Turn Your Horse with Ease

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Sometimes, when we want our horses to turn, we just resort to pulling on the inside rein and forget about using our outside aids. When we do this, our horses to over-bend in the neck and fall out through the outside shoulder. Instead of turning, all their energy just falls out through the outside shoulder and we just end up pulling more and more trying to get them to turn in the direction we want them to go…sound familiar? If this is happening, don’t worry! This is super common, and I have some great exercises to help you fix this!

Okay, now onto the tips! How can you work on getting your horse to execute better turns? The key is to “turn the shoulder, not the bridle”! I love this phrase because it gives a clear picture of how to properly turn your horse using the outside aids to guide the shoulder around the turn instead of turning them by the inside rein. When you can use your outside aids as a “wall” to guide your horse around turns, your turning problems will disappear and you will have a much more balanced, uphill horse. Here are a couple of exercises to work on this:

·       Ride a Square – A great exercise to practice using your outside aids to turn your horse is to ride a square. Start at the walk, and at each corner, think about closing your outside upper thigh and outside rein to turn your horse’s shoulder around the corner. Imagine you are making a wall with your outside aids. Once you turn your horse around the corner, walk straight out of the turn. Practice this exercise in both directions. Once you feel that this is easy, you can give it a try at the trot!
·       Ride a Diamond – Similar to the square exercise, the Diamond Exercise is great for practicing your turns, especially if you are having trouble riding a symmetrical circle. For this exercise, instead of riding a round circle, you will turn your horse at each point of the circle and ride straight, then turn your horse at the next point, and ride straight. Keep the same image in your head of creating a wall with your outside aids (upper thigh and outside rein) to guide your horse’s shoulder around the turn. Try this in both directions at the trot and even the canter if you feel comfortable.

Watch the video where I go into more detail on how to ride each exercise and demonstrate correct vs. incorrect turns! I hope these tips help you with your turns!

Happy Riding!
Amelia

00:00 Introduction
01:00 Don't Pull on the Inside Rein
02:38 The Square Exercise
03:38 Turning Aids
05:19 Diamond Exercise
07:08 Free Pirouette Webinar/End of Video

[anitazeitler]

Amelia, your videos are awesome. As someone who is naturally analytical, the granularity of your explanations down to exactly which parts of the body are needed for aids is tremendously helpful. Love your lessons. Happy riding!

[CDN_Bookmouse]

The square has been an incredibly valuable exercise for myself and my lease horse. Sometimes he convinces me that he needs a lot more leg than he really does, and this helps me feel how well he's responding. It helps sharpen both of us up, and gets him thinking about sitting on his haunches more. It really improves the quality of his canter as well. I love the square.

[michelekanefsky]

Great vid as always! Your demonstration has helped us turning!

[joelbailey]

Thanks Amelia. Great reminder for the concept" turn the shoulder" and " turn the saddle".

[leannesaraceno]

What I find is helpful for me is “look and turn”. I know you can’t exaggerate the looking part in dressage, but it’ll help others in the beginning.

[weloveniscemi]

Thank you so much for this! I compete on the western dressage circuit and this is more so a tendency because our horses carry their heads lower. This is excellent advice that I plan on putting to use immediately! Thank you again!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[krdorner]

Really interesting, thank you. What are you doing with the inside leg during the turn? I thought we were to initiate the turn with the inside leg. Or do we actually initiate with the outside upper leg and outside rein. And tip the nose a bit with the inside rein? Appreciate it

[ajc]

I have been having trouble for awhile now understanding my legs aids this was very helpful :)

[brentonkelly]

Hmm, very interesting Amelia. Thanks for sharing....yes, like others have said, great audio/video production, and helpful information and techniques. Well done.

[sophiekemmerling]

I love your explanation! Thank you so much; feel like riding again 💗

[spaziocasainterioare]

Looking again this video and i love it, thank you so so much! So well explained!! As we cant do many circles now, left hind a bit weak now, wonder if those turns are less demanding biomecanic wise, versus a circle. If so i will do this exercise for a while till i introduce more and mroe circles :) Thank you so so much!!!

[Clara-ehgy]

Is the rein on the outside shoulder pushing the horse to the direction were turning or is it only closing the hand ?

[Taurus]

Wow I hope to the lord that I will have a horse in the next few days🙏🏼💜

[c_and_l]

Can you please explain what you mean by close the rein? That's not a phrase I've come across before. Maybe I know it under a different term?

[meganpahl]

So basically, these turns are a combination that f leg yield with neck reining?

[joannesimpson]

How do you keep inside bend when turning with your outside aids? My horse stops bending his ribcage round my inside leg when I turn with my outside aids and then he just turns like a plank of wood.

Also what saddle are you riding in? It's beautiful!

[AmraK-ftti]

What can i do with my horse when i ask for flexion but he ends up turning completely. Appreciate it

[horsecrazygal]

My horse tends to fall in. I also find he struggles more going clockwise. Any tips?