Falling out through the shoulder

[Jo_x]

I dont post on here too often so am hoping this is in the right place.

I'm riding a horse for someone at the moment and we are having problems with her falling out through the shoulder, mostly on the left rein. All the advice I have found online suggests a slight outside bend and lots of outside leg to correct this, but we also have issues with her napping and the best way I have found to counter this is lots of inside bend (I ride in a field and she naps towards the stables so its worse on the left rein as she is being ridden directly towards home). The slightly exaggerated inside bend isn't helping me to stop her falling out through the shoulder, but keeping her straight without her napping is difficult and I cant help but think an outside bend would make the napping worse. Any suggestions? Part of me thinks it is better to concentrate on keeping her working forwards and not napping, but equally I think if I can stop her falling out, I would be much more in control when she tries to nap, so a bit of a catch-22!

 

[*hic*]

Is she always doing it or is it a sort of defiant "See, if you use lots of inside bend I shall fall out and you can't stop me ner ner ner" sort of thing. If the former then you need someone more experienced than me to answer, however if the latter, like my very naughty bossy mare who knows perfectly well what she should be doing but can't resist the opportunity to show me up, then the solution I found was to remove my foot from my stirrup and as she fell out in the same place AGAIN on the circle swing my foot forward and tap her on the offending shoulder. I have to say she was furious but all of a sudden I had a wonderfully rideable horse again.

Hmm if I'd read your OP correctly I'd know she does it under certain circumstances. Have a quick go at kicking her in the shoulder and see if it bucks her ideas up

 

[doratheexplorer]

The easiest way to ride this I find is to think inside leg to outside rein. Really heep the contact in your outside rein and use your inside leg to stop her from resisting this contact... It took my boy a little while to willingly accept that I wasnt taking much/any contact inside and he had to hold himself in balance, but now he has cracked it and we can do CLs onehanded

 

[annieapplecake]

This is quite a common problem. Your horse is probably stiffer on the left rein. To get him more limber - try some carrot stretches in his stable whenever he is getting a treat and also, try to not stiffen on the left rein the horse will pick up and transmit it to himself be really loose and really feel on that inside rein believe it or not but still keep a hold on the outside as well as giving a good push with the outside leg. Try pushing your inside rein over his neck towards your outside rein - this helps. Work equal amounts of time on each rein, for example, if you are going to do 5 laps on the right rein, make sure you do 5 on the left. Stiffness on the left side is a common stiff side on horses because we do a lot more things on the right side so they get used to using that side better e.g putting your girth on, mounting, etc.

Oh and maybe swap your whip onto the side she naps on and use a long dressage or schooling whip and tap her as you ride past the stable side and don't give in when she does it - don't leave the arena until she has succesfully passed the gate without napping, if you let her nap, turn her around, then leave she has won and will do it more.

Hope this helps you!

 

[ecrozier]

As annieapplecake suggests I had this prov when my boy was younger and a smart tap on the shoulder a few times sorted it out! It broke the 'cycle' and allowed me to work on the inside leg to outside hand without him using the opportunity to disappear through his shoulder!

 

[OliviaSJ]

also agree with annieapplecake about the whip thing , carry a schooling whip and when you feel she is about to nap or show resistance give her a quick reminding tap which will take her mind of napping . Also shoulder in is a good way to get control of her shoulders and get her into your outside rein without using an outside bend.

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

less rein, more outside leg. keep the horse going forward. ride lots of squares. napping and inside rein will result in falling out through the shoulder, as the horse will skid into the direction it wants to go. so go back to basics get the horse going forward first. then work on straightness and acceptance, ride squares, once working through from behind then think about bend. you are asking for bend before going forwards in a relaxed fashion. 99% solution to all problems is more leg, and get horse working straight and off the leg.

 

[B-B]

An exercise that will help but not easy to ride on the shoulder that doesnt fall out is...

Ride straight up the long side but with the inside rein (you can drop the outside if you fell okay to do so) turning the head and neck to the inside - not shoulder in but totally turned and the body straight so that you exaggerating the problem and pushing your horse through the outside shoulder, especially through the bend.

Start on the problem rein as this will be easier for both of you.

On the short side ride with both reins more even and then turn and push out through the shoulder again down the long side.

You will also need a lot of inside leg for this.

Do the same on the opposite rein, which will be harder for both of you, coming back to both reins on the short side.

This will feel and look wrong to start with.

After a few laps on both reins, take up both reins as normal and ride with equal contact.

If your horse starts to fall out again, repeat the exercise.

This can be quite hard to do on some horses but once you have the nack and are not afraid of it looking/feeling wrong it will straighten them quite quickly.

 

[Perfect_Pirouette]

Ditto Ofcourseyoucan!

Hope you get it sorted! Persevere!

 

[HevenzAngel]

I agree with about everything everyone had said i used to have a TB who was terrible for this and i just had to keep on at him. I felt he responded more to vocal commands rather than kicking so worked allot on the lung e with him and grunted or shouted at him when he napped with a strong "Get on" he soon got the idea.

As for the shoulder thing my mare does the exact same thing she knows exactly what i am asking she just chose not to do it If i bring her around for a circle in canter she tries to run out the shoulder so along with the outside leg and inside hand i apply pressure with a small whip to the shoulder she is trying to run through. Not a smack on the shoulder! just a pressure and she stops it.

Good Luck