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Turning Your Horse
In order to successfully make a change of direction the correct aids must be given to ensure that the rider is giving a clear signal to the horse.
Preparation For A Turn
Before turning your horse use a half halt to prepare them for the turn this helps to lighten the forehand and engage the hindquarters it also helps them to know that you are about to do something and therefore makes them more attentive to the aids when applied.
During the turn a half halt can also be used to re balance a horse and stop any rushing from occurring, If a turn to the left is being ridden then the outside right rein will be used for the half halt and if a turn to the right is being ridden then the outside left rein will be used to ride the half halt.
Turning to the right
- The rider checks their position, then to turn to the right the rider looks to the right and turns through their waist and shoulders to the right.
- Then using the inside (right) rein, gentle pressure is applied to ask the horse to look to the right.
- The outside ( left) rein controls the amount of bend and the speed at which the turn is done.
- The rider applies inside leg pressure on the girth with their right leg to encourage the horse to keep forwards movement.
- The outside left leg moves back behind the girth to control the hindquarters through the turn.
- The rider should have more weight in their inside right seat bone with care being taken not to lean inwards or collapse through their inside hip.
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Turning To The Left
- The rider first checks their position, then to turn the horse to the left, the rider looks to the left and turns slightly through their waist and shoulders into that direction.
- The rider places more weight in their inside left seat bone taking care not to lean inwards or collapse through their inside hip.
- Then using the inside rein (left) the rider applies gentle pressure to ask the horse to look to the left, the rider should just be able to see the horses inside left eyelash, if the rider can see all of the horses left eye then they have over bent the horse.
- The riders outside (right) rein controls the amount of bend to the left and also controls your speed.
- The riders applies pressure on the girth with their inside (left) leg to encourage the horse to maintain forwards movement and to bend to the left where the bend gets pushed into the outside rein for control.
- The riders outside leg moves a couple of inches back behind the girth, pressure is only applied with the outside leg if the horse starts to fall out to the right during the turn to the left,it is at this point that the outside leg gently squeezes to help control the hindquarters.
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