I hear you think: ππ§π§ π€π°πΆπ³π΄π¦ π’ π€πͺπ³π€ππ¦ πͺπ΄ π³π°πΆπ―π₯! Well, we, as horseback riders know how hard it can be to ride a perfect round circle.
How many times have you heard that your circle looks like an egg? Believe me, you are not the only one!
Circles are very useful to improve the balance, suppleness and straightness of a horse.
Here are my three tips to ride round circles:
- Imagine the 4 points you need to touch in order to make a round circle and ride from point to point by using a bow.
- If making a circle at A or C; you should not ride into the corners.
- Look into the direction you are going and bend your shoulders into the same direction.
Common problems and possible solutions:
1. Your horse makes the circle smaller β‘οΈ push your horse with your inside leg to your outside rein.
2. Your horse makes the circle bigger β‘οΈ keep your horse from drifting to the outside with your outside rein and outside leg.
3. Your horse isn’t straight on the circle β‘οΈ his haunches need to follow the forehand. Don’t do too much, just keep him between both your hands and legs and ride forward.
In for a challenge?
You can ride ’The Spiral’
Start with a 20meter circle and make the circle every time a little bit smaller. When on the small circle, stay a moment on this small circle, then make the circle every time a bit bigger until you are at the 20 meter circle again.
Make sure that YOU control the size of the circle and not your horse. Controle the shoulders and the haunches, and stay in your pace.
Golden tip:
The size of your small circle depends on the level of training you are. If you or your horse are not that advanced, you can make a small circle of 15 meters and a big circle of 20 meters. If you have more experience you can make a small circle of 10 or 8 meters and a big circle of 20 meters.
If you have tried this exercise, I would love to hear how it went. You can leave a message in the comments.
Enjoy your training! π
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