shoulder-in – Horse Listening

Work Those Laterals At The Walk! – An Exercise

Well, you could do this exercise at the trot and canter too, if you like, but there's nothing nicer than having a structured exercise to use when you just. want. to. walk.

Have you ever gotten on and just felt like walking - only? But then, you really had nothing to do, so you and your horse just sauntered around the ring, or on the trail, and really didn't "practice" anything? Well, this exercise is perfect for you if you want to do that walk, but also want to do something with that walk.

You'll work on moving the shoulders, then the haunches, and there's a nice little 10-meter circle thrown into the mix. It's actually not a particularly fancy pattern, but it does get you and your horse working on a little bit of every kind of suppleness - all in a leisurely low-impact walk, which will make it easier for both of you to communicate, develop good timing, and evaluate how well you're doing the movements.

OK, here is the pattern:

Start at A, in walk, on the left rein.

1) Shoulder-in left. Straighten before B.

2) Circle left 10-meters.

3) Haunches-in left. Straighten before M.

4) Medium walk the corners and the short side of the ring.

5) Free (stretchy) walk all the way across the diagonal. Collect reins before F.

Now, you're walking in the opposite direction and you can start the whole thing again. Do a medium walk on the short side of the ring and set up for a shoulder-in right as you pass K. Repeat all the steps, but now on the right rein.

How about some details?

1) The Shoulder-In

If you have never really worked on the shoulder-in, well, this is your excuse to start! We all have to start somewhere, and it's best to work on this at the walk at first, anyway. If you like, you can reduce the angle of the shoulder-in and make it more of a shoulder-fore, but do see if you can get some control over your horse's shoulders and move them off the rail.

Remember that the shoulder-fore is a 4-track movement, where the outside front leg is lined up so that it's on its own track, in between the track of the hind legs. In contrast, the shoulder-in requires more angle and is actually a 3-track movement, meaning that the outside front leg lines up on the same track as the inside hind leg.

The shoulders come off the rail while the haunches stay on the rail.

I've written quite a bit about the laterals in the past, so if you want more information about the definitions and the aids, click on the articles attached below. If you want even more details, I have Aids & Figures Mini-Lesson whiteboard videos that explain it all for the shoulder-fore, the shoulder-in and the haunches-in (and much more!) in the Practice Sessions Membership. Click here to check out all the details.

2) The 10-m Circle

The circle helps to distinguish between the shoulders and the haunches for the horse. It also helps you to re-establish and develop the required bend as you leave the circle and head into the haunches-in. Remember to straighten before you go into the circle (after the shoulder-in), just to show that you can, in fact, come out of the shoulder-in and re-establish straightness.

However, stay in the 10-m bend as you leave the circle and use this bend to help establish the haunches-in immediately coming out of the circle.

3) The Haunches-In

The haunches-in is also a 4-track movement, but it's different because now it's the haunches that have to come off the rail while the shoulders move straight. Each leg has its own track for the haunches-in, and the bend is so deep that the hind legs come to the inside far enough that they do not line up with the front legs at all.

In the beginning, you might find that you can only get the horse to move the haunches just a tiny bit to the inside. That's fine. Just stick with it and the horse will be able to bend deeper over time.

Straighten before you get to M.

4) The Medium Walk

Now, continue along the rail at the medium walk. This walk requires quite a bit of "activity" - which means that the horse should march along at a relatively brisk pace. Maintain a steady tempo (don't slow down into and out of the corners!) and maintain contact and the same outline you finished with in the haunches-in.

While it looks like nothing is going on, a good, "forward" (not fast) medium walk is quite an accomplishment in itself.

5) The Free Walk

Finish the last corner and as you pass H, send your horse on a nice, long, swinging free walk all the way across the diagonal - and pick up the reins before you reach F. I've written so much about the "stretchy" walk (a.k.a. the Free Walk) that I won't duplicate it all here. Again, look at the links below for all about the aids and strategies for the free walk.

The two most important things to keep in mind for the stretchy walk is that a) the horse takes the reins from your fingers and reaches low with the neck while taking the nose forward and out (not tucking in behind the vertical), and b) he maintains a steady tempo the whole time he's in the stretch. Many horses tend to slow down as they relax through the stretch, but a good stretch is one where the activity is kept up even while the horse releases and relaxes.

And there you have it!

There's so much going on in this little pattern that I'm sure you'll have plenty to work on. As with all patterns, the benefit might not be seen until you've run through it many times. I recommend that you do this pattern 4 times on each side in one go, which could take you up to 15 minutes or so of steady movement. This is good - we want the movement, the flexes and bends, the stretch, and the medium walk. In this way, we influence the inside hind leg, we change "outlines" (from the more upright medium walk to the longer and lower free walk) and work on the 10-m bend.

And when you want, do it in the trot. Then in the canter. And if you get really good, throw in transitions. There's so much that can be done with this one pattern!

And most importantly, have fun!

If you like this sort of pattern work, join my Practice Sessions Premium Membership.

The Practice Sessions are a complete program beginning with exercises like the one above, designed to improve specific aspects of the horse and rider. All set up and ready to go, all you have to do is watch the video, print off the pattern PDF and head to the barn!

But there's so much more! There's quality of movement exercises, theory "Mini-Classes" on specific aids and figures, a fantastic group of riders, and so much more! Click here to learn more.

Disclaimer: Use this as a guideline but you might need your instructor to respond to your individual needs. By using information on this site, you agree and understand that you are fully responsible for your progress, results and safety. We offer no representations, warranties or guarantees verbally or in writing regarding your improvement or your horse’s response or results of any kind. Always use the information on this site with a view toward safety for both you and your horse. Use your common sense when around horses.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Buy the book for many more riding tips!

Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Stop wandering round and round aimlessly!

Horse Listening Book 4 is a compilation of the best patterns that have been shared on the Horse Listening Blog. The book is divided into five sections: Warm-Ups, Left and Right, Straightness, Suppleness and Collection. Each section has specific exercises and theory based on its topic.

But there's more!

There is a Special Center Section dedicated to only Transitions - something that we can all work on throughout our riding careers. And finally, scattered throughout the book are chapters that clearly explain theory, technique and skills that can help improve the featured exercises of teach Section.

Use these 20-minute exercises!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Love The Laterals – An Explanation

Once you've got a pretty good handle on "forward", some suppleness over the back and strong, pure gaits with good rhythm, it's time to move on to the side-to-sides of horseback riding. The reason? Well, you need sideways almost as much as you need back to front.

Here are brief explanations (there could be a lot more detail!) of what each movement means and requires the horse to do.

Leg Yield

This is the most basic of the lateral movements, although it is not necessarily easy to develop at first. The horse moves away from your leg with a straight body while his legs cross over in a diagonal movement. The leg yield should take the entire length of the ring so the horse doesn't need to move too quickly. There should be more forward movement than sideways.

The leg yield is done off a straight line. You can start the leg yield at the quarter line, with the horse moving parallel to the rail to help you gauge straightness as you ask him to move diagonally away from your leg. The idea is to keep your horse straight while he moves sideways, front and hind legs crossing over in each stride until he gets to the rail. The horse's head may be straight or slightly flexed to the outside in this movement.

If you have a young or inexperienced horse, you might need to take plenty of time developing this movement before the rest on this list. So just get started but be patient enough to wait for your horse to fully understand what you mean by a leg aid that asks for sideways movement.

Half-Pass

This is a more advanced version of a yield to a leg. The major difference is that the horse is bent in the direction of the movement (not straight). The flexion is in the direction of the movement and the body has a bend to the inside. The front end may lead slightly, to keep straightness. Both front and hind legs cross over until the rail is reached.

This movement is called the "half" pass because there is still considerable forward movement while there is also sideways movement.

Full Pass (Side Pass)

The full-pass is rarely used in modern dressage but it does make a strong appearance in the western disciplines (called side pass) and can be invaluable in the training of the horse. In dressage, it is called the "full" pass because the horse moves completely sideways in this movement. There is (next to) no forward stepping. Rather, the legs reach to the side, both front and hind legs cross over in a steady rhythm, and the horse moves directly sideways.

The full pass can help you "find" your horse's hind legs and encourage the inside hind in particular to lift and step sideways - this is something that is difficult to isolate in other movements.

Shoulder Fore

The shoulder fore is a lateral movement that is generally taught on the rail. It is designed to help you straighten your horse even while he is moving straight ahead. Of course, you can shoulder fore anywhere in the ring, especially when you feel that your horse is moving his shoulder too far to the outside - whether you are on a straight line or a turn.

The shoulder fore is called a "four track" movement. This is because the horse's legs create four tracks as he moves forward down the rail. Each leg has its own line of movement because the horse is on a mild bend (to the inside of the ring) which keeps his shoulders just to the inside of the hips.

Shoulder In

The shoulder in is a "steeper" shoulder-fore, in that it has a deeper angle and more bend in the horse's body. This movement is different from the shoulder-fore because it is a three-track movement.

Because of the increased bend, the horse's legs travel on three lines, with the inside front being most to the inside, the outside front and inside hind on one line, and the outside hind on its own line furthest to the outside.

Travers (Haunches In)

This is a four track movement with the haunches coming to the inside. The front end of the horse should stay parallel to the rail while the hind end steps in enough that there are four tracks showing. The trick here is to avoid letting the horse bring the hind end in while stepping out with the front end, thereby making it a leg yield (with a straight body) with the head and neck pointing to the outside. The horse should be bent to the inside of the ring, with even more bend than the shoulder in.

Renvers (Haunches Out)

The opposite of travers, the renvers teaches the horse to step to the outside with the hind end, while keeping the front end parallel to the rail. You must leave enough room for the hind end to swing out toward the rail in this movement. Once again, there is a bend in the direction of the movement (toward the outside in this case) so the horse cannot be straight in the body or travelling diagonally along the rail.

The lateral movements are at times really difficult to get a good handle on, but at other times - when everything seems to fall together - the best feeling you can get! "Listen" to your horse carefully before and after the lateral movements and see if you can feel the difference. The whole purpose of lateral work is to improve the basic gaits, so feel for better engagement, swing, and bounce to your horse's gait after each exercise. You know you're on the right track when you can feel your horse loosen up and become more supple overall.

Do you have any preferred lateral movements? Which ones are you working on at the moment? Post in the comments below.

Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

If you enjoyed the above article, you'll find many related chapters about horses and riding. Your favorite Horse Listening training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback (or digital) book.

From Horse Listening Book 2: Forward And Round To Training Success

"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?

We all want our horses to improve in their athletic

development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....

But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.

Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.

Or not."

Just as with all the Horse Listening Collection Books, this book is focused on helping the rider improve for the sake of the horse. But this book goes deeper into the best training articles from the blog - horse-centered theory, strategies and ideas you can try with your own horse.

The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Instantly order online. Click here to learn more.

Why You Must Shoulder-Fore On the Rail and How To Do It

The shoulder-fore is the like the little sibling that always plays second fiddle to the shoulder-in. But don't discount its power.

When left to themselves, most horses will travel crookedly up a line. In fact, they may also be crooked on circles.

On a straight line, they tend to lean outward toward the rail with their front end. So, if you watch a horse go up a rail from behind, you will clearly see the front end traveling on a line closer to the rail, while the hind end drifts somewhat off the rail. There might be a tendency for the horse's head and neck to point outward, away from the direction of travel. So if the horse is going right, the head and neck point left.

Sound familiar? If so, you're not alone. Most horses start life with a stronger side and a weaker side, and if left unchecked, that crookedness can maintain itself or even become more pronounced through riding. So it falls to the rider to become educated and sensitive enough to feel the crookedness - and then correct it over time. As with all other skills, if the horse is ridden in a manner that encourages suppleness and flexion, the horse will overcome the crookedness.

The rider, too, has a significant role in the process. For if the rider just follows the horse's movements, she will also be riding in a way that points her core to the wall, travelling with a crooked seat and imbalanced posture.

What is the shoulder-fore?

Although we often hear about the shoulder-in, we tend to overlook the shoulder-fore as a less worthy exercise. This is far from the truth. The shoulder-fore is easier to learn for both horse and rider and sets them on their way to becoming straighter and more supple.

The shoulder-fore is a movement that positions the horse's shoulders slightly to the inside of the hips. The way you know the horse is "in" shoulder-fore is by looking at the horse's footfalls. Simply put, the horse that has hind footsteps falling into front footsteps is straight. The horse that has the front footsteps landing slightly to the inside of the horse's hind footsteps is travelling in shoulder-fore.

The shoulder-fore requires the horse to "articulate" more with the joints in the hind end, encourages a deeper stride length, and helps the horse balance better, allowing the energy to come over the topline and release the muscles over the back. It is a movement that should be in your riding vocabulary from the beginning to the end of the ride.

How to shoulder-fore:

1. Negotiate a turn or corner in the same manner as usual. Position your body on the bend to the inside, with your seat weighted slightly to the inside, inside leg at the girth, outside leg behind the girth and rein aids following your shoulders toward the turn.

2. Then come out of the turn.

3. But keep the horse on the same mild bend, going straight on the rail.

4. Feel for the horse's shoulders. They should feel slightly off-set to the inside.

At this point, the novice horse tends to want to fall into the middle of the ring, coming off the rail. It is the job of your inside leg, seat bone and rein to keep the horse on the line. Your outside rein can also help to keep the straightness by half-halting to counter the horse's momentum toward the inside. It can also keep the neck fairly straight.

Get a friend to monitor your horse's foot falls and let you know about the angle of the horse's body. She should tell you when you have it right so that you can memorize what it feels like to have straightness in your horse's movements.

Shoulder-fore everywhere!

When you get good at it on the rail, try it off the rail. If you go straight up the ring on the quarter line, you will have enough room to your outside so that you have to really use your outside aids to help maintain the shoulder fore, but not so far that you can't use the rail as a reference point to see and feel the position of the shoulders.

Then try it on center line. It gets harder to feel the angle when there is no wall to gauge your position with. But eventually, you should be able to actually feel the angle of the horse's body regardless of whether or not you have a wall to refer to.

For more shoulder-fore fun, start up the center line with a right shoulder-fore, then as you cross X, switch to a left shoulder-fore.

Finally, give it a try on a circle. At this point, you should be able to identify the shoulder position on a bend. So when you feel that your horse is pointing his shoulders to the outside of the circle, be a responsible rider and bring those shoulders into the shoulder'fore position, even while you are travelling on a bend around the circle.

Results

See what your horse thinks about it. If you get a snort, be happy! If you get a softening of the neck and jaw to the inside, be thrilled. And if you get bouncy-bouncy, rolling gaits (do this in walk, trot and canter) and the feeling that you are spending more time in the air than on the ground, then celebrate!

For helping the horse to release tension, swing through the back, stay straight and energize is the goal of all riding!

*P.S. All the above is also equally relevant to the shoulder-in. But that can be a topic for another time.

Try the shoulder-in during your next ride and let us know how it works for you and your horse.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Personally signed books available! Just send me a message.

Would you like to be the rider that all horses dream of?

By following simple, useful exercises, you will be able to develop a better understanding about many topics including:

- the rider’s aids

- the use of the seat

- the half-halt

- accurate turns and circles

- transitions

- horse ownership and horse care

- goal setting for the rider

- rein lameness

… and much more!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

How to Have Fun on the Trails in the Middle of Winter

Hard, unforgiving ground,

chilly winds and cloudy sky.

Slap on your winter woolies,

throw on the saddle pad,

tighten the girth

and head off into the beautiful trails

with leafless trees

and strangely open fields!

How can you have fun with your favourite equine in the middle of winter? Just head off into the bush, with careful step and controlled feels-like-she's-gonna-explode-any-second excitement. Take it easy at first - gently walk until you can get a good handle for the footing. Then take the first tentative steps into the trot - ahh.. the ground is good. Enjoy the bouncy pleasure and the exuberant snorts, but don't let the young mare get past the point of no return (=start a bucking spree!). Let the energy out judiciously....

Now that she's settled, and we have a slow and steady (but animated and still threatening to explode) trot, let's start playing a game: shoulder-in left, haunches in left, renvers left, (very careful and short as there isn't much room) half-pass left. Good girl! Now try the right - shoulder-in (keep the outside shoulder straight darling!), haunches in, renvers, and now three half-pass steps right. That's it!

Do it again! And again! And AGAIN! What fun!

What? She wants to canter!

Well, only if she steps verrrry carefully over this hard ground. She'll have to stay in a tight little ball, no real speed. But you can try...

No! She can't buck! Didn't she say she wanted to canter? You love her enthusiasm, though!

That's it - careful, super-controlled three-beat. Right lead first? OK - just a few strides. Oh the snorts! That feels soooo good!

How about the left lead? That one's a bit harder and stiffer... set up gently first - straighten the body, steady the trot, wait for it! Wait for it! OK now take a stride. And another - and another! What fun!

And finally, a long-stepping, muscle-releasing, casual walk up the hill and turn for home. Breathe in that super fresh air and take a look at the beauty of the foliage, that even in its shriveled, brown, winter form, has a charm that delights the mind and thrills the soul.

Get home before the cold really settles into the body.

And that is what winter fun is all about!

If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look at the new Goal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.

Included in the book:

design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages

The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.

Click here for more information.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Tag: shoulder-in

Work Those Laterals At The Walk! – An Exercise

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Love The Laterals – An Explanation

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

Why You Must Shoulder-Fore On the Rail and How To Do It

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

How to Have Fun on the Trails in the Middle of Winter

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!