Can a horse turn easily? Yes, a well-trained horse should turn easily and smoothly in response to gentle cues. Good turning skills are the foundation of all horseback riding techniques. They show that the horse is listening and working correctly with the rider. This guide will give you clear steps to teach your horse safe and neat turns.
The Core of Successful Turning
Turning a horse is more than just pulling the reins. It involves the whole body of the horse and rider. A good turn uses the horse’s hindquarters, keeps the horse balanced, and maintains rhythm. We aim for a turn where the horse stays on the bit and keeps moving forward.
Basic Principles of Equine Movement
Before we detail the steps, we must look at how a horse moves naturally. A horse naturally bends its body around an object it wants to go past. We use this natural tendency. When you ask for a turn, you are asking the horse to bend its spine and step underneath its body with the inside hind leg. This is key for control.
Setting the Stage: Rider Position for Turning
Your body is the primary aid. If you are not balanced, your horse cannot balance while turning.
Maintaining the Correct Seat
Keep your weight centered in the saddle. Do not lean into the turn. Leaning shifts your weight to the inside, making the horse drop its shoulder and lose balance.
- Sit tall and deep.
- Keep your hips level.
- Look where you want to go, not at the horse’s neck. Your eyes guide your body.
Leg Aids for Direction
Your legs give the power and ask for the bend.
- Inside Leg: This leg asks the horse to bend its body inward. It should stay near the girth, asking the horse to step its inside hind leg under its body.
- Outside Leg: This leg is crucial for keeping the horse straight and preventing the hindquarters from swinging out. It acts as a boundary behind your inside leg.
Using the Reins: Soft Contact is Vital
The reins control the horse’s head and neck, which guides the shoulders. This is where many riders struggle. Too much pull ruins the turn.
Interpreting Rein Aids
We use the reins in opposition when turning. Think of the reins as two separate ropes, not one tight connection.
- Inside Rein: Gently ask the horse’s nose to turn toward the inside of the circle or corner. This is a slight softening or yielding cue, not a yank.
- Outside Rein: This is your fence. It controls the speed and prevents the horse from over-bending its neck or drifting out. Maintain steady, consistent contact.
Table 1: Rein Use Summary for a Left Turn
| Rein | Action | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Left Rein (Inside) | Slight soft pull towards your hip. | Asks the horse’s nose to turn left. |
| Right Rein (Outside) | Steady contact, slightly restraining. | Keeps the horse’s shoulder aligned and prevents drifting. |
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Simple Turns
We start with large, sweeping turns before moving to sharp corners. These exercises help refine horse gait control and rider aids.
Large, Sweeping Turns (Schooling on the Flat)
When schooling horses on the flat, the first goal is smooth directional change without losing rhythm.
- Look: Fix your gaze on the point where you want the turn to end.
- Seat: Shift your weight slightly to the inside hip (maybe 5%). Keep your seat deep.
- Legs: Apply the inside leg lightly behind the girth. Use the outside leg firmly behind the girth to stop the hindquarters from moving out.
- Reins: Gently soften the inside rein. Keep the outside rein steady.
- Execution: Allow the horse’s shoulders to follow the nose. The hind legs will follow the shoulders. Maintain a steady pace.
Making Accurate Corners
Corners on a square or arena are critical. They test if the horse is truly supple and responsive to your riding aids for horses.
- Approach: Ride straight toward the corner. Maintain impulsion.
- The Setup (Before the Corner): Begin your setup one to two horse lengths before the actual corner point.
- Initiation: As you approach, apply the aids slightly earlier than you think you need to. Use the inside leg actively to push the inside hind leg forward, encouraging the bend.
- Through the Corner: Maintain soft, steady pressure on all aids. The horse should bend its body around an imaginary point at your inside knee.
- Exit: As you straighten out after the corner, release the inside leg aid and confirm straightness with the reins before reapplying the aids for the next direction. This shows improving horse responsiveness.
Developing Advanced Turning Skills
Once large circles and corners are easy, you can work on more precise maneuvers essential for disciplines like dressage. These require true suppleness and collection.
Shoulder-In: The Building Block for Collection
The shoulder-in is not technically a turn, but it teaches the horse to bend away from the rider’s outside leg and use its body correctly for turns. It is vital for dressage training tips.
In a shoulder-in, you ask the horse to move its entire shoulder inward, away from the rail, while maintaining straightness in the hindquarters.
- The inside rein asks the nose to yield slightly inward.
- The outside rein keeps the shoulder from swinging out.
- The inside leg maintains energy.
- The outside leg asks the hindquarters to step slightly under the body, maintaining energy.
Leg Yields: Bending While Moving Forward
The leg yield asks the horse to move laterally (sideways) while maintaining forward motion. This makes the horse supple laterally, which improves turning ability.
Ask the horse to move away from your inside leg pressure across the arena. The horse’s body is angled slightly toward the rail, but it is moving forward and sideways.
Pirouettes and Turn on the Forehand
These are high-level movements that demand exceptional balance and suppleness.
Turn on the Forehand
This is fundamental for advanced horse training. It teaches the horse to pivot around the stationary inside hind leg, using the outside hind leg to step across.
- Preparation: Establish a straight, steady forward connection.
- Position: Halt the horse. Place your outside leg slightly behind the girth, asking the horse to step the outside hind leg across the inside hind leg.
- Direction: Use the inside rein to keep the head straight or slightly toward the direction of the turn. The outside rein controls the pace of the pivot.
- Goal: The horse pivots 90 degrees or more without moving its front feet, which should remain relatively still. This dramatically increases hindquarter awareness.
Pirouettes (Turn on the Hindquarters)
A pirouette is a 360-degree turn on one hind leg. It requires the horse to be highly collected and supple. This is an extension of the turn on the forehand concept, but done in motion.
The horse must maintain balance and impulsion during the rotation. The outside hind leg moves actively in small circles underneath the horse.
Troubleshooting Common Turning Issues
Poor turning often reveals issues with improving horse responsiveness or foundational training gaps. Here are common problems and solutions.
Problem 1: The Horse Drifts Out on the Rail
This means the horse is falling out through the shoulder, often due to lack of inside leg engagement or rider leaning out.
- Fix: Increase activity with your inside leg. Use the outside rein more firmly to hold the shoulder in line. Slow the pace slightly to regain balance before speeding up again.
Problem 2: The Horse Over-Bends Its Neck
The horse ducks its nose in, pulling its neck sharply toward the inside. This results in losing the straightness of the shoulders and falling onto the forehand.
- Fix: The outside rein is your primary tool here. Keep a steady, soft contact on the outside rein, using it to maintain the alignment between the poll and the shoulder. Do not let the inside rein be the only aid used.
Problem 3: Losing Forward Momentum (Speed Drops)
When riders ask for a turn, they often inadvertently stop driving the horse forward.
- Fix: Always ask for the turn while maintaining impulsion. The aids for turning (leg and rein) must be secondary to the aid for going forward. If the speed drops, immediately use an encouraging squeeze with the inside leg and a light tap with the whip behind the leg if needed.
Problem 4: The Horse Steps Out with the Inside Hind Leg
When turning left, the inside hind leg swings out to the right instead of stepping under the body. This means the horse is relying only on the front end to turn.
- Fix: This shows a lack of lateral suppleness. Go back to teaching a horse to back up straight, then practice leg yields. In the turn, actively press the inside leg slightly back behind the girth momentarily, asking the hind leg to step more underneath, then immediately bring the leg back to the side to maintain the bend.
The Role of Natural Horsemanship in Turning
Natural horsemanship methods emphasize pressure and release. This translates well to turning by focusing on yielding to pressure rather than fighting against it.
Yielding to Inside Leg Pressure
In natural horsemanship, a turn starts with the horse yielding its hindquarters away from pressure.
- Stand beside your horse. Gently press your hand or a whip against the flank.
- The horse should step its hind leg sideways away from the pressure.
- Release the pressure the instant the horse steps correctly.
- In the saddle, this translates to using the inside leg gently, asking for bend, and releasing the pressure as soon as the horse softens and yields its inside ribcage toward the center of the circle.
This philosophy emphasizes that the horse must offer the turn willingly, not be forced into it. If the horse resists, you are asking too much or using too much force.
Integrating Turns with Transitions and Gait Control
Smooth turning is inextricably linked to good transitions in horse riding. A horse that cannot transition well cannot turn well.
When executing a turn, the horse must maintain the quality of the gait or successfully move to a slower gait without breaking its rhythm or balance.
Turning While Transitioning Down
Turning from a canter to a trot while maintaining balance is challenging.
- Establish a strong, balanced canter.
- Look ahead to your exit point.
- Use your seat aids to lighten the hindquarters slightly (asking for engagement).
- As you initiate the turn, ask for the transition slightly earlier than usual. The required bend for the turn helps steady the hindquarters for the downward transition.
- Maintain a strong inside leg to prevent the hindquarters from falling out as the horse slows.
This exercise highlights horse gait control because the horse must manage balance across two different mechanics simultaneously.
Essential Riding Aids for Horses Checklist
Effective turning relies on using all four aids harmoniously.
| Aid Group | Function in Turning | Key Focus Area |
|---|---|---|
| Seat | Balance, initiating the bend, weight aid. | Sit deep; do not lean. |
| Legs | Power, maintaining impulsion, shaping the hindquarters. | Inside leg drives; outside leg contains. |
| Reins | Guiding the shoulders, establishing connection. | Outside rein maintains straightness; inside rein softens. |
| Voice/Whip | Support and encouragement (if needed). | Used sparingly to support the leg aids. |
Practicing the Art of the Turn in Different Gaits
Turns must be practiced consistently at every gait.
Turning at the Walk
The walk is the easiest place to perfect the feel of the bend, as there is no momentum to fight. Focus entirely on the feel of the inside hind leg stepping under the belly. If the horse resists the walk turn, it will certainly resist the canter turn.
Turning at the Trot
The trot requires more attention to balance because the horse is moving in two-beat diagonal pairs. Leaning or pulling causes significant instability. Keep the trot bouncy and active. Use a slightly wider arc until the horse is reliably on the aids.
Turning at the Canter
The canter is a three-beat gait, making it feel like the horse is naturally falling into the turn. However, riders must ensure the horse remains “on the bit” and does not lean on the inside shoulder. Always initiate turns slightly before you reach the corner point to give the horse time to adjust its balance from the front to the back.
Developing Hindquarter Awareness and Responsiveness
Many turning problems stem from the horse ignoring the rider’s request to move its hindquarters sideways or under its body. Teaching a horse to back up properly is a fantastic tool here, as backing requires precise hindquarter control.
When a horse backs well, it learns to shift its weight backward and engage its core muscles. This engagement is essential for bending and turning correctly at the walk, trot, and canter. Always ensure the horse backs up straight before asking it to back up while turning slightly. This is often a component of advanced horse training routines.
Conclusion: The Continuous Journey of Refinement
Mastering how to turn a horse is a continuous process involving subtlety, timing, and consistency. Whether you are focusing on basic arena work or complex dressage training tips, the core remains the same: clear communication through balanced riding aids. By paying close attention to your seat, applying your legs correctly, and using soft, precise rein contact, you can achieve fluid, balanced turns that benefit both you and your equine partner. Keep practicing transitions and refining the lateral work; your responsiveness will improve with every session.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the most common mistake riders make when turning?
The most common mistake is leaning the upper body into the turn. This shifts the rider’s weight onto the inside seat bone, causing the horse to drop its inside shoulder, lose balance, and resist the bend by pulling its neck outward or inward excessively.
How long does it take to teach a horse to turn well?
The time varies widely based on the horse’s age, training background, and the rider’s consistency. Basic, wide turns can be established in a few weeks with consistent work. Achieving true suppleness required for high-level maneuvers like pirouettes can take months or years of dedicated work utilizing exercises like schooling horses on the flat.
Should I use a whip when teaching turns?
A dressage whip is a supplemental aid, not a primary one. It should be used gently behind the rider’s leg to reinforce the forward or sideways action requested by the leg. If you find yourself constantly hitting the horse, it suggests your foundational leg aids or timing are inconsistent, and you need to review your basic riding aids for horses.
How does teaching a horse to back up help with turning?
Teaching a horse to back up correctly improves engagement. When backing, the horse must step its hind legs actively underneath its body. This awareness and muscle memory transfer directly to turning, where the inside hind leg needs to step forward under the body to maintain collection and bend through the movement.
What is the difference between bending and turning?
Bending is asking the horse to curve its body along its length (like moving along a crescent shape). Turning is the specific directional change resulting from that bend, usually involving a significant shift in the horse’s axis, such as moving from one line to another on a circle or corner. Good horse gait control is necessary to maintain bend during a turn.