Losing the outside or inside shoulder, what does it mean?

Hello!

I agree, the language we use to describe what happens to horses when we do various things with them can be really tricky and odd at times.

🥕 We tend to say the shoulders are lost, or pushed out, often when the horse is meant to move on a circle but does not track round and instead bends the wrong way through the body.

🍎 Rather than the horse's body following the line of the circle, the outside shoulder pushes out and the horse sort of runs away from you.

🥕 In the same way, the horse can lean on the inside and fall in, which again makes it hard to hold both the line of the circle and the rhythm.

I am including a link to a post by Kajsa Boström, a B-level dressage trainer (a Swedish qualification) who is good at explaining things clearly and with a bit of humour 😀

https://www.hippson.se/artikelarkivet/kroniker/kajsa-bostrom-hasten-deltar-for-att.htm

I would also recommend reading Ridhandboken 1 and 2 (the Swedish riding manual) for a fuller understanding of the basic principles of riding 🤓

https://www.sisuforlag.se/produkt/ridhandboken-1-och-2

Hope that answers your question. If not, just ask again! 🦄