It's About The Horse

BekB · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 12:49 pm Post subject: Falling in

My little cob is as green as grass and when it comes to schooling, so am I!

I have an issue with him falling in through the shoulder, especially on the right rein.
He knows TOF on both reins and does move away from leg pressure ( we have done some leg yielding).
On a circle I can get some bend, but it doesn't last and by the last 1/4 of the circle he will fall in.
Even if I use inside leg, it doesn't help. He's not an awkward horse, I would say he really tries for me. I don't think he's willfully ignoring my inside leg, it genuinely feels to me like he can't respond because of his balance/weight distibution.
I did some work on riding the outer track with some outside flexion. Walking the short side and the corners and trotting the long sides. After this exercise he did become more round (he starts a session with his neck like a straight rod coming up out of his withers) and when on the track he did become a little straighter. However, during transitions from a straight walk he will try to pop his shoulder inwards. So I asked more with my inside leg and kept inside rein on his neck, seemed to help.

I tried increasing and decreasing on circles and although decreasing is easy (because he's just falling in which is incorrect), increasing seems impossible - I can't get him to move away from my leg, it's like there's some kind of blockage. I gave up on that exercise for now because I couldn't see anyway of making it work (didn't want it to degenerate into booting and nagging).

Would I be correct in thinking that the apparent resistance is due to a lack of strength?
I so, what things can I do to build this strength and show him a new way of going?
As i said he does try but gets easily soured by nagging and will shut down.
Thanks in advance.

Clarissa · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 1:23 pm Post subject:

Hi Bec.

Bec I’ll do you up a short video on how I’ve been addressing this very thing with Sonny. Give me a day or 2 & meanwhile read my thread about what I’m doing with Sonny in
http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastfor...m_doing_with_Sonny_about2789.html

Strong loins, short back, upright shoulders, light forehand, stepping the inside hind leg well under the belly, nose tipped into the circle all contribute to a good frame where the horse is sufficiently well balanced to maintain a good circle. Also really analyzing your own body shape to be quite sure it’s not you helping the falling in by changing your focus or straightening your body alignment part way through the circle.

Make sure your horse can do a few good circles in a good frame on a short line first before you ask for it ridden. I’m currently working on this very thing.

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PasoBaby_CarolU · Site Admin Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 9014

I think I would try the same circles without me on his back and see if he bends OK without a rider or saddle. It may be a physical problem that you need the chiro to fix. There is no point in working against a stuck rib or vertebra. All you will do is frustrate him. A friend's horse couldn't pick up his right lead or sustain it if we got it. We put him on the 22' and he couldn't do it without a rider either.

If he doesn't have the same problem, then try with just the saddle, preferably weighted. If a saddle is tight and blocking a shoulder, the horse will have to short step to avoid the saddle. Just because he does it on one side and not the other is no reason to assume it's not the saddle. Horses are built unevenly the same way we are.

If he doesn't do it with the saddle on, then I'd look at myself. Where is my focus? Am I looking down and unintentionally directing the shoulder down. Try riding with your focus on the track you are turning, but look higher up over the fence.

I remember in Level 2 where we were supposed to focus on a barrel or cone in the center and ride a circle around it. I kept ending up in the middle! This focus was too sharp for my horses, my focus has to be on the actual track I want the horse on, like a railroad track.
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Corazon de Oro Paso Finos

"The path to your horse's heart lies through your own."

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thelmanelle · Member Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 3246

I do not have Summer anymore, but I was the one falling in a certain direction of the canter. it took another pair of eyes to tell me and help me try to correct my position. Videos are great information. good luck!
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Blue Flame · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 10:29 pm Post subject:

To check for hind leg weakness there are a couple of things you can do.

Have someone on the ground watch the horse as he is ridden away at the canter on both leads. See if the horse has a tendency to push the hindquarters more out to one side than the other for each lead.

Posting trot on both diagonals to see if the horse tries to keep you posting on a certain diagonal or dislikes one diagonal more than the other.