Controlling the shoulder

[reignthealarm]

Okay, so I’m not new to eventing but it has been several years since I’ve done anything other than casual riding at home so I’m almost just starting over in retraining myself. Anyway, I got a new ottb last month. He’s very quiet and is adjustable at the walk/trot (canter still needs work) however I have little control over his shoulder. Circles are a struggle sometimes as he drops his shoulder and drifts out. His favorite places to drift are near the gate and also near the barn door. He does decent on the lunge line, even at the canter but we struggle under saddle. Is there something I am doing wrong and what exercises can I practice to help him use his body and get the correct bend so he doesn’t drift?

Note: He has been seen by massage, chiropractor, farrier, and dentist to rule out physical issues. I am also in contact with a trainer but due to scheduling I have not gotten any sessions with her yet.

[RAyers]

Control of the shoulder comes from engaging the hind end first. True, having raced, OTTBs are difficult because speed comes from pulling on the front end. I first start by simply teaching them to go forward off my leg into a steady hand. At this point, if they blow out the shoulder in a turn, I add more outside leg and straighten the neck with the outside hand, all to engage the inside hind. Over time, they gain the muscle and coordination to hold themselves up with their hind end pushing. Then all i need to do to control the shoulder is to hold with my outside thigh and keep the outside hand connected.

I don’t use any particular exercise other than large circles and trail riding.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Most OTTBs ignore your leg…you are likely using too much hand and not enough leg. They drift out…put on the outside leg…but putting on the outside leg doesn’t do a whole lot when they don’t know to move away from ONE leg. I start mini turns on the forehand, and baby leg yields right away. Once you can get them to move away from one leg, you can usually start getting them straighter.

[Jealoushe]

It’s likely your horse is not into your outside rein, and responsive enough to your leg. I would work on the leg aid, until your aid can be very soft and you get a reaction. Otherwise you can do everything right and the horse will still bulge through your aids.

A short whip on the shoulder can sometimes help as a reminder that “hey, your shoulder exists and I asked you to move it”.

[tbchick84]

Outside rein is your answer. You can educate your horse to it by doing 1/4 turn on the forehand, aka riding squares. At the walk, ride a straight line, halt (completely), keep the outside rein right against his neck and use your inside leg to make a 1/4 turn. You want him to keep his front legs planted and turn with his hind legs. Lather / rinse / repeat until he understands what you want. Change direction of the 1/4 turn frequently. With each turn, you should feel him becoming more engaged and reaching into the contact. (possibly curling up at first, they go either way). Once he understands it at a halt, do it while walking without complete halts.

Since it’s a TB and prone to frustration, if he doesn’t understand what you want, if he starts to tense up and melt down, go do something else for awhile. Don’t ask for too much too soon. Most learn very quickly, but just read his response and respond appropriately.

[reignthealarm]

Thanks for the responses! I’m trying to keep a relatively light hand so I think my problem is not enough leg so he likely doesn’t understand my leg aids other than when I squeeze he goes forward. I will try teaching him to turn on the forehand and other lateral movements and hopefully he’ll start to understand.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I meant more trying to fix it with your reins instead of legs. Not that you have heavy or hard hands. One mistake people often make is they drop and widen their hand. That actually makes the shoulders even easier to be unstable and crooked. So yes you need outside rein and sometimes a little opening inside rein but 85+% should be correct the drift for now from your leg.

[merrygoround]

Out side leg, close your knee into his shoulder, if it ignores your knee, tap with whip, tap not hit, repeat as necessary.

It will take practice to learn to use that outside leg. Old saying “Keep the horse between your legs”. The trick is getting your legs strong enough to keep them where you want them.

[Synthesis]

Successive approximation.

I’ve got one I’m bringing along right now. Not a ton of undersaddle time yet, its still winter and no indoor. My first priority has been to get him understanding that steering from legs is a thing with loads of walking when I’m on him. We started off steering almost 100% from hand.

All I’ve done is walk big loops and circles wandering around the ring actively closing the turning/outside leg with inside seat bone as I cued the turn and softening it as we finish turning. I’ve been shifting the balance to less and less hand. Now we can walk a decent shallow serpentine almost entirely off leg and seat. We can do the same at a trot but he needs more help balancing and we only go as ‘forward’ as he can balance himself. Calm and forward, working towards straight with lots of praise.

[ladyj79]

Steering honestly isn’t number 1.

#1 Go Forward.

Steering is basically impossible without forward.

Go Forward. The fence is for steering.

Forward First.

[merrygoround]

Synthesis, you are on the right track!

[Synthesis]

Thanks @merrygoround, I quite like a slow and steady approach, introducing almost everything at the walk. We’ve been walking poles on the ground from almost the first day.

It doesn’t feel like we’re doing much but it certainly adds up

[Finn_Dixie]

I can only echo what everyone else says here.

Moving forward, once you’ve developed a consistent rhythm, there’s a really great article on Dressage Today, “Defining the Rein Aids.” It’s a good read and talks about the importance of the inside rein which is oftentimes overlooked. It helped me a great deal to keep my wiggly-butt Thoroughbred straight and helped him work through into contact, especially going to the right.

[phoenixrises]

Everyone here is right on the money. I will add that I carry my dressage whip in my outside hand and just put it on the shoulder as a reminder (maybe a tap tap) to reinforce my outside leg that hey this leg is telling this shoulder what to do. My mare responds well to that gentle reminder if she’s not quite listening on leg alone.

[Lusoluv]

Sounds like you need a knowledgeable and kind dressage instructor to help you and your horse for a while. Shoulder-in and leg yields would help develop a better connection to the outside rein and a better balanced horse over time…