From: Lisa
Hi Jessica - I love horse-sense AND your book. I especially liked your response to Christine about leg- yielding because you explained why to do it as well as how to do it. Can you give us a similar answer about the whys and hows of the shoulder-in? I'm not a dressage rider, but a hunter/English pleasure rider who likes to do lots of flatwork with my horse, who has been very patient and cooperative with me as we have been learning to do lateral work together.
Lisa
Having said that, I should point out that shoulder- in is NOT for the horse that is still learning early basic flatwork. It requires that the horse be reasonably balanced and supple -- and muscled! Before you even think about shoulder-in, your horse should understand and accept the aids, should have a supple back, and should move eagerly forward from the leg. There is no point in asking a horse for shoulder-in if that horse doesn't have a relaxed, supple back, and/or if the horse doesn't accept and move happily INTO contact -- the shoulder-in will be faulty, and instead of being a good exercise, it will be useless or even harmful. The point of the shoulder-in is to increase the engagement of the inside hind leg, and this will NOT happen unless the horse is already comfortable with and proficient in the basics.
Shoulder-in, even in the beginning, requires a tiny bit of collection -- and even a tiny bit of collection is TOO MUCH TO ASK of a green horse. If, on the other hand, your horse has had a solid year or so of good basics, and is forward and balanced and rhythmic, then you're ready to begin work on shoulder-in.
In shoulder-in, the horse is bent, very slightly and evenly, around the rider's inside leg. The horse is looking away from the direction of movement -- if you do a shoulder-in to the right, the horse will be bent around your left leg and looking to the left.
In shoulder-in, you are bringing your horse's forehand OFF the track and toward the inside, so that his inside foreleg will cross over his outside foreleg. At the same time, his inside hind leg will cross over his outside hind leg. Shoulder-in involves asking the horse to move very definitely FORWARD and sideways.
As with any other movement, you won't teach this one instantly or completely, you'll ask for one step, then two, then three, etc. , sending the horse strongly forward after each request, so that the impulse to go forward remains strong in both horse and rider. You'll do this at the walk at first, and later, at the trot.
I've found that the easiest way to teach shoulder-in is to ask the horse to circle at a balanced, rhythmic walk. If you have access to a dressage arena, it's easier -- at one of the short sides, walk a circle that brings you back to the rail on the long side.
Keep your horse bent on the circle as you reach the rail -- this is the flexion that you want for the shoulder-in. Then take another step off the rail, just with the forehand -- as though you were still circling, but ask the horse to take the next step DOWN the rail, still bent as for the circle, but with the idea that you don't want to circle in precisely the same place. If you do this correctly, your horse should take a step down the rail, still bent around your inside leg, but reaching across and underneath his body with his inside hind leg. When he does this, you will feel his inside hip drop as the leg stretches underneath.
Keep the bend and send the horse actively forward on the circle -- you'll be circling just a step or two down from your previous circle. When you get back to the rail, take that fist step into the new circle and then repeat the request for a step, or two steps, down the rail -- then keep the bend and send the horse actively forward on the new circle! You can work your way down the long side doing a circle, a step or two of shoulder- in, going forward on the new circle, asking for another step or two of shoulder-in, etc.
The rider's position for shoulder-in is very much the position that you would have during a turn: your shoulders and hips parallel to your horse's shoulders and hips; inside leg at the girth to maintain the forward movement; your outside leg behind the girth to support the horse through the turn and "catch" his hindquarters if he falls out of the turn.
Stay tall and balanced -- if you collapse over your inside hip while you try to PUSH your horse over with your inside leg, you will only confuse him, and stop both the forward and the sideways movement of his legs. If you collapse or lean over your outside hip, and try to pull your horse sideways under your body weight, he won't be able to move correctly. Your weight should be very slightly on your inside seatbone, but this will happen automatically if you are tall and balanced, and bring your outside leg back.
Your reins are important: keep your hands on each side of the horse's neck! You CANNOT help your horse learn shoulder-in by crossing your inside hand over his neck and pulling.
Your inside rein should be soft and elastic, just indicating to the horse that you would like his nose to point THIS way, please. The outside rein will have a stronger contact -- but still an elastic one -- as this rein affects the degree of the horse's bend and the position of the horse's outside shoulder. The ideal shoulder-in angle for dressage tests is 30 degrees, and you should be aware of how much angle you are asking for, because the greater the angle, the greater the engagement -- and the greater the effort. Don't ask for too much, too soon.
Ask for a little at a time, be clear, be soft, reward the effort, and always go forward onto your circle immediately afterward. When in doubt, or if anything goes wrong, go forward onto your circle immediately and regroup, then try again. Circles and corners are the best places to begin asking for shoulder-in, because the bend is already there, and -- if you are riding your circle or corner correctly! -- you are already asking the horse for a little more engagement of the inside hind, and for a little inside flexion.
If you try to teach shoulder-in by taking the horse straight down the rail, bending him, taking his forehand off the rail, asking for shoulder-in, and then straightening him again to go down the rail, you will confuse him and lose impulsion. Working from circle to shoulder-in to another circle lets you send him forward while maintaining his bend and your position -- it's less confusing for both of you.
Take your time, be patient, focus on correct position and good contact. Remember to BREATHE and to let the horse stretch down on the circles between efforts --
-- and have fun!
Jessica
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