Shoulder Control: How to Correct a Horse that Drops the Shoulder in or Bulges out

[@kelly33300]

I just had to comment that I tried the exercises at a walk and trot this morning with my green mule...and although it wasn't perfect yet, doing the square instead of circling him was SO much better, less frustrating for both of us! I also tried the pentagon, even though I think it's meant to do in canter, I did it in a trot. I sort of ended up with a different shape, but the theory was the same, I would trot a few strides straight then turn, few more strides, turn etc. Everything was so much smoother for us than the past few months trying to make even circles of varying sizes and patterns without a bulge! My big mule has big movement, but smooth, just steering has been so hard for me to work him through. With mules it really is about getting creative and changing things until you find what works...this is a success and I'm confident I will be able to train him more effectively now, thank you again and wanted to give you an actual update after application!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Hi Kelly, That is so cool that you are riding dressage with your mule! What great improvement you have made with him. It makes me so happy to know that you are finding the content helpful! I love hearing your success! So kind of you to take the time to give an update. If you have the time, would it be possible for you to put something similar in a Google review? g.page/r/CYIGmCINXFOQEAo/ It really helps give me more credibility and makes my content easier to find for other dressage students!

[@michelekanefsky7511]

Really great examples! I could clearly understand what the horse was doing and how you corrected it! Thank you as always!!

[@tanon2703]

Wonderful to see someone giving advice while riding a PRE. So often it is only warmbloods, which move differently and what works for them frequently needs a bit of modification for a shorter backed more upright type of horse. Your timing with this video is perfect as I was riding my squares with quarter turns last night to encourage my fellow to get his big shoulders around. Now that our velocity has dropped from warp 9 to something more sane (thanks to your circle to reduce speed video) I am definitely going to use the pentagon form for training the canter to correct his desire to fall in substantially on the right rein. Really, really appreciate the effort you put into your videos. I should have a t-shirt for riding that says, "Thank you Amelia Newcombe". 👍🐴

[@danielthomas3333]

A horse is a horse is a horse. This kind of crookedness is common to all breeds. When you try to differentiate breeds you are causing yourself unnecessary confusion.

[@tanon2703]

Have you ever ridden a PRE? If not then you are not speaking from experience.

[@francischoo1812]

Wow! This video is exactly what I need to hear. My 6yo horse keeps fall out or in in a circle and I am trying hard to correct this problem. Thanks for the tips I will try it and see the effect. Thanks so much.

[@lorijamison7297]

My horse falls to the right or going to the right in the open end he tries to change the bend to the left. He isnt supple to th right 😟

[@gayleudall7971]

Very good examples to show where the shoulder is going when the horse is falling in. Good reminder to pay attention to one's outside knee! Thanks again! You are a very good communicator and teacher!

[@foundationdressage]

This is a FABULOUS video Amelia..very helpful for young, need a fix and new to dressage folks.

[@mavishamilton]

This is very helpful demonstration & description of how to build symmetry. Thank you

[@AshleyReese-n3r]

This video was extremely helpful. My gelding tends to lean to the inside. It is quite helpful to see the correction. Great tips and can't wait to try them this week.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad it was helpful! Let me know how it works out for you!

[@carolinecrosby1649]

This video is just great. We have been struggling a bit with our turning on a complete circle and I think that taking it back a notch and riding the square /pentagon exercises will absolutely do the trick. Thanks Amelia! Lovely horse.

[@rc8596]

As always , we appreciate your insights and clarity .

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

I appreciate that

[@lynnestruck]

Love this video! I’ve use the Pentagon and the turn on the hind quarters often to lighten the shoulders. Thank you for explaining it so succinctly!

[@sharonperkins448]

This is a really clear explanation of what happens and what to do .. thank you Amelia!

[@josey5425]

Thank you so much Amelia for sharing this. I have a big, green TB who has been dropping his shoulder's & making a big thing of going past the gate. I am a little rusty as it has been far too many years since I have taken on such a very green horse, but my boy is wonderful, very intelligent & very special. I had been trying to correct his shoulder drifts by trying to ride a deeper, longer outside leg (not forgetting to use the ask/hold then give/release of the outside rein) however this would sometimes work but not always & I would feel that I was sitting a little too deep in my outside hip at times. I watched your tutorial before riding today & everything you said + rode made complete sense. My knee has been coming off on the outside & even when this has happened slightly it has been enough for my green horse to get confused. So, I took on board all that you shared & the exercises that you rode.... and oh wow, fantastic, what a difference today's ride was! Thank you so much for helping me turn a big corner with my big fella (🙂literally!) We even got 3 excellent steps of the "Walk Pirouette" a couple of times today thanks to your instruction. Again, thank you so very much!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Yay! I love this - thank you so much for sharing. Great work with you and your boy!

[@jannetbutzinger5865]

Perfect lesson for my young PRE that falls in on the left shoulder. She has even developed a larger left shoulder muscle. Now that I’ve figured out the problem I hope to be able to correct her. Thanks!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Awesome! Check out my 30 Days to Round challenge: amelianewcombdressage.com/30-days-to-round/?KZbin&+DTR+2024

[@uneetoilequifile8038]

Since I found your videos I don't have enough time to watch them along they are so interesting and useful for me...thanks a lot for all your work and sharing! Best regards from France (Provence) .

[@danw6014]

We were talking about this the other day so I find it interesting that you have a video on it. One of the things my mentor used to say about this was that it was really the hindquarters that needed help. It's one of those pieces that I haven't had many opportunities to dig into because my horses never seem to need it. I was wondering if walking or trotting the square is what you're thinking about because the horse has to disengage his hindquarters for the corner, reaching under with his inside hind foot. There are some elements that for some reason seem to work out well for me and I don't know why. I am not what I would consider a good rider, but I watch others who seem to be very graceful and smooth yet don't seem to get along with their horses. Someone said the other day that it feel they are missing. This journey gets very deep. Thank you for the great video. It is a highlight of my week to see you ride.

[@KatharinaHarer]

It's so easy to point out others' flaws. It's much harder to work on our own.

[@kelly33300]

I've not really had to work through a shoulder bulge issue until I got my new mount about 8 months ago, as this big guy is green broke and most of the equines I've ridden in my lifetime have been already trained. This video is so concise and informative for my issue! I know it is me as well as him of course, so I am excited to try this all out tomorrow, as I've been trying different things out on my own here and there and making minimal progress. I feel kind of silly for not thinking of trying squares instead of circles! I was actually doing MORE circles with him thinking that would help, but I think it's just making us both dizzy and nuts...I've been doing spiral ins/outs, 8s, small circles etc. Wish I had looked for help with this sooner! He is also a draft mule of which he is my 1st non-horse to ride ever, and his shoulder bulges are so strong I have been much more frustrated both physically and mentally as this has been a hurdle I haven't been able to move past with him yet. Other mule people have actually told me that shoulder bulges seem to be a common issue specifically with mules, but until my big boy started making a habit of this a few months ago, I just brushed it off. Well, I did get a green broke mule to challenge myself, so here I am haha...such a great video with clear and simple direction and tips to use for a variety of riders and mounts!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for sharing! Riding really is a journey :)

[@georginalester4303]

yes my horse bulges out on the right rein and falls in on the left. this video really helped me!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Does your horse tend to lean (or bulge) more to the right or to the left? It will be interesting to see which is more common! Thanks for commenting!!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Right 🐎🐎

[@FlagPony]

Super helpful, mine mainly falls out. Can’t wait to try this today, specifically the square and Pentagon. Love that gorgeous gray!

[@FlagPony]

Falls out to the right

[@zenaskim-banther9676]

Thank you so much for this video! This has been THE thing (to the right) my ottb and I have been struggling with!

[@falizianme5846]

Right!

[@judithbeint1244]

This was really clear. My horse wants to bulge out and not turn on the left rein. Cant wait to try these exercises.

[@seesoleilwatchme7536]

one of my favorite videos of yours

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

aww thank you!

[@celineuironain7567]

I've struggled with this since the year dot and now I know why. That's an absolutely fabulous explanation; so clear and precise. I especially loved the exercises at the end on the square, etc. I can't wait to get up to the yard to try this! Thank you!!!!!!

[@BetsyChase]

Super helpful and timely. My horse bulges in to the right and nothing I’ve been doing has helped correct it. As a result I now see that my position needs to be reset and we need to work on riding squares. My right leg thanks you!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

That makes me so happy to hear!

[@sarahhicks8506]

Very helpful video. I ride an older qh mare who is crooked to the left. Until I knew better I'd always be doing all sorts of crazy things with my hands wondering why it didn't work. That's a hard habit to break too. Using too much hand. Thanks for making this video. I'm going to use squares and pentograms today!! And leg not hand. 🤠

[@annehorahan5428]

I’ve only started riding a year and a half ago and have been thinking that I’ve been doing something wrong to make my horse’s shoulder fall out. Now it makes sense that he’s been drifting to the doors of the arena especially when he’s thinking he’s had enough exercise for the day. Thank you so very much for this video explaining that this is normal for some horses and showing us how to correct this.

[@everton1941]

This was a great lesson!! As someone who has been riding for five years this is a problem that I've honestly only just begun to come to grips with. Love how you stressed the position of the outside knee and the consistency of hand position as critical. Your videos have been consistently helpful to me during the past year. Thanks.

[@eliara-thevoice8430]

This is terrific. My mare is bulging in and out at various times. Working on this very issue. Thanks so much.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

You're welcome! And thanks for watching!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Also, if you’d like me to send more dressage tips into your email inbox every Wednesday, you can sign up to my mailing list www.ameliasdressageacademy.com/subscribe/ (If you’re already familiar with all this and have received this before, apology for the unnecessary message, I’m being super thorough today!) I’m also on FB and IG facebook.com/amelianewcombdressage & instagram.com/amelianewcombdressage/ Also, and this is super helpful too, join Amelia’s Dressage Club on Facebook, it’s a really active and engaged community of riders and no question goes unanswered! facebook.com/groups/ameliasdressageclub/ And finally, there’s my website (for when all the social media goes down again 🤣) www.amelianewcombdressage.com/ Ok that’s the lot I promise. Have an awesome day! 🐴

[@brendawatts5573]

Of all the trainers videos I have watched & that is many, I absolutely love yours. You demonstrate exactly what is happening on the horse & why & what needs to happen to correct, you explain so very well. I am hooked on Amelia Newcomb Dressage, can't get enough now. I cannot wait to bring my horse back into work & start practising the tools, tips & demonstrations you have kindly shared.

[@michaelschulze6545]

I've seen videos dealing with this problem before. But every trainer sees things from a different angle. That's why your demonstration is so informative. Though I'm a western rider I like ypur personal riding style and I try to emulate your riding position (not pulling the legs up, not sitting on the cantle and so on) The English and wester riding styles are not as different as people claim.

[@deniseclark1211]

Very helpful esp. Riding the square. Thanks so much for such good training instruction.

[@horsemom6421]

I'm coming back to this a year later & something else is helping me from the video.. The knees!!!! Thank u again 💓

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Yes!! Less are helpful for turning!!

[@horsemom6421]

@@AmeliaNewcombDressage how did I manage before lol. Knees are so helpful!!

[@thecopperpoppy]

Just had this lesson today on my youngster. His bulging shoulder makes LL canter difficult! The square will be so helpful.

[@rubyrayn]

Well, I know this is an old video, but just wanted to say thank you so much for all the great explanations here. I knew the issue was mine and not my horse's. Turns out, I was correct and this video gave me the tool I needed to get my horse back into alignment on corners/circles. Thank you, again! I know my horse would thank you as well.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

You're very welcome!

[@valerieburroughs306]

Amanda’s tutorials are a great learning tool for me. I have this problem with my horse and me. Can’t wait to work on it.

[@lulee7375]

brilliant reminders of my old training days , thank you 😊 🙏

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ssnowball116]

What a wonderful idea to do a square instead of a circle to help with the release. I can't wait to try it! Thank you for another wonderful video!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Yes! It really does help!

[@lindacox119]

Fantastic video, thank you! Buddy falls in on the right and bulges out to the left. Having watched you I now realise I've really been opening the gate for this to happen and now I have exercises to ride it to fix it.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Thanks much Linda! By the way, you probably know this but I'm giving a free webinar on the Dressage Training Scale, you will find it really helpful with your journey! You can sign up at the link below! I would love to see you there! But if you can't make it, sign up anyway as we can send you the recording! www.ameliasdressageacademy.com/trainingscalewebinar

[@mascik1]

Thank you for the clear description! I can't wait to try it on my horse.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

You are so welcome! Let me know how it goes!

[@kimking7108]

Absolutely Brilliant! Great Examples

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Thanks Kim! So glad you like them! Have you taken the rider position assessment!? Here's the link if you'd like to! www.ameliasdressageacademy.com/dressage-rider-quiz/ Also, head over to Facebook and join the Dressage Club, there's a lovely engaged and supportive community of riders with a wealth of knowledge! No query goes unanswered! facebook.com/groups/ameliasdressageclub/ Thanks for watching and happy riding!

[@MikaKotikoski]

Just got a new horse to ride and as otherwise very good, during trotting in a circle she was very clearly "falling in". This video definately provided some "food for thought". Thank you ☀️

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

You're welcome Mika and thanks for watching! Also, I'm giving a free webinar on the Dressage Training Scale on Sunday 12th Sept at 12pm Pacific Time. You can sign up at the link below! I would love to see you there! www.ameliasdressageacademy.com/trainingscalewebinar

[@suetye9850]

Excellent and it works Great teaching and really explained well

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad you liked it

[@CarolD54]

Thank you for another extremely helpful video! From now on you are my go-to!!!!!!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Yay! Thank you!

[@rebeccasequineexerciseserv3230]

Best explanation video! Clearly explained the issue and how to work to improve. Thank you so much!

[@fitzpat3]

This is such a helpful video!!! I have a green mare who bulges and is crooked and my trainer talked about square turns but I didn’t really get it until I watched this video. I really like the pentagon example too. We just started cantering and it makes so much more sense to have her do straights so we can come together. Turns are hard for her right now bc her shoulders are developing so this will help immensely! Thank you Amelia!

[@lvpisias]

My daily struggle! We definitely fall in to the right. The square/pentagon makes so much sense, brilliant!!! Thanks for the tips.

[@danielthomas3333]

lvpisias You are describing a typical crooked horse. This is the usual case. Refer to my post on how to straighten the horse.

[@TheClayone]

Thank you!!! I needed this for my young mare!

[@laurenaston7940]

I love these videos. I stumbled upon one while looking for videos for a friend who has been struggling with picking up the correct canter lead. Since then, I've watched several of your videos and really find them enjoyable and helpful, especially as I'm about to send one of my horses to a trainer to start, then I'll be continuing her education at home. I came to this video because I was trying to explain to that same friend how to keep her horse from falling through his shoulder, but it's all helpful and I look forward to watching many more videos. Even if it's not something I'm currently struggling with, I can store the info away and refer back if I need to. I have to comment on THIS video, because that horse is just gorgeous. (I'm a sucker for a baroque horse). Anyway, just wanted to relay that I love your videos and say thanks for sharing your knowledge in such well-produced content.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Yay!! Glad to hear this!!

[@tinamcdonald7335]

Thank you so much for breaking this down, I love to listen to your voice and words of encouragement

[@chelseamoneill7717]

Love that pentagon exercise at the canter ❤️🙏🏻

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Thanks Chelsea! Yeah it's awesome! And thanks for watching!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Also, if you want to really get clarity, understanding, and progress on your dressage journey, sign up to my FREE webinar on the Dressage Training Scale on March 13th. www.ameliasdressageacademy.com/trainingscalewebinar I’m also on FB and IG (you might already know all this but I'm being super thorough today!) facebook.com/amelianewcombdressage & instagram.com/amelianewcombdressage/ Also, and this is super helpful too, join Amelia’s Dressage Club on Facebook, it’s a really active and engaged community of riders and no question goes unanswered! facebook.com/groups/ameliasdressageclub/ And finally, there’s my website! www.amelianewcombdressage.com/ And you can also sign up here for weekly dressage tips sent to your inbox www.ameliasdressageacademy.com/subscribe/ Ok that’s the lot I promise. Have an awesome day! 🐴

[@fortheloveofhorses961]

Thank you so much!! Your videos really help me to become a better rider and make my horse happier when I ride. I cant wait to try this out! ( By the way you are amazing at riding! )

[@evecory8946]

This looks so useful to try with my mare. She falls in left almost constantly and my left leg gets very tired trying to keep her out. On the right rein she is much better but not very straight at all. Thank you Amelia I will certainly try these exercises!

[@muddybootssandytoes]

I have the same with my blind mare. She falls out through the right shoulder on the left rein. It’s generally back towards the stables, so this makes complete sense. She must know where we are in the school and recognise the sounds of the stables and ‘would rather’ go back there. Will give these exercises a try. Thanks

[@silky2204]

Thank you for the video. I was having back problems. My pelvis was out of alignment. I see how I created the shoulder falling in. Now I see what I need to do.

[@jasmijnmenheere1318]

really happy i found this! the mare i ride falls quiet a bit in on the left lead and seems to want to ignore my left leg. going to give this a try tomorrow!

[@nuriamirulldemolins4117]

Hello Amelia, I am Núria from Barcelona Spain I want to thank you - this video was very helpful to me. My horse usually falls in when we ride right on one side of the circle and I didn't understand why he did it just in one side. With your video I understand it. He rides more correctly straight in the side of the cercle near the gate because the gate neutralizes his tendency the fall in. But on the other side of the cercle, he always falls in because he has both, the gate and his tendency. Due to your video, I was able to understand what's going on. So, I practiced what you say to turn 90 degrees and it works great. Thank you so much. Núria

[@alisonanthony7306]

Thank you Amelia!! The square and pentogram are excellent ideas for me. My horse bulges out going to the right trot and right lead canter. Can't wait to try this.

[@octaviasofia1984]

Great video! I’ve literally not found anything to showcase literally my problem! My friesian cross gelding is like riding a gummy worm, and all he does is bulge in or out like an expert. This video is wonderful and I can’t wait to try this on him :) thank you!!!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad it helped!!

[@AnotherBrownHorse]

Very clear explanations, also really like incorporating the idea of squares and pentagons to help with circles. Release is what horses look for and I clearly see how that method would help them. Thank you.

[@darkprinzeschen]

This is the video that I needed cause I struggle a lot with my horse, I will put this into practice in our next flatwork. Thanks for making these videos Amelia.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

You're so welcome! Glad to hear the videos are helpful!

[@emilyvarnon6447]

Thanks for explaining by demonstrating. I have a bad back and hips so my position makes the bulging worse and I seem to want to indirect rein over the neck, which my trainer always yells at me for. Now I can see it.

[@rebeccabenedict2085]

Loved this vdeo and he exercises are clear and look effective. Can't wait to try them!

[@tanyaenglish2631]

This is great, thank you. The pentagon exercise looks like a real solution to our bulging shoulder problem in canter :)

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dawnjennings3709]

Beautifully explained - thank you!!

[@christophersantana5895]

Your training techniques are straight forward.

[@pamelacrews6053]

Thank you for reinforcing what my trainer says to do

[@sandraholm633]

Good tip. My horse has gotten better through the use of sidepass and learning shoulder in/out but we need more ideas, so thank you!

[@danihworld]

This video was so helpful. My 5 year old has this problem to the right and i cant figure out how to fix it. It makes perfect sense breaking it down by riding a square or pentagon. Thanks for the help!!!

[@marjanpijlman]

This is so usefull I have a young horse 4 years. Thanks a lot

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@LauraCoffey12390]

Thank you for a wonderful lesson. My horse is crooked, my trainer and I have been working on this issue for some time now ( The problem is in large part mine). It was enlightening to hear the way that you teach the same concept. I love the square circle solution!

[@barbelliott8289]

Lol... YES! I NEED to watch my CHICKEN arms ❣❣ You have no idea how breaking down these 'issues' helps those of that have to struggle alone at home.. THANK you so very much❣❣ And the SQUARE exercise at different gaits REALLY helps clarify the signals/aids to the horse...yay!

[@Miss-Laine]

This is exactly what I needed my young mare constantly does it. She’s five, constantly bulges out and tries to speed up at the same time. Worth your advice would be for a Horse who’s falling out and always speeds up at the same time in the same spot. She is not listening (or I don’t know what I’m doing)my aids to halt

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

So glad this was helpful!

[@JacquelineN777]

Thank you so much for making these videos they are incredibly helpful!!

[@horsemadz1577]

My horse wont pick up the correct lead on the right rein, he sticks his shoulder out!! Really found this video helpful

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

So glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Also, if you’d like me to send more dressage tips into your email inbox every Wednesday, you can sign up to my mailing list www.ameliasdressageacademy.com/subscribe/ (If you’re already familiar with all this and have received this before, apology for the unnecessary message, I’m being super thorough today!) I’m also on FB and IG facebook.com/amelianewcombdressage & instagram.com/amelianewcombdressage/ Also, and this is super helpful too, join Amelia’s Dressage Club on Facebook, it’s a really active and engaged community of riders and no question goes unanswered! facebook.com/groups/ameliasdressageclub/ And finally, there’s my website (for when all the social media goes down again 🤣) www.amelianewcombdressage.com/ Ok that’s the lot I promise. Have an awesome day! 🐴

[@coraliesentch4515]

Awesome tips again, thanks Amelia 😊👍🏻👌🏻can I just say that horse you are riding is just beautiful !! 😍😍😍

[@judithlehmann4460]

Love all your videos Amelia! So super helpful.

[@barbaramcmullen1963]

This video really helped me. I will definitely use the exercises!

[@worteltjeZ]

my biggest problem the last weeks. but i lookt your older videos. and take this exercise earlyer en my problem is now less 70 % better. so thanks for the video. you are great.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad it helped!

[@lindav3747]

I hadn't thought a lot about the influence of my knees. Your teaching is so detailed yet clear. I am going to try riding the square at a walk and then a trot. This is really good and I am hopeful to correct when we bulge out or drop in.!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Wonderful!

[@reneehausmann1441]

You’re so helpful and calming 😊👍

[@jodiespiteri-james5665]

Love your lessons and information Amelia. Practical and solution focused. You are a star. Thanks for all you do. This one particularly helpful for where we are at right now. Perfect timing. 🙏🏻

[@sherylknight15]

Thank you so much for all that you do to help us out here in no where land. You are the best!

[@Donna-vh5ym]

GORGEOUS horse and wonderful tips. Exactly what I needed. Thxs

[@charlesing9520]

Just " the square de la guérinière" a very good exercice !!

[@dianaken1022]

Amazingly helpful for me as I have a difficult time going in one direction! This is very practical and easy to remember. Thank you so much!

[@aachart]

Exactly what I needed today- lovely approach and teaching! This is what I'll focus on today with my 5yo, as he is quite crooked. Thanks- it will be a geometric shape type of day.

[@katherinestrait5900]

I have a 4 year old that bulges and falls in. I can’t wait to try these exercises!

[@bronwynwood1544]

really well explained, thank you!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@LeslieKazadi]

This is my life- I say turn; he says I don’t wanna turn… my trainer tells me to ride thinking squares which works better and now I understand why🎉❤

[@moweaquas]

This has suddenly and unexpectedly become a problem with my horse - bulging to the right. And then I started pulling to the left and the bulge just got bigger. Next step is to ride that square!! Thanks for this video.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad it helped!

[@horsemom6421]

Thank you! dealing with this problem currently & very fustrated

[@lauremckinney7111]

Also, refer to Wendy Murdochs video on rib rotation. Sometimes a rib rotation one way or another can feel like a a dropped shoulder. She demonstrates this with a little horse skeleton and rider skeleton . My horse rotates his rib cage slightly right which causes my body to shear left, head tilt right. Tricky!

[@danielthomas3333]

The horse will rotate his thoracic torso when assuming a bend. How exactly he does this is a result of his straightness/crookedness.

[@lauremckinney7111]

Daniel Thomas Can you tell me more about this?

[@danielthomas3333]

Laure McKinney A horse’s spine has different ability to bend depending on different parts of his body. For example the neck is flexible but the section through his rib cage can only bend a little bit. The theoretical bend is very small. He compensates by twisting his spine. This causes his rib cage to rotate. The rider feels this as one side of his ribcage dropping and the other side rising. It’s a little bit complicated. If his back is saggy he will tend to rotate counter clockwise on a left turn and clockwise in a right turn. I. E. versi versa on the other side. When a horse has been straightened by inappropriate exercises he may be sagged when turning one way and hogged when turning the other way. In that case he will tend to sagg on the same side regardless of which way he is turning This is hard to describe in writing. The easiest way to understand it is perform an experiment. Cut out a strip of stiff paper about 1/4 inch wide and about 6 inches long and try bending it in it’s own plane. You will see that it will twist and the direction of the twist will depend on whether you allow it to Hogg or sagg. You will notice that it HAS to twist in order to bend laterally. IMHO if you use the method I have suggested in my previous remarks you should have no trouble getting him straightened correctly. The basic method is based on an article that Charles Dekunfy had written many years ago in a magazine. Forgive me for for my inadequate explanation, but I’m typing this at 4:00 in the morning.🥵

[@lauremckinney7111]

Daniel Thomas Thank you! I better study this as I have never been educated to understand this idea. I'll try to find the article.

[@kerryobrien6299]

@@danielthomas3333 Yes! My mare has a very rotated rib cage, possibly from foal bearing. She's very sprung and can really shove the rider around with her ribs. So she appears to be bending on the circle, but actually drops the inside shoulder. She doesn't appear counter bent, but it's fake. It's very difficult for her to bend her sprung ribs. The most challenging thing to teach her, which is completely counter intuitive to her but is helping is the HQ in. She wants to push from the shoulder. Was SO hard to get the tiniest understanding of this into her. She's also a big bossy lead mare who loves to push horses and people around on the ground. We've had a few talks about this and she doesn't pull it with me. I have pics of her standing 4 square with those ribs rotates and a very tilted pelvis. Ah, the joys of corrective work.

[@michelekanefsky7511]

Excellent examples & tips! Thank you!

[@Lynne2106]

Super helpful! Tomorrow we’ll ride pentagons. Thank you.

[@hosanalkhaleej]

It’s Excellent & useful video Thanks very much Amella

[@falizianme5846]

ooooh i love this! Cant wait to try it on my boys tomorrow... thanks for the great tips and exercises!

[@mohegantrainingcentre8206]

I did this exercise yesterday and I LOVE IT!! I will be doing this for my young 3 year Knappstrapper and keep you posted on my progress. I think I need a private lesson Amelia, how do we do that across the oceans and through the universe clouds lol

[@ells175]

Oooooh, why i didnt see that video before i went to ride my stable young horses.... thanks :) One, my favorite one is a nightmare and formed a habit to fall out or in, every corner...

[@LMiya-to1mu]

Wow Amelia, you're awesome. Great to see you on a Pre. I'm going to try the hexagon excercise, I think my boy will like it.

[@marymuys3614]

This is just what I needed to learn! Many thanks to your great videos!

[@horseez1]

Really well explained!