What is the best way to teach circles?

hemigirl · 08-03-2005, 01:52 PM

What would be the best way to go about training my horse to walk, trot and lope circles? I would like to get in routine of doing circles to encourage him to bend. what is the best way to start teaching him?

cassidy · 08-03-2005, 01:52 PM

i would suggest lunging an if you wanna teach them to bend you can lunge them with side reins!

KZWestern · 08-03-2005, 05:41 PM

I would put cones up for a visual guideline for your horse. But in reality, your horse CAN ride a circle, most of the time the problem is the human who is riding. Alot of times they arn't riding correctly to make a perfect circle. Do you ride Western or English? And if Western, do you use neck rein or direct rein? The hand positioning varys for each kind of riding. But the feet should be the same, inside leg gently pressing behind the girth/cinch to keep your horse bent around it. Use your outside leg and bump them back in if they get off the circle, then make sure your inside leg isn't pushing them over.

08-03-2005, 01:52 PM	#1
hemigirl Full Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New Caney, TX Posts: 141	What is the best way to teach circles? What would be the best way to go about training my horse to walk, trot and lope circles? I would like to get in routine of doing circles to encourage him to bend. what is the best way to start teaching him?

08-03-2005, 01:52 PM	#2
cassidy Senior Member+ Join Date: May 2004 Location: england - its sunny sometimes honest! Posts: 21,575 Images: 820	i would suggest lunging an if you wanna teach them to bend you can lunge them with side reins! __________________ ive been snowballed... May your life be like toilet paper - Long and useful A horse doesn't care how much you know until he knows how much you care. - Pat Parelli http://www.freewebs.com/linz88055/myprofile.htm

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08-03-2005, 05:41 PM	#3
KZWestern Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 3,648 Images: 35	I would put cones up for a visual guideline for your horse. But in reality, your horse CAN ride a circle, most of the time the problem is the human who is riding. Alot of times they arn't riding correctly to make a perfect circle. Do you ride Western or English? And if Western, do you use neck rein or direct rein? The hand positioning varys for each kind of riding. But the feet should be the same, inside leg gently pressing behind the girth/cinch to keep your horse bent around it. Use your outside leg and bump them back in if they get off the circle, then make sure your inside leg isn't pushing them over.