Today I did a ride with Fabian to test the role of moving the shoulders from the core; doing shoulder-in and haunches-in in the walk and trot. In addition it was an experiment with accepting his natural conformation and his tendency to lower the back, raise the head and push forward from the hind legs rather than support the weight.
He understood my shoulders' indications on the spot. Once we lost harmony in haunches-in to the left and needed to first establish it in the walk, interspersed with stopping and standing. Just for a test I added a strike-off in a right hand canter. Without ado he remained straight and on the reluctant inner hind leg.
To prepare for a day off in the fields I added a tour on the lunge. To my complete surprise, after a few short steps of the right hind leg, he not only was well balanced but in complete agreement. Eagerly giving his very best in those final tours in the trot and the canter.
Why do I mention it? Just to say that Fabian not only understood the changed approach to his body language and mine. But that he was calm and in agreement as well. So - don't ignore or manipulate the provisions of nature. Make use of them.
