The equestrian community for horse people everywhere
Thomas Ritter: Turn on the Forehand in Motion with Accompanying Videos
Turn on the Forehand in Motion
©Thomas Ritter 2009
The turn on the forehand in motion is an excellent suppling exercise for the horse’s hips. It also has a suppling effect on the abdominal muscles and the neck, if the rider applies bending rein aids. It is a basic exercise that can be ridden with relatively young horses, and it remains useful throughout the entire rest of the horse’s career.
The turn on the forehand in motion goes back to Pluvinel’s work around a single pillar. The pillar was used to mark the center of a circle that was ridden in shoulder-in, haunches-in, and renvers, passade, and also as a turn on the forehand in motion.
In the turn on the forehand in motion, the horse’s front legs and hind legs describe two concentric circles around the center, as the horse is moving sideways. The center of the circle remains between the horse’s ears from the rider’s point of view. The horse’s spine must remain parallel to the radius of the concentric circles. The rider bends the horse against the direction of travel during the early stages, because this is easier for the horse, but once the horse has become more supple and stronger, one can change the bend, so that the horse bends in the direction of travel. The crossing pair of legs must cross in front of the supporting pair of legs. If the crossing pair of legs crosses behind the supporting legs, or if they merely step next to the supporting legs, the hips will not be suppled, and the exercise misses the point.
Many horses don’t maintain the alignment of their spine, because they either step sideways faster with their hips than with their shoulders or vice versa. If the hips move faster than the shoulders, it means that the horse is supporting himself with the inside shoulder too much and that his shoulders are stiffer than his hips. If the shoulders steps sideways faster than the hips, it means that the shoulders are more supple than the hips. It is the rider’s job to adjust and correct any misalignment.
The main aid for the turn on the forehand in motion is the adjustment of the rider’s pelvis. Bring your outside hip forward and your inside hip back. Shift your weight into the direction of travel, and move your entire pelvis a little sideways to take the horse with you into the turn. The inside leg and rein ask the horse to follow the seat and weight. The calves control the haunches, the knees and reins control the shoulders of the horse. What the inside aids send sideways, the outside aids must receive and frame. It is crucial to avoid any contradictions between the weight and leg aids in particular.
Initially, many horses find the exercise difficult. They need time to think about where their legs have to go, and it’s critical that the rider does not rush the horse. If the rider mistakes the horse’s lack of coordination for unwillingness and starts pressuring the horse, then there will be a completely unnecessary conflict. At the beginning, it may be sufficient to ask for only a stride or two of the turn on the forehand in motion, and to add more steps only as the horse’s agility increases. Sometimes you may have to ask for one step, then wait, ask for another step, wait again, etc. Reward the horse for any effort. Reward can come in several forms. You can either take a short break, or you can praise the horse verbally. You can pat the horse, or you can discontinue the exercise and ride forward for a while.
Accompanying Videos
©Thomas Ritter 2009
The turn on the forehand in motion is an excellent suppling exercise for the horse’s hips. It also has a suppling effect on the abdominal muscles and the neck, if the rider applies bending rein aids. It is a basic exercise that can be ridden with relatively young horses, and it remains useful throughout the entire rest of the horse’s career.
The turn on the forehand in motion goes back to Pluvinel’s work around a single pillar. The pillar was used to mark the center of a circle that was ridden in shoulder-in, haunches-in, and renvers, passade, and also as a turn on the forehand in motion.
In the turn on the forehand in motion, the horse’s front legs and hind legs describe two concentric circles around the center, as the horse is moving sideways. The center of the circle remains between the horse’s ears from the rider’s point of view. The horse’s spine must remain parallel to the radius of the concentric circles. The rider bends the horse against the direction of travel during the early stages, because this is easier for the horse, but once the horse has become more supple and stronger, one can change the bend, so that the horse bends in the direction of travel. The crossing pair of legs must cross in front of the supporting pair of legs. If the crossing pair of legs crosses behind the supporting legs, or if they merely step next to the supporting legs, the hips will not be suppled, and the exercise misses the point.
Many horses don’t maintain the alignment of their spine, because they either step sideways faster with their hips than with their shoulders or vice versa. If the hips move faster than the shoulders, it means that the horse is supporting himself with the inside shoulder too much and that his shoulders are stiffer than his hips. If the shoulders steps sideways faster than the hips, it means that the shoulders are more supple than the hips. It is the rider’s job to adjust and correct any misalignment.
The main aid for the turn on the forehand in motion is the adjustment of the rider’s pelvis. Bring your outside hip forward and your inside hip back. Shift your weight into the direction of travel, and move your entire pelvis a little sideways to take the horse with you into the turn. The inside leg and rein ask the horse to follow the seat and weight. The calves control the haunches, the knees and reins control the shoulders of the horse. What the inside aids send sideways, the outside aids must receive and frame. It is crucial to avoid any contradictions between the weight and leg aids in particular.
Initially, many horses find the exercise difficult. They need time to think about where their legs have to go, and it’s critical that the rider does not rush the horse. If the rider mistakes the horse’s lack of coordination for unwillingness and starts pressuring the horse, then there will be a completely unnecessary conflict. At the beginning, it may be sufficient to ask for only a stride or two of the turn on the forehand in motion, and to add more steps only as the horse’s agility increases. Sometimes you may have to ask for one step, then wait, ask for another step, wait again, etc. Reward the horse for any effort. Reward can come in several forms. You can either take a short break, or you can praise the horse verbally. You can pat the horse, or you can discontinue the exercise and ride forward for a while.
Accompanying Videos
Views: 495
Comment
-
Comment by Thomas Ritter on November 16, 2009 at 12:46pm
-
It depends a little on the horse. Typically, it is helpful to include some lateral work every day. But you have to tailor it to the training level of the horse. You can choose an easy variety, such as enlarging the circle or leg yielding with the nose to the wall. Perhaps only ask for a few strides, then go straight for a few strides, and ask again. Younger horses often need to go slowly in the turn on the forehand in motion, because they need to have time to think where each leg goes. If you rush them, they get upset. Always combine lateral work with riding forward on straight lines, combine circles with straight lines, and mix the gaits a little, so that the work stays interesting for the horse, and you don't fatigue one set of muscles by harping on them all the time.
-
-
Text books are always approximations, rules of thumb. They are useful, but you have to understand and apply the principles of training to each individual situation. If you follow the books mechanically by rote, you'll get in trouble. That's why the riders at the old SRS used to say that "you have to write the book for this horse".
-
Comment by Barbara F. on November 16, 2009 at 12:27pm
-
Thank you for so clearly explaining the weight aid! I often find that I need to use my weight differently than what is exactly prescribed in books, depending on what the horse needs to help him at the moment. It's nice to know we can use our "feel" and discretion, as opposed to only riding out of the text books.
-
Comment by Kinni P on November 16, 2009 at 11:52am
-
With an inexperienced horse, do you find it's easier to work on lateral movements a little each day, or a little every few days? I don't want to tax his good will, but I do want to make progress.
-
-
The weight has to go wherever it helps the horse stay balanced and do his job. The "books" say you should always sit on the inside of the bend. But it often helps the horse more if you sit in the direction of the movement. In lateral movements it often helps the horse if you put your weight on the hind leg that is supporting the body mass, so that the crossing hind leg has time and space to reach forward-sideways.. You may even have to shift the weight from one side to the other during the exercise. Ultimately, it depends on what the horse needs and what you want to accomplish at the moment. I prefer not to be dogmatic in this respect, but to respond flexibly to the horse's feedback. You can always experiment with these matters. Place your weight on the inside, and see what happens. Then shift your weight to the outside, and see if the horse gets better or worse. Wherever you get the best result is where the horse needs you to be at the moment.
-
Comment by Amanda Burden on November 15, 2009 at 6:47pm
-
Really like the videos. Great to "see" what is being explained. Very simply described. Therefore, easier to understand and remember. Thx
-
Comment by Janet B on November 13, 2009 at 9:42pm
-
Thanks for this wonderful informative blog! So well described and fantastic to have the videos as a visual aid!! Love the extra information regarding the turn on the forehand, that i did not know. I have a question regarding what side to put my weight on; I have read many times and been taught to put my weight to the side of the bend. Why do you say the other side? Is it only with this excercise? Janet
The Rider Marketplace
International Horse News
© 2024 Created by Barnmice Admin.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Barnmice Equestrian Social Community to add comments!
Join Barnmice Equestrian Social Community