Galop 7Knowledge
Contents
- 01WelcomeOverview
- 02Limb conformationKnowledge
- 03Identification, the passportKnowledge
- 04Travelling horsesKnowledge
- 05RationingKnowledge
- 06Feed labelsKnowledge
- 07Lunging training aidsOn foot
- 08Long-reining, flexionOn foot
- 09Polo bandagesCaring for the horse
- 10The double bridleCaring for the horse
- 11Shoulder-inKnowledge
- 12StraightnessKnowledge
- 13FlatworkIn the saddle
- 14Dressage optionIn the saddle
- 15Show-jumping optionIn the saddle
- 16Cross-country optionIn the saddle
- 17RevisionRevision
Shoulder-in
A founding exercise of classical dressage, shoulder-in supples the horse, engages it and straightens it. Every candidate must define it, with its qualities and its faults; in the dressage option, you ride it at walk and trot, in both directions.
In the exam programme
- Define the shoulder-in, its qualities and the faults in riding it.Specific part
- Ride a shoulder-in or a counter shoulder-in at walk and trot in both directions.Dressage
Shoulder-in is lateral work: the horse’s shoulders and quarters do not follow the same track. Along the wall, the shoulders are brought in towards the inside of the arena while the quarters stay on the track. The horse is evenly bent, from poll to tail, round the rider’s inside leg, and moves away from its bend: it looks to the inside and travels along the wall.
- Left hind: on the track
- Left fore and right hind: the middle line
- Right fore: the innermost line
- The shoulders at about 30° to the wall, the horse bent to the right
- On three tracks
- At an angle of about 30° to the wall, the inside foreleg makes one line, the outside foreleg and inside hind a second, the outside hind a third. This is the standard in dressage tests.
- On four tracks
- At a sharper angle, up to about 45°, each leg follows its own line. Harder, this version is used for suppling.
- Shoulder-fore
- A sketch of shoulder-in, the shoulders barely brought in: this is where you start.
- Counter shoulder-in
- The same movement facing the wall: the shoulders on the track, the quarters on an inner track, the horse bent towards the wall. The wall in front of it stops it escaping forwards: often easier to begin with.
The aids, on the right rein
- PrepareRide the corner as if for a small circle: the horse bent to the right, active, in an even rhythm.
- Bring the shoulders inAs the shoulders leave the track to start the circle, do not carry on round it: move both hands slightly to the left, so that the horse slides along the wall.
- Right rein, the inside reinIt keeps the flexion, without pulling back or crossing over the neck.
- Left rein, the outside reinIt limits the bend of the neck, sets the angle and holds the shoulders: it is the master rein of the exercise.
- Right leg, at the girthIt keeps the impulsion and the bend, and pushes the horse along the track.
- Left leg, slightly behindIt stops the quarters swinging out.
- Seat, and coming outA little more weight on the inside seat bone, the rider’s shoulders parallel to the horse’s, eyes along the track. To finish, bring the shoulders back in front of the quarters and ride on straight.
Qualities to look for
- A constant angle, of about 30°, from start to finish.
- An even bend from poll to tail, not just a bent neck.
- Rhythm and impulsion maintained: the horse neither slows down nor rushes.
- An inside hind leg that steps under the body.
- An accurate line: the quarters stay on the track, the line stays straight.
Faults in riding it
| Fault | Most common cause |
|---|---|
| Only the neck is bent, the shoulders stay on the track | Inside rein too busy, outside rein missing. |
| Too much angle, no bend: the exercise turns into leg-yielding | Shoulders brought in too far, bend lost. |
| Quarters swinging out | Outside leg doing nothing, or inside leg too far back. |
| Rhythm lost, the horse dies away or rushes | Poor preparation, too much angle asked, hands too busy. |
| Head tilted, twisted at the poll | The two reins out of balance. |
| Rider leaning or collapsing | Trying to push the horse with the upper body instead of the legs. |
Remember
Leg-yield (Galop 5): no bend, the horse moves away from the active leg. Shoulder-in: the horse is bent and moves away from its bend, on three tracks.
Did you know?
In the 18th century, the riding master La Guérinière saw shoulder-in as the first and the last lesson to give a horse.