Don't Forget the Outside!

Crookedness is blamed on many things – backs, saddles and even the horse’s attitude but before you rush to the phone, cheque book in hand, do yourself a favour and make sure the cause of the problem isn’t you.

Your position could be the cause of your horse’s crookedness. Crooked riders create crooked horses. BUT. It isn’t always how you sit. It’s how you ride. There are two sides to your horse. Are you riding them both equally?

School fences are the cause of many a crooked horse. The fence takes the place of the rider’s outside leg and rein. The second you move away from it the problems begin. Get away from the track. Try using the ¾ line. Without the fence to guide your horse you’ll have to ride both sides of him.

(The ¼ and ¾ lines are one and the same thing. They’re both 5m from the track and the centre line. The ¼ is the one you reach first as you ride round the short side so depending on the rein you’re on and what you’re doing the name varies.)

Your turn onto the 3/4 line is important. It’s a corner not a ½ circle. Think how you’d honestly ride a standard corner. Inside rein for bend and inside leg to push him out? Very little outside anything. Do that turning onto the 3/4 line and your horse will fall out in spectacular fashion.  

The need for outside as well as inside leg and rein quickly becomes apparent. Both reins hold your horse’s shoulders together. Both legs push his body behind them. It sounds simple but the outside aids are often only remembered when things go wrong.

In walk, trot and canter ride large but only using ¾ of the school. The 3/4 line becomes your track. As you pass A/C look and turn your body towards the 3/4 line. Take your arms round with your body so your hands stay in front of you and together the whole time. Use both legs by the girth to push your horse’s hocks under him and to keep his quarters behind his shoulders.

Turning your body and hands in this way creates a sharp turn. Your horse moves his shoulders round as one unit. Think pirouette (even though it’s not) and push on.

Ride straight down the 3/4 line. It’s harder than it sounds. Never slow down in an attempt to straighten your horse. He needs energy to stay balanced. Ride forward into a steady contact. The slower you go the more chance you have of a wobble.

Try riding a 15m circle when you get level with X. This will take you onto the track at E/B. Don’t suddenly swing your horse into an inside bend. On a circle of this size he only needs to look where he’s going – not where he’s just been! Keep your hands together and push him forward. The circle is the easiest part of this exercise. Getting back onto the 3/4 line and riding straight is the tricky bit.

On the circle turn your body in line with the curve and focus on the fence at the end of the school. (It can be useful to mark these points with string.) You should have an equal weight in both reins at all times. You shouldn’t need to take more contact in your outside rein as you get back onto the 3/4 line to straighten your horse. Use your position to show him. Straighten your body, keep your hands together and push on.

Canter is the pace most likely to be crooked. Once in canter make sure your outside leg moves forward to its place by the girth. Leave it back and you’ll be asking your horse to put his quarters in. You’ll also sit with your inside hip further forward than your outside. If your horse does the same his quarters will swing to the inside.

To practice your transitions ask for canter on the 3/4 line. Then ride straight or ride the 15m circle. Concentrate on sitting straight and upright in the saddle. The straighter you sit the straighter your horse. It’s easier to bend a straight horse than it is to unbend a crooked one.

Even when you’re on a circle concentrate on keeping your horse straight. Too much focus on an inside bend could make you collapse to the inside, draw your inside leg up or tighten the inside of your body. All problems guaranteed to make him crooked.

10m circles are good for your horse’s balance and engagement. Ride down the 3/4 line and ride a 10m circle to the opposite one. The size of the circle is entirely down to you. Find a spot on the fence you can ride to and keep looking at it. There is no easier way to turn a horse than to look where you want to go.

Get inventive. Ride a figure of eight between 3/4 lines. Ride ½ 10m circles at each end and ride diagonally across from one line to the other. Why? Why not?

Anything you do which is different will keep your horse’s interest. If he’s interested in what you’re doing he’ll always be easier to ride. When you do go back onto the track remember to use as much outside leg and rein as you had to when you didn’t have the fence to help you. It could save you a phone call.

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.

It's not the Shape, it's What you do With it

Do you think your horse is bored with going round and round in circles? Perhaps he is. The circle is after all the most obvious shape to use in the school. But have you ever considered it might not be the shape you’re using but what you’re doing with it?

Circles come in all sizes and because of that they can be ridden anywhere in the school. Be inventive! You can ride endless circles round the school without even touching the track. Repetition only becomes boring if it’s not variable. How can you repeat something that’s variable? Try this -

Ride a 20m circle at E/B. It’s the best place for schooling because without the fence to help him your horse will have to pay attention to your aids.

The aim of the exercise is to ride a 10-15m circle at each of the four points of the 20m circle. (B, E and the points where you cross the centre line) The size of circle is dependant on your horse’s experience. Use any pace but for this post assume trot.

The beauty of this exercise is the ability to repeat it. Don’t dismiss it and think your horse will soon switch off. You can still change it. You can ride it in all three paces for a start. So although you’re sticking to the same basic pattern you can swap between paces, throw in a direct transition or two when you feel like it and even peel off and go large.

Repetition has a calming effect on sharp horses. Even the most highly strung will settle once he knows what’s coming. 10m circles make all horses use their back muscles too. Once your horse starts to move his muscles he’ll start to relax his back. Once he’s relaxed you can start to work on other things.

If your horse is less than lively the 10m circle can still work in your favour. The tight curve of the circle means he’ll have to use his hocks to stay upright. It may not turn him into an Olympic hopeful but when you go large it will improve his energy.

If your horse likes to lean you’ll probably find he gets lower and lower the more circles you ride. Don’t let him! If he’s managing to get his head between his knees or his nose to the floor your reins are too long. Stick your thumbs down hard on top of your reins and don’t let them slip. Now the rest of your fingers are free to move on the reins. Do that and he can’t lean. He can only lean on something if it’s solid.

Establish your 20m circle first. Make sure your horse is moving forwards. Small circles need energy. He’ll have to sit back on his hocks so he can balance. If you’re struggling to keep him going at this stage tap him up with the whip or go large and have a canter to liven things up.

Ride forward from both legs to create energy but be ready with your outside leg if your horse drifts off the line you’re riding to. Use your heel to correct him in its usual place. Your outside leg should only be used behind the girth to correct him if his quarters are swinging out or when you’re asking for canter or quarters in.

Add one 10m circle at a time. Start with one at E/B. Here you have the track and the centre line to guide you. (With a novice horse ride 15m and take it to the ¾ line) Ride forward as you turn onto the new circle. Turn your head and upper body in line with the curve of the circle. Your horse will feel your weight change and do the same.

Your hands are crucial to your horse’s softness, straightness and balance. Keep them up in front of you, level and maintain an even contact in both reins. Your hands control his shoulders. Lose the contact on one rein and you lose control of that shoulder. You allow him to fall in or fall out. Keeping your hands together keeps his shoulders together as one unit.

Never back off a small circle. When you hesitate or take a check you lose energy for that stride. On a small circle that’s enough to tip your horse onto his shoulder. From there he’ll find it impossible to push himself forward and your circle becomes flat. If you feel the urge to interfere use your leg not your hand. You’ll be surprised what a difference it makes.

A common rider error is to draw up the inside leg. Do that and your seat slides to the outside. Your outside hip drops lower than the inside one and your horse will do the same. If his outside hip is lower than the inside one his quarters will swing to the outside. You can try to correct him using your outside leg behind the girth but you’ll only solve this problem by sitting square in the saddle.

As you ride onto or off the 10m circle ride forwards. If your horse drops onto your hand don’t be tempted to lose the contact on one rein. Using one rein causes unevenness in your hands. This will most likely lead to him tipping his nose to one side or falling in or out.

Horses have many reactions and resistances to the things riders do. An exercise like this will draw attention to them. Take time to concentrate on your own position and you’ll soon notice a change in your horse. 

Good luck and enjoy your schooling.