Strides for Success

Tag: suppleness

  • Understanding and Refining Your Half Halt

    Understanding and Refining Your Half Halt

    Understanding and Refining the Half Halt - Strides for Success

    What this episode is all about & how it can help you:-

    • Understanding how the half halt is like an intercom system for your horse!
    • Timing, Timing, Timing and why you are probably doing too much for too long…
    • Thinking about riding into your hand, rather than against it
    • Working towards slowing the front end to ‘catch up’ the back-end

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    Riding horses is all about balance.  It’s a balance between your aids, it’s actual balance sitting on your horse.  However one of the most essential, yet difficult balancing acts is the half halt.  There is an ever shifting balance between the aids, the rider and the horse.  In this episode I want to dig a little deeper into the half halt with some practical advice you can use immediately to get results.

    What is the half halt?

    The half halt is a communication aid between you and your horse.  It is your way of bringing your horses attention back to you, in order for you to then give directions about what you want him to do.

    Unfortunately what often ends up happening many riders is that they are so busy babbling to their horse – via the seat, legs, reins and fingers – that when they ride a half halt, their horse has completely tuned out.  He is no longer part of the conversation at all.

    Simply put, the half halt is all about bringing your horses attention back to you, so you can then convey something to the horse. 

    It all happens much quicker than most riders imagine…

    I like to think of the ‘half’ part in the name ‘half halt’ as pertaining to the amount of time it takes to ride the aid.   No longer than half a stride.  You can then take it a step further when you think about performing the aid within one footfall of your horse.

    Many riders hold the half halt for too long, and rather than it being that fine balance we mentioned at the beginning, it becomes an anchor in the sand.  Doing this has an obvious effect on the horses way of going.

    Rather work on getting your half halt to the point where it is so refined that nobody can see you doing it, and nobody can see the effect on the horse.

    It is also important to keep in mind that your goal should be to apply the half halt BEFORE things start to fall apart.  Many riders leave it too late and this results in an almost panicked and rash use of the aids in order to rebalance.

    How should you apply the half halt?

    Firstly, there must be a clear difference between what you are doing now and what you are going to do when you apply the half halt.  This difference is often missing due to the rider being too stiff and tense in the saddle.

    Think of ‘allowing’ through your seat and back in particular.  If you can establish and then maintain a lovely looseness before you apply the half halt it will make all the difference.  The half halt is that little bit of resistance for that split second.  When used correctly and consistently your horse will feel the change.  The difference.

    It is also worth remembering that it is a ‘slight’ resistance.  Subtle.  Quiet.  This is why developing a strong core can make a difference to your communication with your horse.

    The next part is that the horse shouldn’t change course from what’s happening.  He must be moving forward before you apply the half halt aids.  Once applied, he shouldn’t slow down, he shouldn’t stop.  This is where your leg aids come into play.  With them, you will ask your horse to continue moving forward.  This all happens in a split second (that one footfall) – leg on, leg off – and ridden in a way so that you are not bumping the horse.  It must be a subtle increase in pressure, and then a decrease in pressure, all inside that split second.

    Understanding the role of your hands in the Half Halt

    The third part of this simplified explanation is your hand.  A lot of riders make the mistake of bringing their hand back in the half halt, in other words they come against the horse.

    Rather think about your legs bringing the horse into your hand. 

    Your hand will not move back.  Rather think about the resistance that began in your lower back spreading up, across your shoulders and down through your arms.  Your arms will also have a certain amount of tension, resistance, in them.  That resistance is there to meet the energy that comes through when apply your leg aids.  It is truly a balance of your aids.

    The relationship between the front end and the back-end

    The half halt is what you can use to connect the back-end to the front end.  If ridden correctly, it will cause the front end to lighten so the back-end can come under it.   In order for this to happen, the back-end must be coming forward from behind.

    The result is a lovely lightning.  It is your horse re-balancing, re-adjusting, re-calibrating everything in order to lighten and carry itself a little better. 

    It is an every changing and evolving aid

    The half halt will be ridden differently for every horse and every situation.  The balance of the aids must be adjusted to fit the current scenario.

    When working with young or less experienced horses, or less experienced riders, the lightness will not happen straight away.  It takes physical and mental development in both horse and rider in order to really tap into the true power of a subtle half halt.

    However, these instances the answer is to perform a lot more half halts than a more experienced pairing or team of horse and rider would require.

    Summing up the Half Halt in a few simple steps

    Next time you are on your horse, think about the one footfall – that you should allow first through your back before you can ask for that little bit of resistance through your back.

    How your leg is then asking the horse to continue to move on so that it is bringing the energy in, but then your hand is there to meet that.

    Your hand is not coming up against the horse, your horse is rather coming into your hand, you are holding it for a split second and then you are releasing.

    That is the half halt in a nutshell.

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

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  • Using the Humble Figure of Eight in Your Schooling

    Using the Humble Figure of Eight in Your Schooling

    Correctly Riding the Humble Figure of Eight - Daily Strides Podcast

    [smart_track_player url=”https://op3.dev/e/traffic.libsyn.com/dailystridespodcast/1020-Using-the-Humble-Figure-of-Eight-in-Your-Schooling.mp3″ title=”Using the Humble Figure of Eight in Your Schooling” social_linkedin=”true” social_pinterest=”true” social_email=”true” tweet_text=”Rethinking the Figure of Eight ” hashtag=”Horseriding #Podcast” twitter_username=”strides_success” ]

    What this episode is all about & how it can help you:-

    • How accuracy is key to riding a successful figure of eight
    • The importance of rhythm all the way through
    • The power of ‘straightness’ through the change
    • Identifying where your challenges lie

    The figure of eight can be a fantastic aid in your schooling of both yourself and your horse, if it is ridden correctly and given the focus and effort it deserves.

    The humble figure of eight is one of those things that we learn very early in our introduction to horse riding.  It can sometimes seem that it is too easy to really bother with, but the figure of eight is something you can use regardless of the level you are at in your riding.

    It is an exercise that has lots of different benefits, depending on what level you and your horse are at in your training.  For example, each of the different levels of the traditional training scale can we worked on when riding the figure of eight.

    What is the Figure of Eight?

    Simply put, the figure of eight is two circles, side by side so they look like the number eight.  What trips many riders up is the fact that while it sounds simple, riding a single accurate circle is anything but simple and has a lot of potential for things to go a little off track.

    When we put two circles together, this can lead to further challenges if not approached carefully and with a plan of how you are going to ride the movement. This is one of the reasons why the figure of eight can be so beneficial for your riding, by developing not only physically (you and your horse), but also mentally as well.  You must be able to concentrate for the amount of time it takes to get you through the full figure.

    Why Accuracy is Key to a Good Figure of Eight

    Your circles must be well planned out.  I am going to suggest that if you are not fantastic at riding a line to rather put markers out which will help keep you on track.  Put more markers than what you would think you need out there.  You are going to be thinking about so many other things when you are riding the figure of eight that probably the shape is going to be the part that ‘gives’.  And you don’t want that.

    In order for the figure of eight to be beneficial to your schooling, a correct bend must be maintained throughout the exercise.  Your markers will help you to achieve this.

    The second point to consider when speaking about accuracy with the figure of eight is the middle point where the two circles join.  You must be very specific on where exactly that point is.  I would suggest maybe putting two poles out that you have to go through each time to avoid the centre from moving!

    Knowing its exact location is essential for a good approach and an equally as good departure from it and onto the ‘new’ circle.

    Relaxation and Rhythm while riding a Figure of Eight

    Both relaxation and rhythm are key while riding the movement, whatever gait you are in.  Whether you are in walk, trot or canter you want to make sure that you have those basics in place.

    The basic that is you are relaxed and your horse is relaxed, particularly when it comes to that all important middle point. 

    As well as the relaxation, you also want to notice that you are working to maintaining the rhythm.  A lot of riders will find that when they are on the circle the rhythm is great, but as soon as they begin approaching that middle point.  This is because you are preparing a lot of things to happen in order to successful change rein at this point, and it is easy to lose the rhythm (or / and relaxation) because of this.

    Riding the Figure of Eight

    When you are riding a circle on the left rein (circling to the left), you are riding in a particular way.  Your outside leg is going to be slightly behind or back from where your inside leg is; they are definitely not equal on your horse’s sides.

    The same applies to our seat bones and also our shoulders – our shoulders are going to be mirroring our horse’s shoulders, and they are not going to be ‘equal’.

    However, when you are approaching the middle point of your figure of eight, all this needs to change.  Your inside will become your outside and your outside will become your inside.  A lot has to happen in a small space of time, so I suggest simplifying things by riding a couple of strides of straightness each time at the middle point.

    Giving yourself between three and five strides where you are straightening things out will allow you to be more accurate and also help to maintain the rhythm and relaxation through the change as well. 

    Potential Areas for Things to Go Wrong

    There are two key areas where things have a lot of potential to go off track when it comes to riding a figure of eight.  The first is where the one circle ends, as you are approaching the ‘X’ or middle point (the point where the two circles intersect).  That final quarter of the circle what can sometimes lose its shape due to your horse beginning to fall in.

    To prevent this from happening, you must ride every stride.  Even though you are thinking ahead and you are planning for those couple of strides of straightness, you are not ignoring that final quarter of that circle in order to get there.

    The circle has to continue and you have to maintain the bend and stay on track in order to make that happen.

    The second area where things can potentially go off track is when you have passed the intersection point (the middle ‘X’ point) and have started on your second circle.  It is easy to ride off track by going too far out or a little bit too short.  Basically, our horse either falls out, or falls in.

    There can be a few reasons for this, but it is usually due to the rider not being very clear about where they want to go.  The lack of clarity in the riders plan leads to a lack of clarity in the aids and the communication in general.

    Keeping on Track

    Again, the biggest reason most riders ride mediocre figure of eights is because they underestimate all that is involved in riding a successful one.

    Focus on sitting tall in the saddle, having a good plan about where you are going to ride and how and then making it happen.  Use markers to plan out that track that you want to ride on, and then as you get better at it you can take the markers away and start to use your own eye – your line – to ride it.

    Begin in walk, building up to trot and later canter.  In canter, you can transition through that ‘X’ back down to trot, or you can ride a flying change.

    The beauty of the figure of eight is how versatile it is depending on your level of riding.

    Riding a good quality figure of eight will lead to increased suppleness, which is the next step of that all-important Training Scale for both you and your horse.  But in order to work on suppleness, the foundational pieces of the rhythm and the relaxation must be in place.  Let them be your focus the next time you ride a figure of eight in the arena.

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

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  • The Training Scale for You & Your Horse

    The Training Scale for You & Your Horse

    The Training Scale for You and Your Horse

    It is always nice to have a plan or a map to follow when learning something new.  The training scale is that map for many riders when they begin schooling their horse.  However, the training scale can be equally as valuable for you, the rider.  It is a road map to help keep you on track with your riding.

    So before we begin, let’s be clear about what the training scale actually is.  The training scale is sequence of different aspects of training which, when worked through, has been found to develop horses correctly for being ridden.

    While each step is an individual aspect of training, none of them will be worked on individually.  There is a relationship between all of the steps – and that association must be maintained throughout the horses training.

    For the sake this blog post, we are going to call each of these aspects ‘steps’.  Another way to look at them is as blocks.  One must be laid down in order for the next to be placed on top. 

    They take a horse from the very foundational ‘basics’ of rhythm and relaxation and, when used correctly and thoughtfully, build up to the ‘pinnacle’, which is collection.

    The Training Scale - Strides for Success

    Many riders think of the training scale as being a ‘check list’ of sorts.  They feel that once they have reached step 1, they should only focus on mastering step 2 and so on.  When you consider the training scale, it is worth noting that no one step can be correctly achieved when another step has been ignored or cast aside in order to do so.

    The training scale should rather be approached with a more holistic mindset.  Yes, the bottom steps need to be in place in order to successfully build on the next step – but while mastering the bottom steps, a keen eye should be kept on all the steps.  This same principle applies when working on the top steps, the bottom steps need to be the basis of that work.

    No one step of the training scale can be taken and worked on independently and in a vacuum

    So taking this all into account, let’s have a quick overview of those steps and how they look for both horse and rider moving forward.

    The Foundation – Relaxation

    Relaxation is often included with or instead of the first two steps of the training scale.  However, I believe that relaxation starts before a saddle is ever even place on the horse.   The term relaxation is a confusing one for many riders; mostly due to our pre-programmed ideas of relaxation including a swimming pool, a lounger and a beverage!

    True relaxation is when horses and their riders lack excess tension, physically and mentally

    Some tension is needed in order for the horse to carry himself.  This is also true of the rider, a certain amount of tension is necessary.  It is the excess tension, caused by anxiety, stiffness, fear, nervousness, excitement and a whole list of other basic feelings, that causes the lack of true relaxation in the horse.

    The amount of relaxation required will depend on both horse and riders level of training.  Relaxation is relative, however it is also essential to correct riding – in both horse and rider.

    Step 1 – Rhythm

    Rhythm can be defined as a “strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound”.  The key words in that description are regular, repeated pattern.   Each horse has their own natural rhythm.  This is equally true of riders.

    Rhythm, like relaxation, starts on the ground.  The rhythm of the routine you have created for your horse.  What works, what doesn’t.  Learning to know your horses natural rhythm begins here

    In the saddle, the repeated pattern is the footfalls or hoofbeats. The rhythm should not change.  It can be repeated more or less in a given time – and this the tempo that is being changed – but the rhythm itself should remain the same.

    As a rider, you must learn to first follow the rhythm.  Many riders try to force a rhythm on their horse, however forcing the rhythm will actually break your horses natural rhythm.

    Rhythm must initially be worked with, not worked on 

    A loss of rhythm will immediately direct your attention to a loss of balance.  It is learning to pin point that very first beat out of your horses natural rhythm that will determine your success as a rider.  Once the break in rhythm is identified, you can work at re-establishing it again.

    Rhythm & relaxation must be present in all other steps of the trainings scale in order for them to be correct and true

    Step 2 – Suppleness

    Suppleness, rhythm and relaxation are often shuffled around on the first two steps, depending on what training scale you are working from.  However, rather than allowing this to confuse you, think of all three as being equally as essential in order to begin building things further.  Visually, it would look like a triangle, all parts being necessary to maintain each other.

    Suppleness is the elasticity or ‘loosey gooseyness’ that your horse needs in order to use himself to the best of his abilities. It is the ease at which he can perform the work required of him

    Many riders think suppleness is address solely in the warm up phase of riding and schooling, however your horse must have suppleness throughout all his movements when being ridden.

    Stiffness will stop the energy flowing through your horse; and in order to truly connect your horses back-end and front ends together, that energy must be allowed to flow as easily as possible

    From the riders perspective, a lack of suppleness will negatively impact the horses way of going.  Riders often make the mistake of focusing only on their horses suppleness.  They then become frustrated as their progress seems to stall.  The rider must try to consistently improve their own suppleness if they wish to be effective in the saddle.  Remember, the training scale is equally as important for the rider as it is for the horse.

    Due to its direct impact on the flow of the energy through your horse, suppleness, along with relaxation and rhythm, must be present before your horse can begin working on step 3 of the training scale.

    The Training Scale for You and Your Horse

    Step 3 – Contact & Connection

    Once both you and your horse can perform work to a certain level while effectively maintaining relaxation, rhythm and suppleness, you can begin working on improving your contact and connection.

    I like to think of the contact as being a conversation with your horse.  A good conversation has a certain give and take, and ebb and flow, to it – and it is important to consider this when it comes to your contact

    Many riders think of contact as being the thing that creates the ‘head carriage’ in their horses ‘frame’.  Unfortunately if you approach contact or connection in this way, you will actually set your training – and your riding – backwards.

    Contact must first of all be established and then maintained as the horse is being ridden.  It requires soft hands, soft elbows and also good posture and position in the saddle.  A fixed contact will lead to the disappearance of the relaxation and suppleness in both you and your horse.

    Contact and connection are like the ‘banks’ of the river that is your horses flow of energy.  They are how you can begin to direct, influence and channel that energy as your horse is working

    For this reason, it is important to consider your overall position, seat and leg aids as being a part of the contact.  If you seat is heavy or if you are pushing, or shoving with your seat, that energy cannot flow, which will then prevent you from having that elastic contact you need in order to correctly work your horse.

    Steps 4, 5 and 6 – Impulsion, Straightness & Collection

    As your horse works through the first three steps of the training scale, rhythm, suppleness and contact, it is important to keep the next steps in mind.

    For example, there is a certain amount of energy needed to come from behind, impulsion, in order to truly maintain a working contact.  There is also a certain amount of straightness needed when working on truly suppling your horse.

    I will go into more detail on the other three steps of the training scale next week.  However, I strong suggest working on your relaxation and rhythm with the end in mind.

    It is also worth noting that, as I mentioned at the beginning, the training scale is not a checklist.  You cannot forget about rhythm as soon as you begin working on suppleness, or even collection.  Each of the steps need the previous steps to be in place and operating correctly in order for that step to be mastered.  Collection cannot happen without rhythm being present.

    And all of the steps have the potential to test the abilities of both you and your horse, even at the most basic levels of your training.  Investing the time and effort in learning to master the basics will see both you and your horse progress correctly later.

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    If you download the free poster of the training scale, I will send you some information on each of the ‘steps’ in more detail.  It is 100% free and you can sign up HERE to access it.

    Happy riding
    Lorna

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  • Asking Your Horse to Lengthen the Stride in Canter

    Asking Your Horse to Lengthen the Stride in Canter

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    You turn the corner and ask your horse to lengthen the stride in canter a little.  But, instead of covering more ground with each passing stride, it feels like his legs have begun to move nineteen to the dozen.  Flashbacks to pony riding are flying through your brain…  And the rushing and racing is becoming more intense with each passing stride!

    The result is that, yes sure, you are definitely covering more ground however you also have less control, less energy, and a lot more tension in each stride.  And this is a problem, particularly when there are obstacles to be navigated on a jumping track!

    Why Lengthen the Stride?

    Being able to effectively lengthen the stride in the canter is important in both flatwork and jumping.  The key is the lengthen throughout the whole body, covering more ground.

    But doing so without losing the energy, connection, balance, and rhythm that is necessary to keep engagement during the movement.

    The stronger and more developed and agile your horse is, the easier he will find it to lengthen and shorten his stride to greater degrees which, particularly in jumping, is often the difference between a successful exercise or not.  It will also allow him to make changes faster with less transition time in between and without sacrificing balance and rhythm.

    Your horse most remain relaxed throughout the lengthening because any shortening will result in the strides actually becoming more ‘choppy’, shorter and quicker rather than longer, flowing and connected

    Lengthening Versus Increased Speed

    Often, lengthening the stride is confused with an increase in speed.  I have found that a simple exercise for riders to do on the ground (on their own two feet) is often enough to allow riders to see the differences between lengthening the rushing.

    Begin by ‘cantering’ on your own two legs on the ground.  Yes, you might look a little silly, but bear with me here.  So, as you are there, merrily skipping along, begin by seeing how little distance you can cover with each ‘stride’ of your skip.  Now, start experimenting with how much distance you can cover with each ‘stride’ of your skip.

    Notice how the longer the stride or distance, the more ‘stretching you are having to do?  Also, notice how you have to bring your initial foot that is pushing off on each ‘stride’ underneath you in order to achieve any forwardness in your skip?  Each stride sets the next up.

    Engaging Your Horses Hindquarters

    Well, it is a similar principle for your horse.  Rather than the hind end being left behind as he works to lengthen the stride in canter, rather think about the hindquarters stretching forward.

    The more underneath him he can engage his hind legs with each stride, the more they can propel him further along in the stride itself

    Straightness Through His Body

    So in order for your horse to correctly be able to lengthen the stride, his body must be straight throughout the canter to begin with.  If his hind quarter tends to drift one way or the other, it stands to reason that the ‘propulsion’ will not be equal through the body.  This will leave him unable to create the energy required to truly lengthen the stride.

    Begin by working on straightness.  Having mirrors in the arena are a great help for this as they allow you to assess your horse is truly correct and straight through his body while working.  Or you can also ask someone on the ground or take some photographs or videos.  Take from both a head-on angle and directly from behind.  These are often the easiest angles to see if there is any tendency to carry the hindquarters a little more to the inside or outside.

    Keep in mind that your horse’s straightness is often very much in relation to your straightness in the saddle

    Make sure that you are symmetric through your body and carrying yourself equally on both sides.  Also assess any tendencies you might have to be a little stronger with one leg over the other.  Perhaps you are a little crooked through your hips, which will almost always affect the quality and straightness of the canter.

    Asking Your Horse to Lengthen the Stride in Canter

    Straightness Through Your Seat

    The reason that your balance and straightness are so important when cantering, and particularly when asking your horse to lengthen the stride, is that a lot of the ‘asking’ is with your seat.  When we canter, our seat moves with the horse in an almost circular, rolling motion.  Being able to identify this movement in your body and then adjust it as you want is key to making transitions up and down within the canter itself.

    It is often described as a ‘scoop’ action and I think this is a good description because a scoop comes ‘up’.  This up part of the movement is necessary to allow the energy to connect through your horse’s back from the hindquarters to the front end.

    Spend time working on isolating the particular muscles in your core that are responsible for this movement in your body.  Then begin experimenting with your horse how modifying the movement translates across to your horse in the canter

    Remain Consistent Through Upper Body

    Also make sure that you are able to follow with your pelvis and lower torso, while making sure your upper body remains balanced and as still as possible.  A lot of riders make the mistake of cantering with their shoulders and chest.

    Rather see your shoulders as being responsible for maintaining a consistent, following, and elastic contact with your elbows.  From here, work on establishing the same connection to your horse’s mouth.  

    This is pretty much impossible if your shoulders are shaking and twisting around in the saddle, while your pelvis is locked and stiff.

    Prepare the Transition

    So, now that we have a better understanding of what our horse actually does when he lengthens and of what we should be doing while it is happening, let’s look at setting the transition up.  When starting out first, it is often easier to lengthen after you have asked for a few shorter strides first.

    Using your half halt, begin rebalancing your horse in the canter.  Think about moving with him and following him in the canter, but also about how you want him to lengthen.  If he lengthens correctly, his hindquarters will come further underneath him, which will in turn, lighten his front end a little more.

    So rather than your horse becoming all strung out with a downward trajectory, think of your horse as an aeroplane.  This bum is low his front is higher.  Keep this in mind as you ask for the half halts and also as you ask him to lengthen.

    Asking for ‘Longer’ Strides

    Once your canter is established and your horse is listening to you, you can begin asking with your seat for a ‘longer’ movement each stride.  Keep in mind that your seat and hands are connected, so it is important to also allow for this ‘stretching’ with your contact as well.   This does not mean throwing the reins at your horse; consistent contact is essential.  Also, continue to use your leg with each stride, to ensure that energy is constantly being created behind to continue to push or propel your horse forward.

    Pay close attention to the tempo; rather than speed up, it should either remain consistent or actually slow down a little as your horse covers more ground – so has more time between each footfall – with the longer stride

    If the tempo speeds up, it usually signals that your horse has excess tension in his body.  Said differently, he is rather doing his best ‘pony’ impression than actually reaching for more length with each passing stride!

    An Inch is Longer…

    Also when you initially begin to lengthen think of each stride as reaching further than the last.  It takes quite a bit of development and strength on your horse’s part to lengthen his body while continuing to work forward with impulsion.  So rather than just pushing him faster, build each stride a few inches longer than the last.  As he becomes stronger and more responsive to your aids, you can ask for a longer stride from the start, but think of it as an initial ‘building blocks’.

    You may find that your horse can ‘hold’ this lengthened stride for only a few strides initially before he begins to lose the forwardness of the movement.  

    This is to be expected initially at this point, half halt again and begin to shorten the stride.  Often a small circle ridden in a working canter can help to rebalance your horse, but remember to maintain the straightness throughout both your bodies all the time.

    Lengthening and shortening of his strides in canter is a great suppling exercise to work into your schooling sessions and will help you to keep your horse fresh, responsive, and agile regardless of what your chosen discipline is.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

    Connection for Equestrians

    Are you interested in the step by step instructions as to how to ride your horse correctly and influence the length of his canter stride? There are 5 audio horse riding programs dedicated to this topic (along with hundreds of other programs) inside of Connection. You can find out more about it by visiting https://stridesforsuccess.com/join/

  • Turn on the Forehand; How to Ride a Balanced One

    Turn on the Forehand; How to Ride a Balanced One

    Have you ever found yourself halfway through a turn on the forehand; either purposely or not?  Perhaps you were out hacking and there was a gate… You tried a little turn on the forehand, just like you had heard about, to open it, but ended up dismounting!  Or maybe your instructor or trainer mentioned it, you tried it with the best of intentions, but the final result looked nothing like how they explained it?!

    Turn on the forehand is often seen as the very first introduction to lateral work for you and your horse.  It is a great movement to begin introducing the concept of ‘yielding’ to your horse and because of this, is one of the best ways to set your horse up for leg yielding.  It requires discipline, balance, and coordination from your horse and it is a wonderful way of assessing those same qualities; discipline, a balanced seat, and coordination of aids, in the rider too.

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    More Than ‘Entry Level’

    However, because it is seen as the ‘entry-level’ lateral movement, most riders do not spend enough time really mastering this movement before moving onto other, ‘more exciting’ things in the saddle!  In fact, because the turn on the forehand has been ridden so badly for so long by so many riders, a lot of instructors and trainers no longer use this tool when training riders and horses.

    This is a pity because while turn on the forehand might only be the beginning or first step of the lateral ladder, it does not mean that it is the easiest movement in the book to master.  

    In fact, the mere fact that you are introducing something new to your horse and then will use the same principles to build your further lateral movements should dictate that the ability to ask for and then ride a turn on the forehand should be of much greater importance when training riders and horses.

    I have found that the reasons many riders struggle with turn on the forehand is due to a lack of understanding about setting it up, confusion regarding the aids to work through it and also, lack of clarity on exactly what the horse should be doing with his body and feet to correctly perform the movement

    What is Turn on the Forehand?

    So, what is turn on the forehand?  Well, the simple explanation is that the horse’s hindquarters or back legs move in an arc or circular shape around the front legs, which remain very close to where they started for the duration of the movement.  So imagine your horse has halted square and you prepare to ask a turn on the forehand to the left.  Using your left leg, your horse will begin to move his hindquarters away, yielding, to your requests.  All the while, his front feet will remain in the same area as he moves his hindquarters around them.

    Picture the face of a clock and then the center of the clock, where the arms are attached to the clock face.  Your horse is the ‘clock arm’ and his front feet in the halt are exactly at the point, in the center of your clock, where the arms are secured. 

    Now, pick a place on the actual arc of the clock itself (where the numbers are on the clock face).  This is where the hindquarters are currently positioned at the halt.  The turn on the forehand is simply moving the hindquarters mark further around the circle, perhaps from the 9 o’clock mark, around to the 12 o’clock mark and even on to the 3 o’clock mark.  The front legs stay at the center of the clock at all times.

    Encouraging Flexion

    Your horse’s back should remain straight throughout the movement, so no curving or bending.  However, he will have a slight flexion at the poll to the inside, which he will maintain throughout the movement.  He will also step with all four feet, in sequence to walking, but with only the hind feet really covering any ground.   The front feet will merely march or keep time on the spot for all of their steps.

    A BALANCED TURN ON THE FOREHAND

    The rider must remain balanced throughout the movement.  They must ask for the flexion with the inside hand, weight the inside seat bone slightly, ask for ‘over’ with the inside leg, and then use the outside rein to balance that movement.  The outside leg will act as a ‘barrier’ of sorts, but also will help to keep the activity in the ‘steps’ as the horse moves across in turn on the forehand.

    When written in black and white, this all sounds simple enough, but such a simple explanation leaves the door wide open for a lot of different variations and wrong practices within the movement itself.

    Left or Right? Depends on Flexion

    The first part that can be confusing for many riders is the actual direction of the turn on the forehand itself.  If you are asked to ride a turn on the forehand to the left, your horse’s poll will flex slightly to the left – making this the inside -, his head will travel to the left during the movement and this, in turn, means the hindquarters will actually swing to the right (hence the confusion).

    So the named direction of the turn is the same as the flexion of you horse while he is performing the turn.  Your horse will be flexed to the inside, which is the leg you will ask your horse to move away from or yield to. So a turn on the forehand to the left will see your horse flexing through his poll to the left while moving to the right off your inside (left) leg

    Front Legs; Stationary or Not?

    Many riders are concerned that teaching their horse the turn on the forehand, with the front legs remain almost stationary, will surely mean that there is no forward movement happening – and this goes against everything they learn about riding.  However, I think this misconception comes from the fact that many riders think of turn on the forehand as just the back legs moving, the inside across in front of the outside, as the horse turns, with the front legs twisting along afterward, and forced to eventually move.  This is incorrect.  A true turn on the forehand will keep the rhythm and footfalls of the walk while it is happening.

    Think of it like the inside hind leg moves across in front of the outside hind leg, and in order to maintain alignment with the direction of the body, each of the other feet will step up, straighten out and put down, where they realign with a ‘square’ and also so as to keep the horse and rider balanced.

    So, while the horse is certainly not moving forward in the true sense of the word, the activity should be maintained throughout the movement

    Inside Leg to Outside Rein

    Another way to think about creating forward energy is by emphasizing the relationship between your inside leg, your horse’s inside hind leg, and the outside rein while the horse is performing the movement.

    Your inside leg will ask for the sideways movement, the horse will lift his inside hind leg and as he swings it across in front of his outside hind leg, your outside hand will subtly connect with that energy and tell him where to put it down.  

    Your outside leg will help to maintain the forwardness by reminding your horse, if necessary, to straighten up or align his outside back foot with the new position of the body.

    Balance of Aids

    I also want to highlight how the riders balanced seat and coordinated aids play a big part in successfully riding a turn on the forehand.  Many riders try to shove and push their horse around in this movement.  They collapse their inside shoulder and, consequently, their core muscles on that same side.  This causes their weight to shift to the outside of the saddle and is often the cause of the horse scrambling to get back under the weight of the rider to try to maintain balance for both.

    Remember to sit up through your body and ask for your horse to yield to your leg, not force.  

    I suggest that all horses are thought to yield to his pressure on the ground first, whether it be in the stable or through groundwork exercises in the arena.  Then, if your horse still struggles to understand, ask a person on the ground to help you.  Keep in mind that if your horse is confused, the chances of him doing the correct thing and, importantly, realizing what that was are very slim!

    Also, think of sitting up through your body and carrying yourself, so that when your horse does move sideways you are giving your body the best possible chance of, gracefully and subtly, following him there.

    Happy Riding

    Lorna

    Additional Resources on This Topic:-

  • Lunging for You and Your Horse

    Lunging for You and Your Horse

    Do you find that the only time you begin seriously thinking about lunging your horse is when you are about to ride, and he has just a little bit too much ‘enthusiasm’ for your liking?  Or perhaps your idea of lunging is chasing your horse round and round in circles until one or both of you are too tired (or dizzy!) to go any further?

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    Unfortunately many riders have a completely wrong opinion of lunging. It is thought of as something that, if your horse was fortunate, helped introduce him to the concept of aids, tack, balance and moving forward, but seeing as how he is now backed and riding, it is only used in extreme circumstances – or when the mood for some natural horsemanship takes hold (and I am not quite sure that falls into the lunging category at all!).

    Lunging is a wonderful way of adding some change to your  horse’s exercise and schooling routine and has many benefits which can be seen and felt for both younger and more experienced horses alike.

    Lunging also allows the rider to understand how the horse moves, what motivates the horse to move forward, to visually see how the horse can carry and use his body correctly and also incorrectly and, of course, check for soundness

    From the younger horses perspective, lunging helps them to understand how to balance themselves correctly and allows them to become familiar with both the riders aids, particularly the voice aid which can then be transferred over to when being ridden under the saddle, but also it allows them to become comfortable with not only wearing tack, but how it feels to move and work while wearing the tack.  Side reins are a great introduction to the concept of contact for young horses and allows them to begin working from behind and into the contact, without having to worry about balancing a rider on top as well.

    Just like riding, lunging is a balance that must be continuously reassessed and adjusted for if necessary.  Small, subtle actions or non-actions that are thoughtfully carried out is key to successfully lunging your horse

    For the more experienced horse, lunging will help them increase their suppleness, both longitudinally and latitudinally.  It is a wonderful way to encourage your horse to engage his hind quarter and then connect that energy to the front end, particularly with horses who have become accustomed to travelling with a hollow back.  They can really experience how to lift their backs and truly bring their hind quarters underneath them, powering them forward with every stride, rather than being in continuous ‘front wheel drive’, pulling along with the shoulders.
    Lunging for Horse and Rider
    When the horse truly begins to use his back, he can begin to carry himself better, which will help him develop, both physically and also mentally, as he learns about self carriage, again without having the rider on board.  It is far easier to then replicate this from the saddle when your horse has experienced it on the lunge, without a rider, first.  Lunging is also a great way to communicate with your horse, whether younger or older, the concept of bending through the whole body.

    However, the person lunging must first understand the relationship between the horse, the lunge line, their position, the lunge whip and their voice aids

    Now, before we go any further I feel it is really important to stress the point that lunging and loose schooling are very different methods of working with horses.  They are completely different and I feel that, perhaps due to the popularity of various natural horsemanship methods (which can be a wonderful tool in their own right), the concept and art of true lunging has perhaps become ‘diluted’ in many riders minds.

    In lunging, we are trying to replicate different movements that we can later do while in the saddle.  In order to do this your horse must be moving forward, however this forwardness must then also be contained in a contact, otherwise your horse will begin to run.

    Before you begin actually lunging, make sure you are in a suitable area.  A large round pen, and enclosed arena (which I suggest using one end or a corner to lunge in, or if you are in a field or large paddock try, again, to use a corner but if possible build a temporary fence with jumping poles or similar to create a smaller space.

    Your horse’s attention should be on you throughout the time you are working on the lunge, and often a smaller, more enclosed space can help to keep the focus on you, your body language and voice

    Correctly fitting tack is also essential and I would also suggest the use of brushing boots, especially if it is a young horse you are working with as their balance might not be the best initially!  A cavesson can be fitted with the bridle if necessary and of course, you will need a lunge line / rope and a lunge whip.  I also strongly urge you to wear gloves and your riding helmet when lunging.  A playful buck might just be directed your way and it is always better to be safe than sorry!

    Side reins are a great addition to your lunging equipment.  However, correct use of them is essential to your horse’s correct training and development.  Many riders are tempted to fit them too tightly, so their horse is ‘on the bit’ while being lunged…  Keep in mind, on the bit is only the result of a lot of other pieces being correctly assembled or established when your horse is working.  Fixing your horse’s head and neck will only result in your horse learning to hollow his back, and also, lean against the contact, both habits being the sort that will take quite a bit of time and expertise to undo once established!

    Your side reins should be used to communicate with your horse that the contact will be consistent and, equally as important, he should work into it.  Side reins are also a fantastic way, when applied the correct way so as both reins are equal, to see if you horse is truly bending.  Just like when riding, the outside rein will ‘fill up’ and the inside rein will become ‘soft’.  Don’t fall victim to the temptation to make one side rein shorter than the other in an attempt to ‘bend’ your horse.  This will only result in your horse becoming heavy and leaning on the inside rein, rather than being soft and light.

    Once you assessed that you are indeed ready to begin working your horse on the lunge line, open every lunging session by bringing your horse to the center of the circle you will be working on.  Your horse should have a basic understanding of ‘Go’ and ‘Whoa’ while being led before you begin lunging and this will become useful when your horse is working. From the center begin asking your horse to walk forward, while moving out away from you.

    Keep in mind that your position in relation to your horse and also your angle of hips and shoulders to your horse while lunging is constantly communicating messages to your horse, throughout the process

    Just like when actually in the saddle, your contact (in this case with the lunge line) and your forward or driving aids (your lunge whip, voice and also body position / language), are a vital part of the equation.  Just like when you are riding, your horse must be moving forward before you can begin making any adjustments to what is happening.

    Do not allow your horse to cross into your space.  I find that a great way to instill this concept with your horse is to make sure that when he halts, to finish his work, he does so on the ‘outer track’.  He must then wait for you to go out and ‘fetch’ him, before he can come back into the center of the circle.  If you allow him to turn into you each time you want to change rein, you are only serving to confuse your horse and eliminate any boundaries that you are working to create!

    I would also encourage you to experiment with your body language and position to your horse while lunging.  Notice at what position he associates you with no longer asking for forward.  Notice where he associates your location to him with downward transitions.  If you can begin to notice how your horse views your body language, you can then begin to refine the communication between you both, to ask for more quality work every time you are lunging your horse.

    Lunging truly does require a certain amount of discipline, accuracy and finesse from both horse and rider to be truly beneficial to your horse’s training and your education.  Becoming good at lunging takes skill, which takes time and plenty of practice to acquire.  However, investing yourself in becoming a master at this particular practice is well worth the effort in the long run, for both your and your horses.

    Happy Riding
    Lorna

     

    For more information visit the links below

    Lunging for Horse and Rider