WHAT, WHY, WHEN and HOW: The WALK PIROUETTE

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"There are different ways to introduce the walk pirouette. Some riders ask for a turn on the haunches and then make the turn smaller and smaller. Sometimes the term turn on the haunches is used to describe a pirouette. This is not quite correct. 

A turn on the haunches is different from a pirouette in two ways: it is asked for in a slowed medium walk instead of a collected walk, and the hind legs travel on a wider circle then what is required in a pirouette which requires the inside hind leg lifts and drops in the same footprint. I do not use this approach because in my experience, teaching pirouette like this interferes with flexion and the correct bend of the whole horse’s body. The horse goes into the movement anticipating no flexion and they do not understand the bend we are now asking for to make the movement a correct pirouette. As a result, they tend to want to take over and struggle.

Pirouette can also be taught by asking for haunches in on a 10 meter circle. I do not use this approach because it is not appropriate for a young or inexperienced horse (below Medium/3rd level). They should not be expected to maintain flexion and bend on a 10 meter circle for so long. It is too small a circle and it is physically too demanding. This exercise can be adapted and used in increments that break up the 10 meter circle but it should only be used with a horse that has extensive experience doing lateral work. Never with a young or inexperienced horse.

In all my training, I like to make the work very simple for my horse, and as easy physically as possible. As a preparation for working on pirouettes, as previously mentioned, I make sure my horse is confirmed in his lateral work and travers in particular. I like to use travers because it is an easy introduction for my horse to learn to move in the same direction as his body’s flexion and bend. I can ask for just a few steps in the beginning in walk, trot or canter without stressing him. This is a prelude to what we will ask for half pass and pirouettes.

To ride travers, I bend my horse so that his forehand is on the track and his hindquarters are off the track, inside the arena. I position him so that his outside hind leg crosses over the inside hind leg and steps into the track of the inside fore leg. This increases the engagement of the inside hind leg so that its joints have to flex more deeply and carry more weight.

With an inexperienced horse, I ask for this movement as I turn into the corner, from the short to long side. As he understands this work, I can ask my horse to do a few steps of travers, go straight and do a few more steps of travers again without needing a corner to set the movement up. Once he is fluent in travers, I am ready to start working on my pirouettes.

One figure I like to use is a square with four square corners. Square corners I can turn into 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or full pirouettes if I want to, or turn into a circle or ride simply as a corner, depending on how my horse feels. I use this square not only to teach the walk pirouette from scratch but also to retrain a horse who does not understand how to execute a correct pirouette but can do a bad one. I begin by riding around the arena and warm up my horse. Then, in a good active but not over active walk, as I turn onto the long side, I ask for a couple of steps of travers. Then I go straight, then a couple of travers steps again until the next corner.

The travers helps prepare my horse for the pirouette as it improves the crossing of the outside hind leg and creates more engagement for the inside hind leg – it has to carry more weight and its joints have to flexion more deeply. I turn the corner onto the short side, walk straight and make a square corner right, walk straight, make another square corner to the right, go straight, slow down, turn right but I do not ask for a pirouette yet, I continue straight, and the next corner I slow down and ask for a quarter pirouette checking that the outside hind leg stepped under and over well. Then I go straight, do a square corner without asking for anything, then straight and at the next corner I ask again for a quarter pirouette.

I consider if my horse is listening to me. I go straight and ask for no pirouette and at the next corner, I ask for a half. I go back to the long wall and ask for travers at the walk, not too steep.

I vary the walk, sometime working walk, sometimes a more collected walk, I ask my horse to slow down and ask for a quarter pirouette again, then ask for a half pirouette.

I vary the size of the pirouettes I am asking for because I am training, not competing and I want to develop my horse’s suppleness, willingness and keep his attention. My pirouettes may be a bit bigger or smaller then 3 meters and I am not concerned about it. I am not drilling, I am suppling my horse. I do not want my horse to anticipate and brace against what comes next. 

I am constantly listening to what his body is telling me. His ribs against my leg..are they stiff or loose?, Is he struggling to bend or carry himself over his inside hind leg or is it easy for him? How does he feels in the contact. Is his mouth soft or is he locking his jaw and poll? If he tells me I am asking for too much bend for him today, I ask for less. If my horse is finding the 1/4 and 1/2 pirouette easy, I ask for 3/4 and then a full pirouette. If I feel him struggle, I do not try to fix the pirouette while in it, I step out of it and go large, perhaps pick up the canter and work in a light seat forward, down and out to release and relax all his long muscles. I may work on something else for the rest of the lesson – or come back to the pirouette after a while.

Whatever I chose to do, I know I can go back to a square corner any time I want.

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What, Why, When and How: The Walk Pirouette

Photography by: Digital Barrett Photography