Improving the Horse on the Flat;
Circles and Turns
Circles and turns help to improve a horses bend and suppleness. O’Leary (2012) defines suppleness ‘Suppleness is the ability for the horse to be able to bend its’ lateral and longitudinal muscles. If a horse is supple it is flexible and gymnastically strong, enabling him to swing in his back. This allows the horse to travel free of tension with cadence in the movement’ therefore a horse that is supple and bends easier will be able to perform lateral work much more easily.
The aim of circles and turns as an exercise will make the horse suppler; this will prepare a horse for lateral work. Trying to teach a horse lateral work without being supple will become too much and will be too hard for the horse to do so. A supple horse would achieve much greater results in lateral work then a less supple horse. (Beck-Broichsitter, 2009)
A horse should be able to bend equally on both reins; however some horses find it harder to bend one way then another. The perfect horse’s hindquarters would not swing out when riding a turn or a circle. When riding a straight line neither the horse nor the rider should lean in or out and the rhythm should remain consistent throughout all of the exercise. (Bell and Day, 2008)
The aim of circles and turns as an exercise will make the horse suppler; this will prepare a horse for lateral work. Trying to teach a horse lateral work without being supple will become too much and will be too hard for the horse to do so. A supple horse would achieve much greater results in lateral work then a less supple horse. (Beck-Broichsitter, 2009)
A horse should be able to bend equally on both reins; however some horses find it harder to bend one way then another. The perfect horse’s hindquarters would not swing out when riding a turn or a circle. When riding a straight line neither the horse nor the rider should lean in or out and the rhythm should remain consistent throughout all of the exercise. (Bell and Day, 2008)
Figure 11 shows the outline of the exercise discussed below.
(Bell and Day, 2008)
(Bell and Day, 2008)
The exercise ‘Four Small Collected Circles within a 20m Circle’ could be used to improve the horse when riding on the flat.
The first part of the exercise is to ride a 20m circle and then within that circle four smaller circles of 10m should be ridden (Bell and Day, 2008). All circles that are 10m or smaller must be done in sitting trot (Ross, 2002). The more collected the horse is the more impulsion is generated. The circles must be accurate with the correct bend. This exercise must be done on both reins so that the horse does not become suppler on one side; it is easier to start a horse off on their preferred rein so that it is not too hard to begin with. All new exercises should be performed first in a walk, and then as the horse and rider become more confident with the exercise the pace can be increased. (Bell and Day, 2008)
If a horse finds 10m circles too hard to perform correctly the rider could start off with using serpentines, this way the horse is still learning to bend correctly however not having to do so at such a tight degree. The exercise can also increase in pace however the horse will need to understand a flying change, which is not needed in the first exercise. Performing the 20m circle and 10m circle exercise only works the horse on one rein at a time however the serpentine is a constant change of rein therefore the horse will be worked evenly providing that the loops are the same size and the exercise is done correctly. (Print, 2011)
The first part of the exercise is to ride a 20m circle and then within that circle four smaller circles of 10m should be ridden (Bell and Day, 2008). All circles that are 10m or smaller must be done in sitting trot (Ross, 2002). The more collected the horse is the more impulsion is generated. The circles must be accurate with the correct bend. This exercise must be done on both reins so that the horse does not become suppler on one side; it is easier to start a horse off on their preferred rein so that it is not too hard to begin with. All new exercises should be performed first in a walk, and then as the horse and rider become more confident with the exercise the pace can be increased. (Bell and Day, 2008)
If a horse finds 10m circles too hard to perform correctly the rider could start off with using serpentines, this way the horse is still learning to bend correctly however not having to do so at such a tight degree. The exercise can also increase in pace however the horse will need to understand a flying change, which is not needed in the first exercise. Performing the 20m circle and 10m circle exercise only works the horse on one rein at a time however the serpentine is a constant change of rein therefore the horse will be worked evenly providing that the loops are the same size and the exercise is done correctly. (Print, 2011)