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Issue Thirty-seven, Part 1 of 1
Turning Horses: How to Fix Leaning Shoulders
Does your horse tip through its turns? Or, maybe you've decided you need a "better-fitting" saddle because the one you've got just seems to keep slipping off to the side? (Darned if you don't have to keep readjusting, pumping one stirrup or the other back to center every five minutes, all-the-while thinking "Can my balance really be this bad?") In either case, newsflash: Your horse is "dropping his shoulder." And get this: Not only is the fix easier than you think, it takes effect quicker than you'd expect. Frankly, I wish I'd known this (soon-to-follow) trick twenty years ago – it woulda saved me (and my poor horse) tons of aggravation.
You've probably felt this many times: You turn to the left or right and the "front of your horse's back" suddenly tilts in the same direction, leaving your gluteus buttocks sliding off like a pair of fried eggs on a greasy skillet. The fact is, your horse has never been trained to keep upright through his turns. He's simply turning as nature instructs – and Nature doesn't care if you slip off. If you wanna see what properly-trained horses do, take a look at a western reining competition sometime. Reining is a spin to the left one second, a rollback and rundown to a sliding stop the next. Watch specifically for the part of the pattern where the rider is riding his "fast circle" and keep an eye on the horse's overall body positioning, how he keeps both shoulders raised and wholly perpendicular to the ground. (See reining how-to videos for sale) You'll see that these well-schooled horses stay very upright as they move – whether fast or slow. Through many miles of wet saddle blankets they've learned that "not leaning" is the only position that allows them to quickly juke from one rider request to the next. They've discovered – on their own, mind you – that leaning makes their lives more difficult while remaining primed for the next movement makes life easier. Here's a demonstration as to the how and why....
Josh Lyons Spins and Shoulder Control
• Teach your horse to spin, the foundations of neck reining and more
• 3rd in a series
• from John's son Josh
• see more
Stand up, spread your feet about four feet from each other (or a tad less, depending on your height) and walk one foot around the other. In other words, do the move Curly (of the Stooges fame) used to do. Keep one foot planted in place and pivot by walking the other leg around in a circle like a giant architect's compass. Next, move your legs back together into a natural standing position. Try the same maneuver. Which was easier? Walking unbalanced and spread out – or moving whilst upright? If you were a horse and you found yourself asked to do this move frequently, which would you choose? And if you knew that your rider would release his pressure (read: drop the rein and hence bit pressure) as soon as you completed this move, how long would it take you to begin staying upright all the time?
The fix then, for a horse that leans through his turns, is to ask him to make a similar move ("disengage his hindquarters") each time you feel him leaning. Doing so loosely mocks the same movement you just did yourself, asking the horse to plant one leg while pivoting around with another. They can only disengage smoothly and fluidly when they keep themselves "raised," so you merely need to be insistent, holding your rein pressure steady till he disengages, being quick to release your hold when he does. He'll quickly learn that the quickest way to find relief of your rein pressure is to move correctly – and he'll soon begin keeping himself at the ready. It's more his sense of self-preservation at work than any great love for the task at hand – but why look a gift horse in the mouth?
Here's the one thing you really, really need to understand: The very fact that your horse is leaning will cause him to do his disengagements like garbage at first (remember how hard it was for you?) and you should expect this. He has to be upright to pivot correctly, so if he's leaning, he'll most likely drift about or freeze up rather than "lock down" that front foot. Be insistent and keep at it with each occasion until he stops that front foot and pivots with his rear. The moment he does, release – because there, even for a moment he stood upright – and that's what we're rewarding. He'll learn that "spread out" doesn't work, standing upright does.
Which direction to disengage? The direction in which you disengage (read: which rein you use and which direction his butt moves) isn't all that important despite the direction you might be moving when he leans. But, practically speaking, if you're loping (because this works great for horse's that lean over through their faster gaits, too) you'll probably want to use that inside rein (right rein in a run to the right) simply because your horse is already "curved" in that direction. However... what I've found is that mixing it up is the best route simply because of the horse's habit to begin anticipating. (And dealing with the negative effects of their anticipations is exactly what we're working to remedy here.) They begin to see the corrections coming and can get sort of lazy on you. I deal with this simply by disengaging in random directions when I feel my horse tip. We may be trotting to the right and disengaging with that right rein this minute, disengaging the opposite direction (though still trotting right) the next. Keep 'em guessing and you'll force them to be prepared for whatever you throw at them. (And that there is the whole point.) Don't over-think it and have fun.
As with most exercises, you'll want to learn this material at a walk and progress to faster gaits only when the two of you are ready. It'll take some time for you (you, the human) to get your timing down, to begin "feeling" what's right and what's not, and to develop smoothness.
Safety note: Use common sense here and don't go whipping your horse's head around like some crazed bull dogger when moving at higher speed. If the little voice in your head says Seabiscuit might become unbalanced and trip over himself, then ease up on your pressure, try a different more forgiving angle with your hands, or drop to a slower speed/gait before making your requests. I don't, for instance, expect my horse to disengage "while cantering." I mean, duh, if you're loping and he leans, you'll always need to first break down quickly to a walk or trot and get your disengagement there before resuming your lope. Never ever override that common-sensical little voice.
Once horseback, our immediate goal will be to get that shoulder on the same side (as the rein) to stop as the rear of the horse continues circling – however briefly – "around the front" just as Curly did in our earlier example. We stop the front of the horse, diverting his energy out his hips to the side – in the same way that the flow of water is diverted out of a hose should it spring a leak. Same energy, different direction. So, we're looking for two things to happen simultaneously: The shoulder stops, the back legs continue moving, circumscribing a step or two around the front. (Note: I said "a step or two" – not "half way around.") The very instant we feel those two things happening together we release our rein and walk forward. Now... go back and underscore the last four sentences about fifteen times. That's the crux of this work.
When first learning this, most horses will just sort of scramble around, slowing, but never actually stopping that front shoulder. Don't be fooled. The shoulder's gotta stop, the back legs have to keep moving. Ya gotta get both for the horse to get his reward. Think of it as placing an order at the local burger joint: They don't get your money till you get the burger AND fries, not one or the other. It's very important that you know now that you may only get both of these things happening together (stopped shoulder with moving hind feet) for a brief moment, maybe literally half a second – but in the beginning that's great and you need to fully release your pressure. Build on that. Through practice you will gain the ability to pivot a full 360 (if you were in to such a thing – but that's overkill for this work).
Here's how to do it, step-by-step: Mount up, walk off and pick up a single rein, let's say the left one for this example. (Don't lean forward!) Add the pressure necessary to bring your horse's head off to the side (to the left here) by several inches (more if you later find it to be necessary). As you do, give your horse a good goosing to keep him moving by squeezing or bumping with both legs. Most want to stop right about now and that's death to this exercise – we must have fluid movement throughout so keep bumping if you need to. Be thinking, stare at the shoulder, and actively search for the amount of pressure and angle it takes to stop just the shoulder – not the whole horse, just that shoulder. It's actually fairly easy if you're patient and don't over-think it. Your bumping and rein pressure say "move" – just not forward. Given little choice, he'll take a sideways step with those hind legs. If you're good with your timing and good about asking the horse to keep moving "something" despite our stopping that shoulder, he'll soon divert energy out his hips, moving them to their right. The very moment your butt feels that movement, release your reins and walk forward. Pet and repeat.
Note: If you pull his head around too awkwardly he'll most likely freeze up, too knotted to move. Patience plays a major role here. Give him time to find the correct step and release your rein quickly and consistently to say "That's it there."
The exercise is not "over" till you walk forward a few steps following the disengagement. I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to always walk out of the disengagement before fully releasing your pressure – AND for there to be zero hesitation in the interim. Your very success is directly tied to this fact. Failing to move forward at the end of the exercise will cause the horse to lower ("drop" or "relax") the very body parts we're trying to keep raised as he starts to anticipate a premature end to the maneuver. We want him to be thinking "What's next?" not "Stop and hang out." Also note that you'll see quicker results if you swap sides often, practicing the routine "going the other way."
This big word "disengagement" is really a fancy way of saying "one leg takes charge while the other gets dragged along." One leg is "engaged" (the one that's sorta pulling the other, the back right in the above example using the left rein) the other is "disengaged" (sorta just being pulled by the other). A moment ago they were both engaged driving the horse forward but now one is engaged pulling the hips to the side.
You should use just one rein throughout this exercise. You'll pick up the left rein, let's say, and use it to A) bring his head around, B) stop the shoulder and, C) drive the hips over. While you may be tempted to use both left and right reins simply out of habit, know that pulling on both sides together will (in this case) cause the horse to resist, lining up his entire skeletal system like stacked bricks against your pressure. (And he can stay like that all day long with little effort.) Instead, use a single rein to encourage the horse to keep his body curved, banana-like. With his body rounded, however slightly, he'll be forced to use muscle to resist and he'll sooner rather than later begin relaxing to your requests because it's just plain easier.
Note: While you want to refrain from absent-mindedly applying pressure to the horse's mouth with your "off hand," that hand must be ready, willing and able to jump in and help out if need be. For example, when you need the added strength, feel free to reach across and use two hands together on the same side (like climbing up the rope in gym class) – but otherwise that "off hand" should remain calm, applying zero pressure to the horse's mouth. (Try keeping it on your leg if you need to break the bad habit of being too busy with that secondary hand.) Or, if your left hand is asking the horse to disengage and you find that your grip should be closer to the horse's mouth, the right hand should reach across and momentarily take up the pressure on the horse's mouth, allowing the left hand to slide forward. (Important: The horse should feel even pressure through this "exchange.") Keep both hands "alive" and in the game.
Here are a couple of suggestions if you're having trouble causing the horse's shoulder to stop and the back legs to step over. First, with your hands empty, take your left fist and reach up and tap your right shoulder. Tell your fist to remember that spot. Reverse that, touching your right fist to your left shoulder. Do this several times so as to remember where your shoulders are located. (Seems obvious, I know, but you'd be amazed how folks can't seem to find their shoulders when riding in a clinic.) Next, get your horse moving, take up the rein in your left hand, bringing it out and away from the horse by about a foot and bring it back around in a smooth arc towards your opposite (right) shoulder. You'll be outlining a very large Nike "Swoosh" logo with your fist in the air. Be very careful to make this movement in a giant arc, no sharp angles. (This means you.) In the end, your fist won't actually touch your shoulder – but it needs to be headed in that direction and it may come pretty close. Also, I often see riders at this point that really should be gripping the reins closer to the horse's mouth, so ask yourself if that might not help you out as well.
Because of the way horses tend to naturally carry themselves, bringing your hand out and around to your shoulder (the "Swoosh") will work on one side – but on his opposite side you'll probably find that you'll need to direct your pressure not toward your opposite shoulder but toward the horse's own butt. (So your hand will simply reach down and "pull" the horse's head directly toward his rear end.) Use two hands if you have to, but really make that horse think he's about to kiss his own hiney. Experiment to find out which method (Swoosh vs. Hiney Kiss) works for which side. Remember to keep your balance and to drop the reins (living to fight another day) if you feel the horse becoming unbalanced to the point that he might actually trip over his own feet.
Riders commonly (in clinic situations) seem to have trouble deciding for themselves if and when the shoulder stops. The remedy is simple and you can learn as I did: Look down and watch it moving back and forth prior to the exercise – then take up your rein and stare at the shoulder throughout the exercise, releasing the moment you see it stop while the back end takes the requisite steps. Unfortunately, the only real way to tell if those hips are moving is through practice and feel. If you're having trouble understanding what it feels like when they step to the side, ask a friend to watch. The fastest approach then is to have them watch and call out to you when to release. (You don't decide. You hold your pressure until they tell you to let go based on what they're seeing from the ground.) After each repetition replay those last few seconds in your brain and memorize that feeling. Ask them to test you when you think you've got it. It'll "click for you" pretty quickly this way. For max results, have your friend watch your timing with the horse's shoulder as well. You may think you're releasing on a "stopped shoulder," but your friend may see otherwise.
You may very well having trouble remembering which way the hips are going to go when you pull this rein or that rein. Here's a simple way to forecast what'll happen: If you were just riding down the trail and pulled on the left rein, which way would his hips go? To the right, of course. Well, it's no different when you're looking for a disengagement to the right or left and need to quickly decide which rein to pull.
Finally, the most common issue I see is that riders often have trouble keeping their horses moving – and movement is critical to training. If you're riding a more laid-back or stubborn horse, he'll be looking for any reason to stop and park out. Be aware of this and be ready with your legs. You may need spurs or a crop. You maybe should also try asking for less out of your horse – and by that I mean try first getting him to relax and just sorta "go with the flow." Remember always that it's not the exercise that's hard – it's the resistance. If your horse is reacting to rein pressure by slowing down rather than softening, then make it your immediate goal to cause the horse to move and "give to the bit": Walk a straight line and use direct rein pressure to ask your horse to turn. Hold your pressure through that turn, waiting till your horse softens his neck muscles slightly and drop the rein. Ideally you'll do this within the turn itself. (Asking for "softness" while changing leg direction or speed just seems to help them remember things.) Grow your training from there, eradicating resistance not through brute force but by offering more of a partnership: "I won't jerk on the reins if you soften up." Practice often, remaining patient and adamant and you'll see marked improvement in no time.
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Lyons Training 101: Issue Thirty-seven, Part 1 "How Horses Learn: Turning Horses: How to Fix Leaning Shoulders"
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