Shoulder in aids

I like this visual as well. I can see how a leg yield into a SI can work out. I’ll try this instead of out of a corner and seee if it’s easier to keep through

That’s ok, what I was told when it starts to fall apart just do another 10 meter circle, maybe two then try a few more steps down the rail. Right now it is taking about 4 circles to get down the long side. :slight_smile:

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Make your, and his life easier by starting on the good side first.

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Amelia Newcomb has the best videos on youtube for all of the different lateral movements. You can search her name and shoulder in and a really useful video will come up.

I am currently teaching my young one haunches in and working on half pass with my older guy (and a bit with the baby), and watching AN’s videos before I started working on those on my own has really helped with the aids and which seat bone I want to sit on, etc., especially if my trainer isn’t around to ask!

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No.

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This is a very normal problem to have. The solution? Only do pieces of shoulder-in.

Start with a 10m circle. As you touch the rail, go straight ahead in 4-5 steps of shoulder-in. Before things fall apart, turn onto another 10m circle. Rinse, repeat, and see if you can turn those 4-5 strides into 8-10. In the 10m circle, make sure you re-establish bend and suppleness which may have taken a quality hit in the shoulder in.

You can also do this in all 3 gaits although I’d start in trot or walk before tackling canter. Sometimes a change of gait can help something click for either you or the horse.

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OP, do you have a mirror in your arena? It can be an enormous help!

The 10-meter circle that most posters are advocating is used to set up the shoulder in because the amount of bend in a 10-meter circle is the amount of bend in the shoulder in. I find it easier to practice this on the quarter line or centerline. That way, the wall or rail doesn’t flatten out the bend that the 10-meter circle established. Eventually, of course, you should be able to ride SI down the rail, but taking the rail out of the equation means that you can learn to be in control of all your aids without having to also manage whatever tendency your horse might do along the rail.

It also helps to understand that when the horse is in shoulder in, he’s (she’s) on 3 tracks. If you have a mirror, you can check to see that the outside foreleg is in line with the inside hind leg.

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Had some good SI movement today. I totally can see what you mean about trying to do it quarter or center line. The wall just—is a magnet.
I WISH we had a mirror. I find myself trying to look down to see if the shoulder came in, and that’s of course when we fall off the rail and track. After several days I finally can feel his shoulder come in for a few steps, and I know it takes time to be able to carry it all around.

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Excellent! Take those few good steps, and the moment you feel it start to fall apart, do a circle. It’s very hard to “rescue” a movement when the horse (and/or rider) is just learning it.

A couple things. One which you just figured out: Look straight ahead on your line, thus your body may turn a bit as the horse bends, but your head shouldn’t. Second, dont worry too much about bend, that will come. Last, weight your seat a bit to the left when doing shoulder in right and to the right when S/I left.

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I rode in an Amelia Newcomb clinic yesterday @foursocks!! I am in SoCal so I have some consistent access to her - we worked on shoulder in with my new to me lease eventer who is very resistant to being supple when in the sandbox and no fun jumps.

She has the best short form content on how to ask for shoulder in specifically. I was a dressage junior turned show jumper who found her way to eventing-ish. She’s a very good clinician (I have high standards).

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I love Lauren’s Ride iQ lessons