Photo: Donna Stidolph
The ditch in your pasture might seem an unlikely place to refine your horse’s gaits, but terrain drops are actually very useful for changing or stimulating muscle recruitment. When a horse has to negotiate a short, steep downward slope followed immediately by a quick rise, he has to rotate his shoulder blades up and back. This helps loosen the muscles between his shoulders and ribcage. Read on to learn more about how to get rid of horse shoulder tightness.
When a horse favors one front leg over the other, it negatively affects muscular development. He will typically lean toward one direction or bulge outward on one side of his body when moving.
A helpful technique to remedy this is to stimulate his shoulder muscles using terrain. The action of abducting, or drawing the front leg out and away from the body for balance helps equalize effort in the front legs. It also introduces a new range of motion and can free up tight spots around the shoulder muscles.With each loop of your serpentine, go two or three steps up the bank and then back down. Photo: Donna Stidolph
Feel free to use any ditch you have on your property. In the photo, I’m using the drainage trench in our front paddock.
Remember to change your horse’s poll flexion and bend for each loop, the same way you would in the arena. Be sure to not let him “fall” down the slopes with quicker strides. His rhythm should remain measured throughout. On your first few attempts, he might scramble a bit if he’s unaccustomed to this kind of exercise, but most horses catch on quickly.
This article about horse shoulder tightness originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!
Jec A. Ballou is the author of 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses: Resolving Postural Problems, Improving Movement Patterns, and Preventing Injury.
Learn more about combined driving in part one of this two-part series. This exciting sport…
The spin is the maneuver specific to reining. The stylized movement shows your horse’s willingness…
Mental skills and mental toughness are as much a part of riding as horsemanship and…
There’s more to love when it comes to riding less, at least for these four…
The good news is that all of the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team horses (including their reserve horse) presented this morning…
Versailles, France — US Equestrian has announced a change to the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team prior to the start of…
Check out Horse Illustrated's latest updates from the 2024 Paris Olympics on equestrian sports for the three disciplines of dressage,…
Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…
Bern, Switzerland — The U.S. Vaulting Team took on the top competition in the world last week at the 2024…
Go horseback riding through the Italian island of Sicily, spanning six days with lots of long canters, wine tastings and…