Sarah1
Well-Known Member
...right peeps, could I please have some 'simple' explainations of how to correctly ride shoulder in in walk, trot & canter? 1,2,3...go!
Ta very much!
Ta very much!
Shoulder in for dummies...
- Thread starter Sarah1
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Bossanova
Well-Known Member
The aiding is exactly the same whether you be in walk, trot or canter.
It's easiest to position the horse on a small circle in the corner then proceed down the long side turning the shoulders as if you were about to turn a small circle. The aids are inside leg on the girth, outside leg slightly back, outside rein in contact and inside rein allowing. The vital aid is you turning your shoulders to the inside and pushing more weight down onto your inside seat bone.
Canter is the most difficult. Train the trot in sitting initially but it's perfectly possible to do it in rising when the horse understands the aiding
It's easiest to position the horse on a small circle in the corner then proceed down the long side turning the shoulders as if you were about to turn a small circle. The aids are inside leg on the girth, outside leg slightly back, outside rein in contact and inside rein allowing. The vital aid is you turning your shoulders to the inside and pushing more weight down onto your inside seat bone.
Canter is the most difficult. Train the trot in sitting initially but it's perfectly possible to do it in rising when the horse understands the aiding
Rana
Well-Known Member
Agree with what Boss said re. aids, but this visualisation technique might help.
Imagine you are riding a change of rein from K to M (or F to H etc). Allow the front feet to begin to turn in that direction, then push the horse straight down the long side. This should give you the correct amount of bend and the positioning to ride a correct shoulder in.
Good luck
Imagine you are riding a change of rein from K to M (or F to H etc). Allow the front feet to begin to turn in that direction, then push the horse straight down the long side. This should give you the correct amount of bend and the positioning to ride a correct shoulder in.
Good luck
Brummyrat
Well-Known Member
As above, but aim for a few steps when you're first learning because you can get "stuck" and be careful you don't restrict the forward movement, like with any sideways stuff. As Bossanova said, position your hips, eyeline and shoulders facing the opposite diagonal marker when you start the movement, I find that stops me crunching up and looking down.
Actually you both said that, I'll get me coat
Actually you both said that, I'll get me coat
Sarah1
Well-Known Member
Thanks guys, that's a big help. I thought I had the basic aids right but I do struggle when faster than walk!
One question tho what if I start losing the outside shoulder? He has a tendency to really lean on your outside leg the push his shoulder right out.
I have to do these things out hacking to stop him hollowing & getting tense & then dropping onto his forehand, forging & basically having no control over his legs!
Our YM/instructor says I need to have control of his shoulders before even leaving the yard and to always be bending him round one leg or the other, only allowing him to go straight when he's soft & using himself correctly.
I've been trying to 'lift' him into a contact in walk over the last few hacks which works a treat but I struggle more in trot & canter due to there being more movement.
These things on a circle in a schooling situation are so much easier then in straight lines out hacking!
He also mentioned quarters in so if you could explain that simply too it would be a huge help!
One question tho what if I start losing the outside shoulder? He has a tendency to really lean on your outside leg the push his shoulder right out.
I have to do these things out hacking to stop him hollowing & getting tense & then dropping onto his forehand, forging & basically having no control over his legs!
Our YM/instructor says I need to have control of his shoulders before even leaving the yard and to always be bending him round one leg or the other, only allowing him to go straight when he's soft & using himself correctly.
I've been trying to 'lift' him into a contact in walk over the last few hacks which works a treat but I struggle more in trot & canter due to there being more movement.
These things on a circle in a schooling situation are so much easier then in straight lines out hacking!
He also mentioned quarters in so if you could explain that simply too it would be a huge help!
Rana
Well-Known Member
I'm probably wrong
but this is what I do if I lose the outside shoulder:
Try to recover it by using more outside leg and outside rein - to try to straighten it a little bit.
If you can't recover it, ride out of the shoulder in, ie ride straight, then try again.
Out hacking, you can use the kerb/verge as the fence/track of the school, and you can leg yield from one side of the road to the other (obviously if there's no traffic!!). Both would help with softening. Or, do you have a large field you can work in?
Quarters in is only slightly more complicated than shoulder in. Again, ride a small circle (or really ride your corner) to prepare and create your bend. Effectively, you want to maintain this bend down the long side (easiest to teach horse and/or rider on the long side to start with). Use your outside leg behind the girth to "push" the quarters sideways. Inside leg on the girth to create and maintain the bend. Outside hand controls the amount of bend, inside hand indicates the direction. The horses head should be bent in the direction you're travelling - eg, if you're on the right rein, you should have right bend.
I get confused about which seatbone to put more weight on! I think you should have more weight on your outside seatbone so that your inside hip is more open to allow the horse to come across underneath you. Someone may correct me on that though!
Try to recover it by using more outside leg and outside rein - to try to straighten it a little bit.
If you can't recover it, ride out of the shoulder in, ie ride straight, then try again.
Out hacking, you can use the kerb/verge as the fence/track of the school, and you can leg yield from one side of the road to the other (obviously if there's no traffic!!). Both would help with softening. Or, do you have a large field you can work in?
Quarters in is only slightly more complicated than shoulder in. Again, ride a small circle (or really ride your corner) to prepare and create your bend. Effectively, you want to maintain this bend down the long side (easiest to teach horse and/or rider on the long side to start with). Use your outside leg behind the girth to "push" the quarters sideways. Inside leg on the girth to create and maintain the bend. Outside hand controls the amount of bend, inside hand indicates the direction. The horses head should be bent in the direction you're travelling - eg, if you're on the right rein, you should have right bend.
I get confused about which seatbone to put more weight on! I think you should have more weight on your outside seatbone so that your inside hip is more open to allow the horse to come across underneath you. Someone may correct me on that though!
Brummyrat
Well-Known Member
What Rana says is spot on, sometimes in movements like shoulder in we can get too bogged down with the inside leg thinking its the leg that does all the work whereas in shoulder-in the outside leg should be on just as much and the inside is just for the horse to wrap around. Oh its a bit too hard for my simple brain to describe!
K27
Well-Known Member
Just think of it as turning your outside hip in towards the centre of the school and turning your inside shoulder towards he opposite markers, if that makes sense. think of shoulder fore.
You only need a shallow angle of less than 45 degrees, riding a 10mtr circle before to set the horse up can help.
You only need a shallow angle of less than 45 degrees, riding a 10mtr circle before to set the horse up can help.
Sarah1
Well-Known Member
Thanks so much everyone, you have no idea how much you've helped!