Turning & Spinning
By Caryn A. Tate
Turning a horse properly is such a basic thing, but such an important one. A horse who can turn correctly ("spinning on a dime and giving back change," as the old cowboy saying goes) has a great athletic, not to mention speed, advantage over horses who haven't been taught to do so.
It helps with many equine sports, in fact most of them. It's a fundamental skill that every well-trained horse should know. Plus it's a fantastic feeling to know that your horse has access to his full capabilities, turning and otherwise. I've said this before, but I truly believe that every single thing you teach your horse increases the bond between the two of you, and that's a wonderful benefit as well!
Probably the most important thing to remember when teaching your horse to turn is patience. Turning and spinning a horse can be one of the hardest things to teach him. Of course it all depends on the horse and his willingness to learn, but any horse will do much better when his trainer/rider is patient with him.
I like to warm up my horse before getting into things like turning that entail a lot of short movements and tight conditions. You can start by walking, trotting, and loping your horse in circles, or just in a general area, until he's warm but not at all tired and ready to work with you.
A good place to begin is against a wall or a high fence. I recommend a "high" fence, because if the top of the fence is below the horse's nose naturally, he can lift up his nose as he's turning. The purpose of turning him against the fence is to teach him to keep his nose down, and that he's not supposed to walk as he's turning--that you want him to turn in a tight circle, or in this case half-circle, by crossing one front leg over the other and pivoting on his rear legs.
Start by backing your horse up just a step or two--this results in him putting more of his weight on his back legs and in his hips, which will help him to pivot better. Use your hands to turn your horse's nose into the fence, and use your opposite leg to cue him; for example, if you're turning your horse to the right into the fence, use your left leg on his side to cue him. Teach him to move away from pressure. At first your horse may balk a little, or try to back up instead of turn; it's easier for a horse to walk as he's turning because that's what most of them have gotten used to before a rider teaches them differently. However, after you teach him how to turn properly, it becomes just as easy for him.
If your horse tries to back up when you ask him to turn, simply try not to allow that--squeeze your legs and urge him back up to the position he was in before, and ask for the turn again. He should understand by this point what you're asking him to do, whether or not he decides to do it now or not. If he doesn't do it perfectly the first time, that's perfectly OK! Basically what you should be going for at first is your horse turning, and not backing up. You can work on the details as you go on, but for now, he's turned and that's what's important.
One thing to be sure of is not to stop working your horse on something until he's done it the way you want him to. If you stop and dismount and unsaddle, or whatever the case is, it's like telling him that that's where you want him to be, and that it's fine that he didn't do what you'd been asking him. Sometimes this can take a while, and that's why I stress again how important it is to be patient with your horse.
You'll be able to feel it when your horse turns correctly, and sometimes to see it. As I said, he's supposed to cross one leg over the other as he's turning, and pivot on his back legs. In this example, turning to the right, he'll put more of his weight on his rear end, and reach over his right front leg with is left as he's turning. On his back, it will feel more smooth than if he does it incorrectly, and you can always feel or see when he walks instead of pivots. Apply the same movements and cues for turning the other way, respectively applying the cues and directions.
Remember to keep your horse's nose down and in, flexed at the poll, and your hands low. This is a very important tactic that a lot of people forget--keeping your hands low encourages the horse to keep his head low as well, instead of throwing it up in the air every time you apply pressure with your hands.
Gradually work up to turning in a complete circle, and finally in more than one circle. Go slowly; don't be in a hurry. Every horse and his attention span and learning capacity is different. If you have patience and go at a pace that's specific to the horse you're training, before you know it he'll be spinning like a professional reining horse.
About the Author:
I have lived around and worked with horses my entire life, and learned how to ride when I was a small child. Riding and training horses are great loves of mine, and I enjoy helping other people overcome training issues with their horses. I love working with horses and developing relationships with them, as well as talking about them with other people who are as passionate about the subject as I am.
Caryn may be contacted by email at scribe_79@yahoo.com.
Article courtesy of Suite101.com.
