get away from the contact and has to stay straight he should give up trying.
The other thing to try is to do transitions at the place before he falls out, a walk, trot, walk, trot, or ask for halt then trot on, this should help get him listening, mix up what you do so he cannot anticipate and forgets about the gateway.
 
Goldenstar said:
It's the natural crookedness of the horse and will correct as training progresses .
They often have a Favorite place to lose the clarity of the lateral (bend )line in my school the horses consistently do it in the top right hand corner it's the highest most open corner .
Keep your out side rien close to the neck and resist the temptation to use the inside rien as it will make it worse other things to try are a little gentle counter flexing and or laying your schooling whip down the outside shoulder .
Also you could make a transition to walk and do a baby leg yield to the left ( flexion to the right horse moving left ) round the corner and then continue .
Click to expand...

OP what you have described is 100% what my horse does except he only does it on the left rein, and Goldenstar has hit the nail on the head for me, I find myself steering round with my inside hand and I just can't stop, it's driving me and my RI mad! I honestly find this the most frustrating thing about owning a green young horse.
 
If mine do it I let then run into the wall rather than pull them round with the inside rein that makes them think about it .
 
But if you pull the head round to the inside in attempt to make it through the corner the horse will fall through the shoulder more and risks hitting the edge of the school then it can blame you .
If you leave the front alone and let them make the mistake they learn fast for them themselves what the issue is.
 
Goldenstar said:
If mine do it I let then run into the wall rather than pull them round with the inside rein that makes them think about it .
Click to expand...

I think I'd lose my leg, and with mine he falls through one corner of a 20m circle on the left rein but straightens just as he's parallel to the fence, so he's looking after himself. I've tried just holding the outside rein and supporting with my legs but he just runs out to the right, it's almost like when I drop the left rein he just assumes he then needs to turn right.
 
Goldenstar said:
But if you pull the head round to the inside in attempt to make it through the corner the horse will fall through the shoulder more and risks hitting the edge of the school then it can blame you .
If you leave the front alone and let them make the mistake they learn fast for them themselves what the issue is.
Click to expand...

It also increases the risk of you getting your leg run against the fence, the more you pull them away the more they fall out, I have seen a rider almost wiped off by pulling her pony away, the more she pulled the further he went with her leg against the fence, simply turning the head towards the outside will enable you to control the outside shoulder in this situation.
 
Goldenstar said:
But if you pull the head round to the inside in attempt to make it through the corner the horse will fall through the shoulder more and risks hitting the edge of the school then it can blame you .
If you leave the front alone and let them make the mistake they learn fast for them themselves what the issue is.
Click to expand...

I get you. Right, will give that a go. You are right, I end up pulling him to the inside to avoid getting crushed.
 
My trainer comes once a month, she is due in two weeks, I missed her last month due to Christmas. I would like to have some improvement before she comes.
 
Goldenstar said:
Elvis have you taught your horse the leg yield yet ?
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Yes, but it's a work in progress, he really isn't keen to move his hind legs across. He can actually get in quite a tantrum about it. Turn on the forehand is a real throw his toys out of the pram occasion. (Have had health checks done)
 
As soon as he starts try making a quick walk transition and flex to the outside and then trot on again next time you school.
I like to make them walk as it breaks the flow through the outside shoulder and makes them think about it .
 
Elvis said:
Yes, but it's a work in progress, he really isn't keen to move his hind legs across. He can actually get in quite a tantrum about it. Turn on the forehand is a real throw his toys out of the pram occasion. (Have had health checks done)
Click to expand...

This shows that when you get better understanding and obedience to the aids the straightness issue will become easy to influence until they understand and obey the aids it's difficult to influence them and correct them.
 
As someone else has said hold or tap the shoulder with your whip, or get him on the wrong bend for a few strides then ask for correct bend it works wonders for crookedness.
 
Thank you, I've tried the whip on shoulder, it helped slightly. And yes we're working on obedience to the aids, it's a slow process with him. I think he's going through a teenage phase at the moment, and my opinion is worth squat according to him! We'll get there. :)
 
I find what really helps with babies is to leg yield them away from the wall. This allows you to develop the aids to control the outside of the horse and to counteract a drift through the outside shoulder. Put the schooling whip in the outside hand and use your outside leg when you go down the long side.

You might only manage a metre to begin with but it's all part of a learning process. You should build up to being able to leg yield all the way from the track to the centre line.

When he first started schooling my horse used to do what yours does and I find getting control of the outside really helps.
 
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