Turning with your horse

Bertie

Bertie

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Nov 6, 2003
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My instructor keeps shouting at me saying that I'm not turning with my horse when I go round the corners of the school. I've been trying really hard to ensure that my outside shoulder and hip and turning with me and following the line but when I do this I'm now being told I'm dropping my inside shoulder - If I really concentrate on "supposedly" (I don't think I am dropping) not dropping my inside shoulder I drop my outside shoulder :( :mad:

I'm really struggling with this and it's something that has become an issue since getting my share mate and hacking in straight lines all the time :rolleyes: my own fault I spent the first few months not worrying about position, technical riding just enjoying the riding for what it was :) But now I'm paying the price :rolleyes: :(
 
relax with it is the only thing i can think of right now. if you are tensing with the concentration you'll find that you end up making other faults (ie dropping a shoulder).
do you have the same problem on a circle? if not then imagine you are riding a circle every time you get to a corner except you finish it early... i'm sure it will correct itself over time, don't get too worked up about it and good luck :)
 
I'm not as bad on a circle but have been shouted at on a circle and my worst gait at doing it is canter, I do think that this is because when I canter my share pony we currently only do it on bridle paths etc so normally have a slightly lightened seat due to uneven ground and normally going up a slight hill - once our school is finished, please let it be soon, I will be able to work on this with her and hopefully me.

Your right about concetration the more I concentrate the worse I become :rolleyes:
 
another thing to consider i try improving the way the horse goes round the corner. ie ride into the corner more. try a bit of leg yielding into it as this will help keep your mind on something else. when going to a corner think about going straight and at the last minute you have to turn to stop you going through the wall/fence. May help
 
Dont think about turning your shoulders, rotate from the waist instead. This has two benefits
1) It is very difficult to drop a shoulder if turning from the waist
2) It places your weight more correctly on the horse.
 
i think "i'm going to turn now" as if it's actually me that is going to turn and the horse is just an extension of my body

that's a really simple way of thinking about it and gives you loads of brain room to think about all the other things going on
 
The way my instructor explained it to me was to keep my shoulders and hips on the circle. If I just turn from my shoulders and ignore my hips and waist, then the bit of me actually ON the horse, isn't going with it round the corner and I'm now crooked/have more reason to collapse (which is one of my faults).

I think about turning the horse with my hips . . . and if I keep my body square with itself then my shoulders are naturally in the right place.

Does that make sense?

I was doing it the other day on Rocky and found that I actually steer him anywhere I wanted to just w/ my hips/body weight (and legs) and NO hands. Quite a revelation!

N
 
thanks everyone, I used ignore my shoulders and think of bottom being on a cake icing stand or lazy susan and used to just swivvel my hips (if that makes sense) follow the movement of the horse.

I really need to work on this more and hopefully through more lessons and going back to what I used to do will enable me to achieve this again.

Thanks everyone for advice it's been a great help :D
 
Firstly I though this thread was entitled "Turning INTO your horse"

Secondly, imagine you have a straight plank of wood accross the top of your chest from shouder to shoulder. This is how you turn a shoulder back, like it is in a plank of wood (I used to drop mine too!)

Now if you sit on a swivelly office chair and do that, you will notice that your hips are moved with your shoulders and you can turn the chair a little.

I always enjoy finding a way to practice my riding while at work....


Good luck!

x
 
I have the same problem on the right rein. Rather than focussing on moving the shoulders my instructor tells me to 'open the collar bone round the corner'. This has really helped me to turn whilst staying level and balanced. It also has the added benefit of making you turn through the waist.

Hope this makes some sense and helps:)
 
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