If you’ve ever felt like your horse is magnetically drawn toward the center of the arena every time you try to ride a circle, you’re not alone. And if you’ve been told to “just use more inside leg” about a thousand times—with minimal results—this one’s for you.
Here’s the thing: falling in on circles isn’t really a leg problem. It’s a balance problem. And until you address what’s actually happening in your horse’s body, all the inside leg in the world won’t fix it.
What “Falling In” Actually Looks Like
When a horse falls in, they’re not just drifting toward the middle. What’s actually happening is a chain reaction:
- The inside shoulder drops
- The nose tips slightly to the outside
- The inside hind leg stops carrying and starts trailing
- The horse leans on your inside rein like it’s a crutch
Sound familiar? That heavy feeling in your inside hand isn’t your horse being difficult. It’s your horse telling you they can’t balance on the curve.
Why It’s Not About More Inside Leg
Here’s what nobody tells you: when a horse falls in, their inside hind leg has lost the ability to step under and carry weight. They’re literally avoiding engagement.
Using more inside leg when they’re already struggling to balance is like asking someone who’s limping to walk faster. You might get more movement, but you won’t get better movement.
The horse falls in because:
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They’ve developed asymmetry — through handling, riding, or compensation patterns, most horses become stronger on one side. On their weaker side, the shoulder sling muscles can’t hold the shoulder up against the centrifugal force of the turn.
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The inside hind isn’t supporting — true bend requires the inside hind leg to flex and carry more weight. If your horse lacks the strength or suppleness for this, they’ll compensate by dropping the shoulder inward.
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There’s too much neck bend — if the neck is cranked to the inside but the body isn’t following, the shoulder actually pops out (or in) as compensation.
What Actually Fixes It
1. Forget the Circle for a Minute
I know this sounds backwards, but stay with me. If your horse can’t balance on a 20-meter circle, making them do more circles isn’t the answer. You need to build the components first.
Start with leg yields. They teach your horse to step sideways away from pressure while staying straight in the body. Once they can move their shoulders and haunches independently, circles get way easier.
2. Think “Shoulders Up,” Not “Push Over”
Instead of driving your horse’s barrel over with your inside leg, think about lifting their inside shoulder. A slight half-halt on the outside rein combined with a supporting (not shoving) inside leg encourages the horse to carry themselves rather than fall.
This is subtle work. If you’re squeezing with all your might, you’ve lost them.
3. Make the Circle Bigger
A horse that falls in on a 15-meter circle might do fine on a 25-meter one. There’s no shame in that. Smaller circles require more bend, more engagement, and more strength. Work where your horse can succeed, then gradually decrease the size as they get stronger.
4. Use the Outside Rein
This is the piece most riders miss. The outside rein isn’t just there to stop your horse from falling out—it’s what gives the inside shoulder somewhere to go.
Think of it like bumper rails in bowling. Your outside rein creates the boundary that helps your horse stay upright and balanced instead of tipping inward.
5. Take Walk Breaks (Seriously)
When you feel your horse starting to fall in repeatedly, it’s usually fatigue. Their muscles are giving out. Instead of drilling through it, take a walk break. Let them stretch. Then try again with fresher muscles.
Walk breaks aren’t optional. They’re how horses actually learn.
The Real Fix Is Suppleness
The horse that falls in on circles is telling you they’re stiff somewhere—probably through the ribcage, probably in the shoulder sling, definitely in the inside hind. That stiffness prevents them from bending correctly, which makes balance on curves nearly impossible.
This isn’t a training problem you can push through. This is anatomy.
The good news? Suppleness can be built. It takes consistency, the right exercises, and a lot of patience—but any horse can learn to carry themselves through a bend.
Want a systematic approach to building suppleness? From Stiff to Supple in 28 Days gives you the exercises and the structure to unlock your horse’s body—so circles stop being a fight.
