Category Archives: Horse Advice

Important advice that can be applied across the equestrian sector, providing expert help and guidance on a selection of topics.

Horse Advice

Horse Scouts 6 Top Tips – Warming up from the ground

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What is a warm-up? The term ‘warm-up’ accurately describes what happens when we transition the body from a resting state to a state suitable for activity: the muscles are literally ‘warmed up’, receive increased blood and oxygen supply, gain flexibility and therefore reduce stress on tendons and ligaments.

 

A warm-up will also ensure increased oxygen supply to the blood and the elevation of the heart rate from a resting rate to an activity rate. If you warm up your horse gradually—instead of ‘jump-starting’ his heart-rate—you will also have a calmer, more relaxed, and more willing horse.

 

Sufficient warm up before exercise, training, and competition is essential, in order to avoid injury to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Our bodies-rider’s and horse’s-are made up of mostly fluids! Warming up body fuids inside muscles reduces the internal friction of a muscle and therefore prevents injury. Mobility and elasticity of muscles is increased, which minimises the strain on ligaments and tendons.

Avoid muscle spasms, discomfort, stiff gaits and in extreme cases torn muscles or tendons or anxiety and unwillingness to work by warming your horse up properly at the beginning of every ride.

Before you even get your horse out of the stable you can start a warm up routine as part of his preparation to be ridden.

Here are 6 top tips to get that blood flowing; the bonus is that it will help get you warmed up too!

  1. A warm up should always start gently.  Getting the blood to start flowing around the body and warming up the muscles. You can start by grooming your horse, and this has an added benefit of giving you the chance to check for injuries and to ensure that all sweat and mud is removed so that it cannot irritate your horse as he starts work.
  1. Having brushed you horse all over start to concentrate on the back area using a technique similar to a Swedish massage, long light stokes using the warmth of your palm and flicking up and away at the end of the stroke.  Its called “Effleurage” you can see graphics on the internet if you search the word. Basically think of it as ironing out the (metaphorical) wrinkles by moulding your palm around the muscles, as you stoke away you will feel a warmth in your hand and he will be feeling the same warmth in his muscles.
  1. Before mounting him walk him around in circles and ask him to walk forward and backwards too.  This will really help if you have a horse with a cold back.
  2. As these movements will help to warm his back muscles up and increase the
  3. blood flow around his whole body.
  1. Finally, before bitting him up, use carrot stretches to help stretch his topline muscles and engage his core muscles. Make sure he has had time to finish his mouthful before setting off. More on carrot stretches later. As these are also excellent at the end of a ride and your horse will love you for feeding him carrots.

When viewing a horse for sale this crucial step is often left out or rushed because of the time element perhaps the seller is a busy yard owner and has to move on to the next sale or job or where buying privately the seller feels rushed because they don’t want to hold you up.  However this could be an important factor in your final decision and it really is best to allow the horse to fully warm up before you get your first impression of him. Perhaps if you go for a second viewing you could ask to take the horse through a full warm up and that way you could also asses his temperament, stable manners, etc from a relaxed and quiet moment or two together, I am sure that if the seller knows you are a serious purchaser they will allow you to do this.

If you are having a training session or clinic with a professional rider then make sure you build in time to do this initial warm up when you arrive, so there is plenty of time to get ready for the start of your lesson.

Mandy Frost holds Show Jumping Clinics at The Mullacott Centre – Mandy Frost is a BS Accredited UKCC Level 3 Coach and Coach of the Year 2009 and also lead coach for Devon Junior Academy as well as being part of the Excel Coaching Programme. As well as competing Nationally. Cost – group of 3 – £20 per person: two sharing – £30 per person: individual -£60

Lucinda Fredericks  Clinics can be organised outside of eventing season. The cost is £1,000 + VAT plus travel expenses. Clinics can be a mix of flatwork, jumping skills or cross country skills or can concentrate on one discipline and can be a mix of group work and private lessons. If you book a 3 day clinic one night can include a video/Talk/Q&A Session and dinner with Lucinda on one of the nights. Lucinda can offer private lessons to individuals or groups from complete beginners right up to advanced competition riders. Lessons can be undertaken at either at Rosegarth or at external locations for more people by booking a clinic day – Lucinda often travels to local XC courses and equestrian centres to offer tuition to small groups. For lessons on site at Rosegarth please note you will need to bring your own horse with you.  Lucinda has two sessions in in Dorset 18 & 28th February 2015 – Her charges are: Individual lessons – £80 for a 45 minute session: Group lesson with 4 people – £35 each for 1 hour: Group lesson for 6 people – £25 each for 1.5 hours charges subject to VAT

 

 

 

Horse Advice

Are you looking for Choice – Horse Dealer and Breeder Caron Nichol has it all

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Since 2004 Carron Nicol, the International Show jumper, has run European Sports Horses Ltd, a large breeding, show jumping and dealing yard at Rumer Stud Farm, Long Marston Road, Welford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 8AF.

The stud has a very large selection of horses in excess of 50 available at all times ranging from foals to 12yrs. Horses are either bred by ourselves, (and they have some lovely Show Jumping stallions on our lists)  or imported from the continent. Each horse carries a one month exchange warranty. Feedback for her business in forums has been nothing but positive an being able to trial a horse for a month is a great way to make absolutely sure that you and your horse are a match.

They have 11 horses advertised with Horse Scout. One, Rosie, is a lovely looking 16.2, 5 year old mare grey KWPN by Lord Z jumping at grade C

They stand stallions Crusador,Mr Visto,Fantaland ,Bogarde,Brandon and Cassini Boy.

Rumer Stud Farm

The stud stands on 81 acres and offers excellent grazing for mares at stud.

24hr onsite supervision, Designated lorry parking, Floodlights on school

Horse walker, Individual turn out, Mirrors around school, Onsite communal tea

And they cater for, breaking & producing, breeding & stud, dealing & sales

Equestrian centre (show centres), livery – competition

Company director and international showjumper Carron Nicol has been riding since the age of five and has over 30 years experience running her own business. Carron competes on a regular basis and has won at international level representing Great Britain.Wins also include Horse of The Year Show and placings in The Hickstead Derby and the Hickstead Speed Derby as well as countless wins in International Trials.

Rumer Stud offers excellent trial facilities including a large 80 x 60m outdoor arena with a sand and rubber surface supplied by Mansfield Sand, an indoor school 46m x 20m with a surface supplied by Andrews Bowen and a 7½ furlong all weather gallop.

Horse Advice

 Haylage – Hey! Do you know benefits of feeding Haylage?

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Benefits of feeding haylage

  1. It is dust free
  2. No need to soak
  3. It is convenient to handle
  4. Haylage has a high nutritional value
  5. Its more palatable to horses than hay
  6. Can easily be stored outside as it is packed in water resistant bags.
  7. Unopened bags of haylage keep for up to 18 months without any loss of feeding value.

Haylage is an ideal replacement for hay and excellent for feeding to horses with dust allergies and equine respiratory problems such as COPD, SPAOD and RAOD.

Haylages are made of grass that is cut before it goes to seed. It is semi-wilted grass sealed in a bag but without the dust and spores found in hay.

The benefits of this are that as there are no spores it does not cause or aggravate respiratory problems. Haylage also has a higher nutritional value than hay.

This is acheived by cutting good quality grass – but instead of allowing it to dry completely it is baled when the grass has wilted and the moisture content reduced to about 40 – 45%.

Although haylage will not usually contain dust or mould spores the moisture content will prevent any remaining mould spores becoming airborne – reducing the chance of respiratory problems.

The process of making haylage for horses takes about 24 hours in good drying weather – hay takes 4 – 5 days.

The bales are then compressed to half their original size, packed and heat sealed into plastic bags.

Natural fermentation inside the bag preserves the grass as haylage – which retains 90% of the feed value of fresh grass.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HAYLAGE

Haylage can come in several forms to suit all types of horses and ponies – ryegrass,high fibre, alfalfa, sainfoin plus special mixes for racehorses and competition horses.

Cost is a factor which may discourage some horse owners from feeding haylage – but you may not need to feed as much haylage to your horse or pony as ordinary hay as haylage has a much higher nutritional value – as a result less hard feed may be needed as well – an additional saving.

Once opened the contents of a bale of haylage should be used as soon as possible as exposure to air gives the chance for mould to develop. A bale will usually keep for 7 days once it has been opened depending on weather conditions.

Sometimes when you open a bale of haylage you will see small white or cream round groups of yeasts on the haylage stems and blades that have a creamy consistency – not fluffy or powdery . These “colonies” are not moulds and do not produce spores – they will not harm the health of your horse or pony. If you make the change from hay to haylage make the change gradual – a horse is very sensitive to any changes in his diet.

HOW MUCH HAYLAGE SHOULD YOU FEED TO A HORSE OR PONY?

If you are used to feeding you’ll need to get used to handling haylage – you don’t want to end up under or overfeeding your horse or pony.

A typical 500 kilo, 16hh middleweight riding horse needs a minimum daily intake of roughage of about 1% of his body weight – this works out to 5 kilos of hay.

As haylage has a higher moisture content, the same riding horse would need a daily ration of 7 to 8.5 kilos of haylage.

Although you need to feed more haylage by weight, you need less by volume – haylage is much denser than hay because of the higher moisture content.

When you start out feeding haylage to your horse it’s best to weigh out the amount every day – until you get accustomed to estimating the volume.

As haylage has about a 10% higher nutritional value than hay less supplementary hard feed will be required to meet a horse or pony’s energy requirements. For further in-depth information about feeding Haylage visit Equi-net, They have some very interesting articles on keeping your horse healthy.

Many livery yards provide haylage for their horses and on Horse Scout we make it easy for you to decide whether a livery yard will suit you with our five star rating.  After all the more information a yard provides on Horse Scouts’ listings pages the better informed you are when looking for somewhere to keep your horse at livery or for training, rehabilitation or selling.

 

 

Horse Advice

Christoph Hess says Think “go” rather than “Whoa” 

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“Change up to trot” is widely quoted in the horse magazines this week. This is a fundamental strength in a good rider, always thinking ‘forward’.

Key to good riding is using your core; Horse Scout has Top Tips for core strength below.

If you look at a horse who is travelling well he will always be moving towards his head, a horse who is being restricted with his head behind the vertical cannot produce the impulsion necessary to carry himself.  It can be difficult to asses yourself and decide if you are working too hard, but a good instructor will be able to tell you if you are using your limbs too much and not enough core strength to ride correctly.

Impulsion is created through a horses core strength, his ability to carry his weight behind the saddle and free up the shoulders which can then dictate the direction in which the horse will travel.  It is important to first achieve core stability to protect the spine and surrounding musculature from injury in static and then dynamic movements. Second, we want to effectively and efficiently transfer and produce force during dynamic movements while maintaining core stability.

This is as important in the rider as the horse.  A rider who is able to employ his core strength both statically and dynamically has a real advantage when training horses to perform and improve their way of going.

Core strength protects a rider from injury  by protecting the spine which can be damaged by even the least sexy of actions; like picking up the milk far back in the fridge!. Research has shown that athletes with higher core stability have a lower risk of injury.

You can test out your core strength by performing a “core Stability test”

For the purpose of self-evaluation begin in a prone pushup position, with toes tucked under, lying flat on the ground. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart. Men will have the palms of their hands in line with their chin and women in line with their clavicle (collar bone). In a single motion, perform a pushup while maintaining a completely straight body. To check that you are performing this test correctly you can place a dowel rod or PVC pipe along your body shoulder to seat.

Put yourself in the proper start position (hands may not slide down lower)

Using the strength in your core muscles lever yourself up through your arms and shoulders. The chest and stomach leave the ground at the same time

Spinal alignment is maintained with the body moving as a single unit (can use dowel to help determine and measure alignment) If any of the criteria are failed the screen is deemed as a failing score. You have a maximum of three attempts to complete this screen.

If you successfully pass the stability test, progress to the strength screens. Progress in core stability and strength should yield more effective progress and strength gains in other movements including both the squat and deadlift. Without core stability gross movement patterns become very difficult to impossible.

Exercising abs in isolation is not as effective as using exercises such as the plank. The Plank and side plank evaluate static core strength.

Improving you own core stability will help you improve you performance and therefore effectiveness as a rider.

Are you struggling to ride your horse forward into his bridge are you constantly having to use leg power to animate your horse? It could be that your core muscles need strengthening.  Working with your trainer or finding a trainer to help keep you on track and encourage you to ride using your core strength will really make a difference to how you ride.

 

Horse Advice

6 wise words – The science behind the need to warm up your horse before asking him to work

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The science behind the need to warm up your horse (and yourself) properly.

Understanding how a horses performance can be adversely affected by a build up of lactic acid will help a rider adjust his schooling techniques to minimize the effect this has on performance.

The Horse and Hound ran a very interesting article this week on the research which has shown how if a horse was worked more on one rein than the other there was shown to be a definite increase in lactic acid the muscles on the side which had not been as well warmed up which led to increased incidences of injury among the 70 horses taking part in the trial. Correct and even warm up techniques helped to control the acid build up. The study also showed that lactic buildup was also adverse horses who were less able to perform at an anaerobic level, i.e. where less fit and/or strong.

Lactic acid is released into the muscles when they have used up their normal energy stores but still have intense energy needs. Small amounts of lactic acid operate as a temporary energy source, thus helping you avoid fatigue during a workout. However, a build up of lactic acid during a workout can create burning sensations in the muscles that can slow down or halt athletic activity. For this reason, it may be desirable to reduce lactic acid build up in the muscles when training and as far as possible out in the competitive arena.

Understand that lactic acid does not cause muscle soreness after a workout. Lactic acid is often wrongly accused of being responsible for the post-workout muscle soreness which can affect performance up to 1 to 3 days after a hard workout. However, new research shows that lactic acid (which operates as a temporary fuel source during intense physical activity) washes out of the system within an hour of the end of a workout, so it cannot be responsible for the pain felt days later.

The latest theory suggests that this muscle pain — also known as delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS — is the result of damage to the muscle cells during intense exercise. This causes inflammation, swelling and tenderness as the muscles repair themselves.

In order to reduce muscle soreness after a workout, it is necessary to do a proper warm up before exercising. This wakes up the muscles and prepares them for physical activity. It is also important to avoid pushing your horse past its physical limits and to build up your training goals gradually.

In a nutshell

To help prevent lactic build up and improve performance

  1. Make sure your horse is well hydrated
  2. Warm up thoroughly
  3. Build on strength and stamina but do it incrementally
  4. If your horse starts to fidget or show signs of tiredness allow some down time and let him stretch down and forwards
  5. Warm down well after exercise
  6. If possible allow your horse downtime either in a field or wandering around the school

Professional riders and teachers will help you understand the need to effective controls and help you devise strategies to improve you horses way of going by using a good warm up and warm down routine.

Horse, whatever their discipline, be it hacking, hunting, eventing, showjumping dressage or showing will all be affected by a build up of lactic acid so make sure you are aware of this and take it into account when exercising or schooling your horse by warming up and warming down well.

If you are looking for a livery yard where you can warm down by hacking out be sure to check out our Yard Listing on Horse Scout.  You can sort yards that have particular facilities by using the search box, top right of your screen.

 

 

Horse Advice

Looking at loosening up muscles, joints and your horses mind.

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Looking at loosening up muscles, joints and your horses mind.

When you have mounted your horse allow him to walk off on a soft low rein with a loose contact and encourage him to stretch forward and long in his neck. This stretches the ‘nuchal ligament’ which runs from his pole to his withers and in turn pulls on the ligaments which run along the top of the vertebrae and gives him time to get used to your weight.  When you feel he has developed a loose and flexible walk and is listening to you then move into trot keeping the contact soft and low and start in rising trot on large figures of eight in a slow steady trot. This will help him relax and adjust his stance to easily take your weight. Also by riding your horse in this way also it allows for more swing through his back, which is a positive movement to promote.

It’s important to start and finish your ridden session with your horse in a long and low contact to let him use his nuchal and supraspinous ligaments to support his back, particularly as he’s warming up or when he’s tired.

Once your horse is loosened up and moving freely in the large movements you can start to increase his temperature and circulation by asking him to move into canter this will increase his cardio and breathing rates and oxygenate the muscles ready to start working. It also exercises the core muscles which have to extend and contract more in the canter than they do in the trot.

Once you feel he is breathing well and has warmed up then allow him to have a breather and walk for a while. During this walking period you can concentrate on flexibility. Just like people horses will loose flexibility over time unless they are given routine exercises which help them use their joints to the full.

Lateral work for a horse encourages a full range of movement in upper joints, rather like us lifting our arms above our heads to stretch. Depending on what level your horse is training at you can use small circles of lateral work such as leg-yield, shoulder-in and travers. Start any lateral exercises in walk at first as it requires the greatest amount of joint movement because there’s no moment of suspension.

Walking is the horses most flexible pace for his spine.  In walk he is able to more easily rotate and flex and this helps bring his hind legs in to step up and under him. All of these exercises will help to promote and maintain your horse’s skeletal health. Flexing him to the left and right will help the muscles on either side of his spine and poll to flex, and any lateral and circle work will strengthen and stretch these muscle chains further.

Work with an experienced trainer to get the best from your horse.  Horse Scout has a list of professional trainers and coaches one of whom is bound to be in your area

Horse Advice

Outstanding Horses- what to look for

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The horse, an athlete to be admired!

The most exciting and exacting time when involved in following racehorses, is seeing them in the paddock pre-race. It is also, I believe, essential if you are really interested in what makes a good or exceptional competitor – for that is what they are.

The two disciplines are flat racing and National Hunt. For both I am looking for presence, attitude, movement, conformation and something that occasionally is almost impossible to describe – an innate feeling that the thoroughbred generates in me, one of awe, she/he is saying I am the best, the business, so forget the rest!

Let’s take the horse that is bred to flat race first.  It needs to have strength, this is not to be confused with bone; there are many (particularly fillies) that are light, but have all the bits in all the right places.  Reasonably compact, with a good intelligent head and a bright open interested eye.  The neck needs to be well set on and the shoulder sloping to give freedom of movement.  The back needs not to be long, the quarters powerful the hocks well placed underneath.  When young they are “leggy” that’s fine as long as all is in proportion and not ever behind the knee or too upright in the pastern.  Watch how they walk, tracking up by a good 12” gets a plus and the walk should be very active.  A horse that walks well will usually gallop well. Now look from the front; is he/she standing over “good ground”.  Let’s say the width of a small terrier dog, or do the legs come out of the same hole?  If we are looking for a short to middle distance horse we need the first, if we are looking for stamina for longer distance the second is no problem.  However for the flat racer we are talking about let’s stick with a good space between chest and legs.

The race bred thoroughbred is not renowned for good feet.  No foot, no horse?  Well, not necessarily so – as long as all four look the same, nothing odd or boxy, given the task they are bred for it is not a major consideration and these days the trainers and farriers are well able to compensate for most of the common problems.

What have we left to look at as a snapshot – the action generally.  Is the horse grass cutting, pointing the toe, or can we see more movement from the knee?  In the paddock at walk, there is not so much information for us, so we need to watch he/she canter down to the post, much is learnt about how the horse will act on the ground by their action here.  And also how naturally balanced they are.

A little anecdote:

Newbury races 1976.  I was paddock side watching the 3 year old colts coming in for the Greenham Stakes, a very important trial for the 2000 Guineas.

No horse would be anything but impressive at this level. All were being led round, in the peak of condition, a visual feast of power and beauty.  And then – Wollow came in.  He was quite extraordinary; not particularly robust, tall and still quite leggy but oh my, what presence.  His head held high, a stunning head; totally imperious and somehow looking down on, and apart from, every other colt in the ring.  He moved like a ballerina, elegant and light.  I couldn’t take my eyes off him.  The big burly colts suddenly became uninteresting, he was covered in stardust and he knew it.  Luckily so did I!

He won by 7 lengths.

Horse Advice

Ten Top Tips for every horse owner, groom and Mum! 

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Are you about to set out looking for your perfect Mother Daughter horse combo?  Horse Scout has some lovely all-rounders listed on its Horses For Sale page.

Here are some top tips for any Mother Daughter horse cleaning regime….how you share them out? Well that’s up to you but do…have a sparkling relationship with your horse!

  1. An equine squeegee, rather than a hard sweat scraper, makes removing water from equine legs and hips easier and kinder.
  2. For extra shine on special occasions, spritz your horse’s coat with a sheen product.
  3. Regular use of coat polish sprays right after bathing has the added bonus of deterring dust—it slides right off.
  4. Horses with pink skin need extra sun protection—use sunscreen on susceptible pink noses!
  5. To help protect against skin infections, regularly disinfect grooming brushes and combs.
  6. Keep brushes clean as you go: After every few strokes with your body brush, clean the bristles on a metal or rubber curry held in your other hand.
  7. Brush from front to back, top to bottom, for the most efficient effort.
  8. Curry first in a circular motion to loosen dirt and hair; then use your stiff dandy brush to remove it. A flick of the wrist at the end of your long flat brush stroke helps lift the dust off.
  9. Multi-task: use a brush in each hand!
  10. Show-ring veterans have long known that grooming wipes are ever so handy.

 

Horse Advice

Top Tips for a match made in heaven

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Top Tips for Buying a Horse

1. Think carefully before buying a horse – do you really have time?

2. Before committing to buy, make sure you try the horse in several situations

3. Always arrange your own vetting with a vet you trust

4. Don’t be afraid to look at a dealer’s horses, but do seek a trial period

5. Ask private sellers to sign a ‘Sale Agreement’ that details the purpose for which you want the horse

6. Speak to your insurer to get a quote before purchasing a new horse and find out their vetting requirements

7. Take your time when trialling a horse – don’t feel rushed into a decision

Horse Scout has some lovely horses listed on the Horse for Sale pages; desirable dressage doyennes, sensible show jumpers, sensational show horses, happy hackers, amazing all rounders, and even elevating eventing elegance; happy hunting!!!!

 

Here are a few of the horses on sale listed on Horse Scout

Karina in Hampshire

Dark bay Hanoverian mare 16hh born 2005

Karina is by Sunny Boy (Sandro Hit) and has been trained and competed as a dressage horse. Sadly we have come to the conclusion that she is not temperamentally cut out to be a dressage horse and I am seeking to rehome her either as a brood mare or a surrogate (recipient) mare. She is good to handle but is not a confident horse and so has never taken to hacking though I think she would with time and patience. Correct home is more important than price.

A lovely All-rounder, the perfect Mother Daughter combination, SOX Chestnut Irish Sports Horse gelding 15.1hh born 2005 £15,000. He has evented up to BE100 +, with numerous placing’s and wins However his potential lies in show jumping and dressage – nearly always in the 20?s at BE, even achieved a 19.5, 21.5 and a 23 last year. jumps 1.20m at home easily.  Would suit a confident teenager who wants to compete competitively in show jumping or dressage Good to shoe, clip, load, traffic, hack, handle at home and shows Will live in or out This talented horse’s potential is unlimited to the right rider. Sox can be seen in Buckinghamshire

 

 

Horse Advice

Don’t chase your tail – try a circle

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A Circle is probably the hardest thing you’ll ever master?  Well possibly! LOL

 

When you are trying out a horse which you are interested in purchasing be sure to test out circles, concentrate on the feel of one circle and then change direction. Does the horse feel different on one rein to the other.  If so when you return to straight line riding change your diagonal from one side to the other and back again.  Does the horse change you onto his more comfortable diagonal? How different is the horse on either side and could this be lack of training or an indication of something else?  Professional trainers will ensure that the horse works towards being supple and in balance on both reins and can help you correct asymmetric muscle strengths. So always take advice from someone who understands the causes of asymmetrical going in a horse before committing to buying as there could be underlying confirmation of injuries causing the noticeable difference in going.

 

What exactly is a circle?

An accurate description of a circle? A circle is a continuous curve where the horse maintains inside bend and energy throughout, with an even arc through the four quarters of the movement and a seamless exit into the next movement

What To Look For

When a horse is on a circle it should be bending into the direction of the circle. Circles help to get the inside hind leg to push through and activate the horse from their hindquarters whilst at the same time encouraging balance, suppleness and rhythm throughout their entire body. Whilst on a circle the horse should remain tracking up, with their head level and not tilting. The horse should have a slight bend to the inside, just enough so that the rider can see the corner of the inner eyelash, as a guide if you can see the whole eye and side of the horses face you have too much bend.

Broadly speaking – Asking For A Circle

To ask a horse to circle will require several aids in varying degrees.

The inside rein asks for a slight amount of bend, to enable the horse to be looking into the direction it is moving in.

Concurrently the outside rein controls how much inside bend you have and it also controls the speed. The outside hand

The riders inside leg should remain on the girth, from here it encourages the horse forwards as well as asking the horse to bend around it.

The riders outside leg moves back one to two inches to be behind the girth, it is the outside leg which helps to prevent the horse from falling out too wide.

The rider should turn through their upper body so that their shoulders follow the horses shoulders and their hips follow their horses hips. This allows the rider to be following through with the horse on the circle.

There are very subtle ancillary movements through the body which all happen together and each one will affect how well the others synchronise.  But if you can tune in to what you are doing, where your weight is, the space you have created up through your body on the inside of the movement which will allow the horse to come up and under you as be bends into the circle movement and the stability of the outside of your body to hold the movement and can feel each part is connected to the other you will be halfway there!

Accurate Riding Of A Circle

To ride an accurate circle takes time and practice. Good judgment of the height and width of the circle you have ridden are essential for assessing accuracy. Start off by placing cones at key points around your circle, imagine your circle as a clock face and place your cones at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock respectively, this will mark out the four main quarter points of your circle, which allows you to curve around them. It is useful to start your circle off at a school marker, this will not only help to prevent drifting off course, but will also give you an exact place to start and finish. Practice different sized circles using the measurements of the school to create exactly accurate circles.

When To Use Circles

Once different sizes of circle have been mastered then you can ride them to balance a horse, prepare a horse for a transition or for some lateral work, help to slow down a horse who is rushing and also ride half circles to change the rein. Half circle exercises include a half 10 or 15 meter circle that returns to the track to change the rein. Two half 10, 15, and 20 meter circle that form a S shape. You can also add circles into the loops of a serpentine, to either end of a five meter loop, and to figure of eights.

If you are having problems with circles at home ask your trainer to check your position and way of riding, quite often it is your own mis-balance that causes the horse to fall in (or out) on a circle.  Your trainer can explain how you can ride circles better to help keep your horse in balance.

 

 

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