It's About The Horse

jobialkowska · Member Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 51 Location: UK

I have massive issues with shoulder in, I just can't seem to get it right. My horse is quite stiff and heavy on the forehand, and I'm trying to work on it but going through a hard time at the moment. I think the main issue is my seat, I'm not totally sure where to put myself. Are there any places I should look to get some help? Not many people to ask around here

!!

Also, I was at a Gerd Heuschmann lecture a while back and he mentioned something about leg yield not being all that great - can't remember the specifics. Annoying, because I thought I was getting the hang of that but can anyone expand on the pros/cons of leg yield and why shoulder in is better?
Thanks
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Julie · Member Joined: 07 Feb 2009 Posts: 1297

Shoulder in is very much a suppling exerciseso should help a stiff horse. check your position - ensure a light seat and correct hip / shoulder / heel alignment to ensure your legs are in the correct place to be supportive.

Start by learning shoulder fore - this is asking your horse to look to the insde while remaining on a straight line - so try riding the rail asking your horse to remain on the rail whilst looking inwards - explaining this in easy terms -hope you don't mind. Check you can do this before trying shoulder in - do you need help with how to do thisbit
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cheerios · Member Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 1163 Location: TEXAS

Working on shoulder in or other suppling exercises on the ground first might help.

That way the horse already understands the movement and that it is something you want.
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PasoBaby_CarolU · Site Admin Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 9031

Two things that helped me a lot with shoulder in is to remember leg on and leg off, not steady leg. The other was to keep MY focus on the straight forward path and not look at what my horse was doing. Horses learn to follow our focus, and it isn't fair to them to have our focus anywhere but where we're going.

You might go on-line and search Cherry Hill. She has a great 'how to' site with descriptions of everything.
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Corazon de Oro Paso Finos

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retropony · Member Joined: 28 May 2010 Posts: 30 Location: Oregon

I think Jane Savoie offers an easy to understand explanation of shoulder in; the mechanics and how to train it. The mistake I often see riders make is riding it for too many strides in the beginning stages of training and trying to correct the horse's position within the movement. Riding a few quality strides and "playing" with the movement with your horse, and recognizing an effort on the horse's part rather than trying to get a textbook shoulder in position will make sense to the horse. You may already be aware of this, but there are other positions that are a progression of movement/angles before shoulder in; first position (basically riding a straight horse) and shoulderfore. Your horse should understand and be able to carry himself in this balance before asking for the bending and articulation of the joints required of a full fledged shoulder in. Baby steps! A ground person is very helpful because it can be a subtle change in the beginning that the rider needs to have confirmed by a ground person or a mirror unless they have experienced it on many horses. Good luck with your progress!

Clarissa · Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:31 pm Post subject:

jobialkowska I remember you asked us about a problem you had several months ago & I made some comment then about your & your horse's biodynamics.

If you could post the link to that thread so I can read it again it would jog my mind. I'm sure that problem & this problem are linked.

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jobialkowska · Member Joined: 04 Jun 2010 Posts: 51 Location: UK

Hey clarissa,
It may have been this one:
http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastforum.org/about4671.html&highlight=

By the way thanks everyone for your comments, definately a lot to read and try and as the days get longer and warmer seems like things should improve

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Jo & Olivia (2004 mlp/huc mare)

'Great spirits always encourage violent opposition from mediocre minds'

www.joandolivia.blogspot.com

carefreegirl · Member Joined: 01 Feb 2009 Posts: 822

I would recommend Philippe Karl's book Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage

one of the best ways I know of (and that I have done) to help teach a shoulder in is to do a small circle near the fence and then when the bend is correct on that circle for a shoulder-in you come out of the circle going down the fence for a few steps--keep the bend of the circle, change your focus and intent to going straight, and put your weight in the direction you now want to go, and most of the time the horse takes at least one good should-in step before it starts to fall apart, just reward and release before it falls apart, and then you can build from there. Do it at a walk first and when that is getting good then start doing it in the trot. Hope that made sense.