Teaching sidepass and other lateral work from the ground encourages your horse to “think” with his feet, as well as listening and reacting to what you are asking of them. It can take a while initially for the penny to drop for some horses learning this lateral sidepass pole exercise, but it’s great for creating engagement and learning how to move the hind and front end.

The pole provides a visual and tactile boundary, which is a tool in this exercise. All you are asking the horse to do is move sideways along a pole which separates the hind and front end. However, it is quite a demanding exercise mentally, requiring your horse to understand your cues to move laterally and not to step forwards over the pole with the hindlegs.

Before you attempt this groundwork exercise, your horse needs to understand how to move his front end and his back end from your cues on the ground. These are simple movements that you would do, for example, when you open and close a gate.

Aims

• Develop lateral coordination, suppleness and precise footwork
• Engage the core as the horse learns cross their legs over in balance
• Improve your horse’s overall manoeuvrability and responsiveness

The setup

You will need:

• A pole on the ground – ideally a heavy one that doesn’t roll easily when kicked or stepped on
• training halter, lunging cavesson, or your horse’s usual bridle
• Lunge line, long rope or reins
• Schooling whip (or you can spin the end of your line or reins as the cue)

Once your horse is comfortable standing over a pole, ask him to move sideways along the pole, keeping his hind and front legs on either side

How to do the sidepass pole exercise

• First lead your horse towards the pole, asking him to halt when just his front legs are over it, and the pole is dividing his front and hindlegs. It may take some adjustment and steps of rein-back for him to understand where you want him to position himself.
• Make sure that your horse is comfortable standing squarely with the pole dividing his front and hind end. This may take time initially, especially if he is used to walking over poles rather than stopping halfway.
• In the middle of the pole, stand facing your horse and slightly to his left side, and ask your horse to move to the right, away from you.
• Your left hand should steer the horse sideways to his right, containing any forward movement so that he does not walk over the pole with the hindlegs.
• To move the hind end laterally, either spin or shake the loose end of lead rope in your right hand, or point to the horse’s ribcage with your schooling whip to ask him to move right.
• The moment your horse makes a step or two sideways, release the pressure and praise. Over time he will understand to move laterally along the whole pole, crossing his legs over as he goes.
• To start with, just try going from the middle of the pole to the edge, and eventually you’ll be able to side pass along the whole pole.
• Repeat in the other direction.

Tips and troubleshooting

1. Patience

Break this exercise down into small steps, so you do not overface your horse – it takes time. In one session, you may only get as far as standing quietly over the pole.

2. Confidence and competence

To start with, your horse may move the front end and hind end separately, but as they grow in confidence and understanding, they will step sideways with both fronts and hinds simultaneously.

3. When to step away

If your horse starts to get frustrated with the exercise, which can feel claustrophobic as he gets used to the pole in between his legs, break it up with some forward trotwork.

4. Ridden work

You can also do this exercise ridden, and having already taught your horse from the ground, it should be much easier to achieve.

5. Progress

You can develop this exercise by adding further poles, for instance into an L shape or a zigzag so the horse they have to negotiate corners, requiring a little turn on the forehand or haunches to move onto the next pole.

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Welcome to Horse & Hound’s training hub. Whether you are looking for techniques to improve your riding skills, insight from top trainers and riders on how to prepare your horse for a specific sport, or tips to help solve specific problems, you will find useful advice from experts to help.

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The turn on the forehand — and a similar moment called turn about the forehand — is often used as a first introduction to lateral work for horses, as they are fairly simple to understand and perform. Once the horse has learnt how to yield from the rider’s leg in order to accomplish these movements, there is a natural progression to move on to leg yield, then shoulder-in. But before you attempt to introduce turn on the forehand, you need to understand what it is and how to ride it.

Some people think that turn on the forehand is an old-fashioned exercise, but it was recommended by the classical masters for a reason and is still used in the Spanish Riding School and the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Spain. It teaches horses to yield from the rider’s leg, be soft in their backs and increases their suppleness.

What is a turn on the forehand?

A turn on the forehand requires the horse to move his hindquarters around his front legs. For the movement to be successful, the horse’s front legs should describe a small circle, while his quarters will do a larger circle.

A turn on the forehand is where the horse turns around in his own length, on the spot, using the inside foreleg as the pivot, for a quarter or half circle.

The turn on the forehand should be ridden from halt, whereas the turn about the forehand is done from walk and all four legs should maintain the same rhythm before, during and after it.

For a good quality turn on the forehand the back legs should circle around the front legs, with the inside hind crossing well over in front of the outside leg, moving away from the rider’s leg. The horse should pick up and put down the inside front leg in the same place (or as near as possible). For the horse to be able to cross his inside hind leg in front of his outside hind, he has to engage his core and lift his back, hence the supplying and strengthening effect of this exercise.

For turn about the forehand, the forehand will do a tiny circle and the quarters will do a larger circle. The horse moves away from the bend – if the horse is bent to the left, the quarters move to the right.

What are the benefits of a turn on the forehand?

A turn on the forehand teaches the horse:

• To move away from the leg
• To be obedient to the aids while not moving forwards or backwards
• Can be a good introduction to lateral work
• Develops co-ordination and balance
• Builds muscles and improves flexibility, especially in the back
• Adds interest and variety to the training programme

It also benefits the rider in many ways:

• Teaches rider co-ordination and helps develop feel
• The rider learns how to use different parts of the body at the same time for different effects
• Emphasises using the leg to move the horse, rather than the hand
• It is a slow movement so the rider has plenty of time to think it through
• It can be another method of changing the rein, if ridden through 180 degrees
• Useful for moving the horse around in a confined space, or out hacking when your horse tries to shy at something
• It’s a useful technique for opening gates

How do I teach my horse?

To experience for yourself how this exercise works before sitting in the saddle, stand up straight and lock your own ankle, knee and hip joints and put your hand in the small of your back. If you cross your legs and move sideways, you will feel your back muscles barely move. If you then relax and bend your joints before moving sideways, you will feel all the muscles in your back working. It’s the same for the horse.

You can teach the basic turn on the forehand from the ground. Doing so means you will have better control over the horse as well as increasing his joint flexibility. Standing by your horse’s shoulder facing their hind legs, place your hand on the horse’s side just behind where the girth would be and ask the horse to step the hindleg nearest to you over and in front of the outside hindleg. Make sure where you are training allows the horse enough room to move around without feeling restricted. If the horse tried to walk forward instead, apply a little pressure on your horse’s nose to discourage this reaction and ask again. Ask for a single step at a time, pausing and rewarding the horse when they react as desired.

How to ride turn about the forehand

International dressage rider and trainer Pammy Hutton explains how to ride a turn about the forehand:

1. In walk, start on a 20m circle on the right rein.

2. Away from the track, half-halt and sit a little bit to the right. Use the right rein gently to signal the direction and ask for a little bend and flexion. Your left rein controls the amount of neck bend, which should only be small.

3. Move your right leg a little behind the girth and ask the horse to move away from it. The left leg supports and prevents the horse from rushing.

4. Keep the horse moving forward throughout the exercise. The right hindleg should cross in front of the left. The front legs should not cross but should move sideways around a small circle.

5. Repeat four or five times, then do the same on the left rein.

Common problems

When introducing the turn on the forehand, you may face the following problems:

• The horse walks forward
• Or the horse steps backwards
• The horse has too much head and neck bend, allowing him to fall out through his shoulder or walk a circle instead
• The horse loses his outline, sticks his nose in the air and generally resists and evades your aids
• The hindleg does not cross over in front of the other hindleg and your horse shuffles around in little steps
• He runs away from the inside leg and spins around really quickly
• Loss of impulsion or rhythm

Training tips

• Keep the horse thinking forward to avoid the inside hindleg stepping behind the outside hindleg
• Keep the rein aids light — ask for a little flexion and then give the rein
• Build the turn on the forehand into other exercises. For example, if the horse isn’t forward in canter, canter a 20m circle, make a direct transition to walk, then ride an outward half-turn on the forehand. Go back into canter immediately on the other rein and repeat – this will makes him more supple through his body
• You can use this exercise if the horse goes stiff and tense or threatens to rear. Putting them into turn on the forehand encourages them to relax both physically and mentally

Is turn on the forehand in any British Dressage tests?

The turn on the forehand is not found in any British Dressage tests at any level, but it is a useful training exercise to incorporate into schooling to aid with the execution of other movements.

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Lateral work for horses is an important element of any training programme, no matter what level your horse is working at or which discipline he competes in. Correctly ridden lateral work encourages a horse to become more supple and flexible, both side to side (laterally) and over their topline (longitudinally), which will improve their balance, strength and expression in all three paces.

So what is lateral work?

Lateral work includes a range of schooling exercises during which the horse moves both forwards and sideways, while maintaining a bend through their body. Depending on your horse’s level of training and fitness, lateral exercises can be ridden in all gaits. The horse can also be taught many of the exercises from the ground, either in-hand or on long lines.

The movements can be used during training at home to improve the horse’s way of going, and when riding in other situations, such as out hacking or in a competition warm-up to help maintain a horse’s concentration. Some movements are required during dressage competitions, starting with the leg yield at elementary level in British Dressage competitions.

The lateral movements in increasing levels of difficulty

One of the earliest yielding movements commonly taught to horses is the turn on the forehand. In this exercise the horse moves his hindquarters away from pressure applied by the rider’s leg when ridden (or the hand/whip when working the horse in-hand) and steps his hind legs around his front legs. Because there is little or no forward movement in the turn on the forehand, some riders do not consider it a true lateral movement, but it is a useful supplying exercise and good education for young horses before moving on other lateral exercises.

In the leg yield the horse travels both forward and sideways at the same time, with a slight flexion away from the direction of movement. It can be ridden on a straight line or on a curved line (such as a 20m circle). It encourages the horse to step forward and under the body with the inside hind leg, improving strength and power.

The next movement is shoulder-in (pictured top), which is ridden on three tracks with a soft bend throughout the horse’s body around the rider’s inside leg. The inside foreleg is on one track, the outside foreleg and inside hindleg are on a second track, while the outside hind is on a third track. Similar to leg yield, the horse is flexed away from the direction of travel. This is typically ridden on a straight line, but it can also be ridden on a curve once the movement is established. A similar but slightly easier exercise called shoulder-fore is ridden on four tracks requiring less bend.

Travers is the first lateral movement where the horse is flexed in the same direction as it is going. It is also ridden on three tracks (four tracks if the horse is less advanced), but this time the outside foreleg is on one track, the inside fore and outside hind are on a second track, and the inside hind is on a third track so the hindquarters are brought in off the track while the shoulders remain on it and the horse is bent around the rider’s inside leg. Travers is more commonly ridden in walk and trot, but not in canter. This is because horses naturally to want to canter on three tracks with the inside hind to the inside because of a lack of strength, so it is not desirable to encourage this.

Renvers is the reverse of travers with the horse’s hindquarters remaining on the track while the forehand is moved in off the track and the horse is bent in the direction it is moving. So when doing renvers with right bend, the right hind is on the outer track, the left hind and right fore is on a second track, and the left fore is on the third track, while the horse is bent through the body to the right.

Work in travers and renvers helps the horse to become supple and strong enough to produce half pass, during which the horse is bent around the rider’s inside leg, while travelling sideways along a diagonal line across the school with both sets of legs crossing as they also travel forwards.

What are the benefits of lateral work for horses?

• Improves flexibility and rideability
• Helps the horse to become more supple
• Helps the horse to build muscle and strength
• Keeps the training program varied and interesting
• Teaches the horse to move away from the leg and respond to different aids
• Can be used to guide calmly when the horse is reacting to something while ridden, for example, when spooking
• Helps engage the horse’s hindlegs and develops collection
• Is a strengthening tool for other areas of training, such as jumping or more advanced schooling
• Helps minimise stiffness in older horses

What are the benefits to riders?

• Teaches rider co-ordination and helps develop feel
• Helps the rider keep the horse’s attention while the horse is trying to spook
• The rider learns how to use different parts of the body at the same time for different effects
• Encourages the rider to use the leg to move the horse, rather than the hand

When can my horse start to learn lateral work?

You can introduce basic yields and lateral movements from the ground when your horse is mentally and physically ready to start light work. Every horse is an individual and it’s important to ensure that the horse is sufficiently developed to commence any type of training.

As with all forms of training, lateral work should be introduced gradually, taking an appropriate amount of time to establish each movement before moving on to the next.

Under saddle, basic lateral work movements, such as leg yield and shoulder fore (a preparation for shoulder-in), can be introduced once the horse is established in moving forwards and is responsive to basic aids while remaining relaxed. Ideally, the horse will know how to move through all paces and be able to work in a rhythmical way while remaining soft over his back.

In the early stages, it’s important to do little and often. Between riding the lateral movements, go back to basics and ensure the horse is moving freely forwards into a light contact without rushing. This is even more important if he shows signs that he doesn’t understand what is being asked.

If you are inexperienced at riding lateral work, it is advisable to practice the movements on a horse that is established and with help from a trainer before trying to teach the movements to a less experienced horse.

Can I teach my horse lateral work from the ground?

Horses can be taught lateral work in-hand and on long reins. Incorporating basic lateral work from the ground helps the horse develop awareness of his body without having to balance a rider on top at the same time. This can help the horse to use their body to maximum efficiency, encouraging suppleness and flexibility.

Teaching the horse the basic lateral movements from the ground first can make it easier for the horse to understand the exercises when you get on. However, you need to make sure your horse is comfortable and confident working in-hand or on long reins before using them to train any lateral movements.

How to introduce lateral work from the ground

How teach lateral work on the long reins

A good initial lateral exercise to introduce on the long reins is to encourage the horse to leg-yield back to the track, by gently half halting with the outside rein and flicking the inside rein on the horse’s side to ask them to move over – this introduces the concept in the same way as if you were riding the horse.

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Shoulder-in is a useful early form of lateral work for horses, which requires the horse to work on three — or sometimes four — tracks. When ridden correctly it is an excellent suppling exercise and is the first piece of lateral work that appears in British Dressage tests.

What is shoulder-in?

In a three-track shoulder-in, the outside hindleg is on one track, the inside hind and outside fore are on a second track (in line with each other, as per the picture above), and the inside fore is on the third track. When viewed from the front, you should be able to see three of the horse’s four legs when it is being ridden correctly.

The horse should be bent around the rider’s inside leg with equal bend through the body and the neck. As a rider you should be able to see your horse’s inside eye if you glance down. It is easier to ride shoulder-in on the track as the fence/wall helps to guide the direction. More experienced partnerships should try riding it on a three-quarter or centre line to gauge their level of control.

In dressage competitions, a three-track shoulder-in is ridden in trot, but for training purposes it can be ridden in all three gaits. A more subtle version of shoulder-in, called shoulder-fore, is useful for correcting the horse’s natural instinct to move slightly quarters-in while cantering. A four-track shoulder-in, with the horse’s shoulders positioned even further to the inside so each of your horse’s legs is following its own track, can be used for suppling purposes, but would lose marks in a dressage test.

What are the benefits of shoulder-in?

• Encourages suppleness
• Helps with developing straightness
• Aids with collection and balance
• Improves response to the rider aids
• Encourages hind leg engagement

Correct aids for shoulder-in

The rider’s inside leg is on the girth to create the bend and send the horse along the required track. The outside leg is slightly behind the girth to prevent the hind legs swinging out and maintain bend through the body. The inside hand asks the horse to flex to the inside and keep the jaw soft. The outside hand asks the horse to wait and indicates that the horse is to continue down the track, rather than turning on to a circle. The rider’s body should remain central in the saddle with the inside hip slightly back to mirror the horse’s bend and the weight deeper into the inside seat bone.

Common problems and how to correct them

Problem: Your horse drifts back to the track

Correction: If your horse drifts back to the track, you may be looking in the wrong direction. Check you are looking through the horse’s ears rather than in the direction of travel as your head is a heavy body part, and will affect his balance.

Problem: Too much neck bend

Correction: If your horse bends his neck more than his body, check you aren’t using too much inside rein. Support him with a firmer contact on your outside rein and by keeping both legs on.

Problem: Hindquarters drift out

Correction: If your horse’s haunches drift out to the outside, your knee and thigh and lower leg are not supporting him strongly enough, resulting in lack of bend through his body. Check your outside leg is correctly positioned behind the girth and against the horse’s side.

Problem: Falling through the shoulder

Correction: The rider crossing the outside hand over the neck is a common cause of the horse falling out through the outside shoulder. A correct contact on the outside rein supports the horse’s shoulders and helps to maintain the angle of the shoulder-in.

Problem: Your horse doesn’t step sideways, but continues going in the direction of the bend.

Correction: This can stem from a lack of preparation from the rider or a lack of understanding from the horse. Use half-halts to maintain the self-carriage of the horse through the exercise and ensure he is listening. If the horse is green, return to leg yield exercises to re-establish the horse’s understanding of moving away the inside leg before trying shoulder-in again.

Problem: Lacking bend through the body

Correction: Sitting on the wrong seat bone, and collapsing through your waist to the inside may cause your horse to lack bend. Try to deepen the inside seat bone, while remaining tall through your upper body.

British dressage rider Joanna Thurman-Baker’s helpful tips

“The biggest problem I find is people looking down the track while riding a shoulder in,” explains Joanna. “Although this does keep you on a straight line, because your head is pointing forwards, your body want to do the same, which can block the horse. If you look through the horse’s ears, your body will follow which allows your pelvis to turn, releasing the horse’s shoulders encouraging a softer bend and easier flow.

“To keep your horse on the correct line, keep giving gentle half halts with the fingers on the outside rein and look where you want to end up out the corner of your eye if you need to. Your outside leg should be gently coming off and on as needed, to remind the horse not to fall onto its outside shoulder.”

Is shoulder-in in any British Dressage tests?

Shoulder-in in trot is found in elementary level and above under British Dressage, while in British Eventing, it first appears at intermediate level competitions.

You might also be interested in:

What is lateral work, and how can it help my horse?

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What is travers, and how can it help my horse?

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If you’re looking to learn how to ride leg yield, then first you need to understand the movement. Leg yield is a basic exercise within the range of lateral work for horses. The movement asks the horse to travel both forward and sideways at the same time with a slight flexion away from the direction of travel. It’s found in elementary level dressage tests under British Dressage rulings and is a useful schooling and suppling tool. It is one of the first lateral movements riders typically teach their horses.

What is a correct leg yield?

The horse should show a slight flexion of the poll away from the direction in which he is travelling in a leg yield. The inside legs should cross in front of the outside legs. The shoulders should be slightly in advance of the hind quarters. Leg yield can be ridden on a straight or curved line.

What are the benefits of leg yield?

Even if you are not required to ride leg yield for the purpose of competition, it is a very useful lateral movement to use within your training sessions. If you are ultimately looking to introduce half pass and shoulder-in, leg yield is the place to start. It is also useful for helping your horse to become more supple, straight and balanced and develop more expression in the paces.

The leg yield is not only a helpful tool while schooling, but it can aid you when you put your horse in other circumstances, such as our hacking or in a competition setting. If your horse takes a dislike to something and spooks, you can use leg yield to divert his attention away from the cause of the problem.

How to ride leg yield

If you or your horse are unfamiliar with this movement, practise it first in walk. This will help you both understand the aids for leg yield before you increase the pace.

• Establish a good, active and balanced pace (on the left rein)
• Apply a half-halt as you approach the quarter or three-quarter line of the long-side of the arena. Ride onto the quarter/three-quarter line
• Put slightly more weight into your left seat bone
• Put your left leg fractionally behind the girth and ask your horse to move sideways away from your leg towards the edge of the arena
• Use your right rein to help control the direction of travel
• Use your right leg to maintain forward momentum, control the angle and to prevent your horse from falling out onto his right side
• Use your left rein to ask for a small amount of flexion, but make sure your horse stays balanced between both reins
• Once you reach the edge of the arena, straighten your horse up and ride him forward out of the leg yield

Half-halts can be used as needed, alongside appropriate release and praise.

Once you and your horse are confident with the movement in walk, it can be ridden in all three paces.

Spencer Wilton on how to ride leg yield

Common problems to watch out for

• A loss of straightness
• Too much inside bend with the horse falling through the outside shoulder
• The horse rushes forwards away from your inside leg
• Horse leads with his hindquarters

Can I teach leg yield from the ground?

Long-reining can be used to teach the horse to leg yield without a rider on board. Here is an exercise from Fizz Marshall, former equine therapy centre manager at Hartpury College.

The first few attempts will need an extra assistant on the ground and the horse must be confident with the basic long-reining techniques and commands before attempting this exercise. Ensure you are also competent in your long-reining skills before you start this exercise.

• Ask the horse to walk while staying in a straight line, not asking them to move over at all, travelling nice and forwardly, and evenly in the hand.
• Bring a handler in to walk besides the horse at girth level. They will place their hand just behind where the girth is, almost where your inside leg would be if you were asking for leg yield when you were riding.
• The driver gives a little tap with the inside long-rein and holds the outside long-rein to ask the horse to move over, whilst positioning themselves slightly outside of the horse on a straight line.
• Do the above a couple of times and then take the handler away. The driver keeps their position the same and uses the inside long rein to move the horse over.

How to teach your horse to leg yield on long reins

Is leg yield in any British Dressage tests?

Leg yield is only found in elementary level dressage tests in British Dressage.

A basic leg yield exercise suitable for all horses

The aim of this leg-yielding exercise is to lighten the horse’s forehand while improving strength, balance, suppleness and straightness. It also helps to teach him to move away from the inside leg and work into the outside hand.

The idea is that the horse has a slight flexion at the poll, away from the direction of travel. His inside legs should cross in front of his outside legs, and he should maintain a forward rhythm.

The exercise: step by step

1. It’s best to start in walk, as this will help both horse and rider to understand and coordinate the aids. Then move up to trot.

2. Starting on the right rein, go large around the arena and establish a balanced and forward walk or working trot, while asking for a small amount of flexion with your right rein. Try to use a little “feel and release”. The inside rein is there to guide your horse — it’s not there to drag him around the bends and turns. I like to make sure I can see just the corner of the horse’s eye.

3. When you reach A on the short side of the arena, apply a half-halt using the outside rein to signal you would like your horse to wait and listen for his next instruction. Then ride on to the three-quarter line. I like to ride straight down this line once before asking for any sideways steps.

4. Repeat the above, but this time ride halfway down the three-quarter line before applying another half-halt. Put your right leg very slightly behind the girth and ask him to move sideways, shoulder first, towards the fence, while maintaining the right flexion.

5. Use your left leg to maintain the forward rhythm, control the angle of his body and prevent him from falling out on to his left side. If the horse gives too much inside bend, remember to keep an elastic feel down the inside rein and support the angle of the bend by using your outside rein and leg.

6. When you reach the edge of the arena, praise the horse and give the right rein to keep him soft. Once back on the track, ride straight again while maintaining forward momentum. Change the rein and repeat.

You might also be interested in:

What is lateral work, and how can it help my horse?

What is a turn on the forehand, and how to ride it correctly

What is travers, and how can it help my horse?

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Half pass is an advanced form of lateral work for horses. In the half pass the horse moves sideways along the diagonal line, while looking in the direction of movement. The forehand should be slightly ahead of the quarters and the horse should be equally bent through the body from poll to tail. The fluency of the pace should not be interrupted with the normal rhythm, balance, tempo and cadence of the pace maintained.

Performed correctly, the perfect half pass should flow from one side of the arena to the other, with the rider able to sit effortlessly in the saddle.

As tests progress in difficulty up the competitive levels of dressage, so does the angle of the half pass, requiring greater crossing of the legs and gymnastic ability. Half pass can be ridden in both trot and canter.

Half pass should not be attempted until the horse is fully established in both shoulder-in and travers.

Aids for riding half pass

The basic aids for lateral work are the same regardless of the movement being performed:

• the rider’s weight should remain in the direction of the movement
• the rider’s inside leg is responsible for bend and forward momentum
• the outside leg controls the amount of sideways movement
• the rider’s inside hand asks for a soft flexion, but never pulls back or crosses over
• the outside hand controls the speed and the amount of bend in the neck
• the rider should look in the direction they are travelling

So to ride half pass to the left, the left leg is on the girth asking the horse to bend to the inside and maintain impulsion. The right leg is behind the girth asking the outside hind leg to step over under the horse’s body and to control the quarters. The left rein is used to ask the horse to flex to the left and remain soft in the jaw. The outside rein is there to prevents the horse from bending too much or rushing forward. The rider’s weight should be directed towards the inside seat bone.

Preparation for the half pass should start before the corner with one or more half halts to help balance your horse. For example, in preparation for left half pass, the rider should sit a little to the left, with their left leg a little forward.

Dressage rider Amy Woodhead: how to ride a good canter half pass

Common mistakes and useful training tips

It is very easy to ride this movement without knowing exactly where the horse’s quarters are. Quarters trailing by a couple of inches can lose you marks, but in the early days of training, not pushing the horse over to become too parallel will gain more freedom of movement.

Trying to achieve too much bend can also encourage the horse to leave the quarters behind. But the biggest mistake is to have the quarters leading. This often happens in the first stride after a change of bend in the canter zig-zag (at grand prix level).

Riding transitions, as well as transitions within the pace, while in half-pass is a useful training exercise. For example, ride half pass (or shoulder-in) going from trot to walk while still travelling sideways and then go back to trot again. Working in collected trot to working trot and then medium trot and back again to collected trot will help improve the gaits while still travelling sideways.

In the grand prix, the zig-zag movement in canter requires three strides left then six right, six left, six right and three left, back to the centre line. The marks for this movement are doubled. Not only is the half pass in canter, but the rider also needs to count the strides accurately.

This is where you need the ability to change the bend a stride early, as this movement comes very fast. In earlier tests, the movement comes during the trot work and, here, the training for the preparation and changes of direction really show. Quarters trailing will become quarters leading. A zig-zag also exposes the weakness of a one-sided horse.

At what level is half pass found in British Dressage tests?

The movement can be found tests of medium level and above under British Dressage rules, while it is first seen in British Eventing tests at advanced level.

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Travers, or quarters-in, is a form of lateral work for horses in which the horse’s quarters are brought in off the track while the shoulders remain on it. The horse is bent uniformly from poll to tail around the rider’s inside leg, while looking in the direction of travel. It is the first lateral movement where the horse is moving in the same direction as it is looking. Learning how to ride travers correctly will increase your skills as a rider and also improve your horse’s suppleness and ability to collect.

When introducing lateral movements, horse and rider should start with leg yield, then progress to shoulder-in, travers, renvers, and finally, half pass.

In travers the horse’s outside legs pass and cross in front of the inside legs, to give three or four lines of footprints. It can be done along a wall or up the centre line, but you should be ultimately aiming for an angle of about 30 degrees to the line of your track.

Benefits of learning how to ride travers to the rider

• Develops co-ordination
• Teaches the rider how to control the haunches and hind legs
• Is a useful preparation for half-pass

Benefits of travers to the horse

• Improves co-ordination, suppleness and athleticism
• Encourages engagement of the hocks, especially the inside hind leg
• Develops collection
• Increases obedience to the rider’s aids
• Preparation for half-pass

How to ride travers: the correct aids

• Inside rein opens a little to indicate bend/ask for flexion
• Outside rein is kept close to the neck, controlling the energy, guarding against excess bend, and keeping the shoulders on the track
• Inside leg used on the girth to ask for bend and to generate impulsion
• Outside leg used behind the girth to move the hindquarters over
• The rider should place a little more weight on the inside seat bone and keep their shoulders parallel to those of the horse, ie facing the direction of travel
• The aids for travers and renvers are the same – all that varies is the initial positioning of the horse.

How to start

Warm up with a few transitions and plenty of circles. Then, if your horse is going well, ask for some leg yield before progressing to shoulder-in in walk and trot to encourage greater collection.

Go back to walk and ride a few shoulder-ins down the long side, starting and finishing each long side with a 10m circle. Then, at the beginning of your next long side, set up the bend as you ride around the short end, as if you were going to ride another 10m circle. As you come out of the corner, once your horse’s nose is level with the track, apply the aids to ask the hindquarters to step in on an inner track. It may help to carry your schooling stick in the outside hand.

You should aim to maintain the energy level without losing rhythm or balance, so frequent half-halts will be required. This is quite a strenuous movement for a horse that is not used to it so go for quality rather than quantity. If your horse shows you a few good strides, straighten him by moving the quarters back in line with the shoulders. This reinforces the idea of moving that part of the body first in one direction and then returning it. Ride forwards positively out of the movement and reward your horse.

What can go wrong?

Excessive head and neck bend in travers, or the wrong bend altogether, is usually a result of poor riding. Go back a step by working on your leg yield and shoulder-in while checking you are maintaining the correct riding position before trying again.

If your horse is showing not enough or too much angle, use a mirror or a knowledgeable assistant on the ground to help you find the correct angle.

Sideways rather than forwards movement may be due to lack of impulsion. The rider needs to encourage the horse to step forwards with more energy before trying to movement again.

A loss of rhythm or balance can occur because not enough half-halts are being used. This will lead to a loss of quality in the pace. Frequent half-halts are essential for any lateral work.

If your horse panics, throws his head in the air and hollows, he is showing he does not understand what you want, so you need to go back a few steps and make sure you understand and are giving the correct aids. Aim to keep your horse in a correct soft outline throughout the exercises.

If the horse is rushing or not showing enough collection, return to shoulder-in to encourage the horse’s outline to shorten and the hindquarters to engage.

Whatever the problem, the first step to fix it is to straighten your horse and ride on positively. Try to establish why the movement went wrong and address that before asking again. Most problems are caused by insufficient preparation, leading to a lack of understanding or confusion on the horse’s part.

Common rider’s position faults to look out

• Collapsing hip
• Not sitting straight
• Tension and stiffness
• Drawing legs up and back

Travers can be ridden in walk, trot or canter, but as most horses will choose to travel slightly quarters-in in canter, it should only be introduced in that pace once a true straight canter has been established as the normal way of going for the horse.

Is travers found in dressage tests?

Travers can be found in medium level tests under British Dressage rules, and at intermediate and above in British Eventing.

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Renvers is one of the more advanced examples of lateral work for horses. It mirrors the exercise travers, or quarters-in, and is a useful exercise for straightening and strengthening a horse. Learning to ride it will improve your feel as a rider, too. When riding renvers, the shoulders of the horse are controlled and positioned off the track, with the hindlegs on the track. The horse will be moving on either three or four tracks with an ideal angle of 30 degrees to the direction of travel.

British Dressage explains that renvers is the inverse movement in relation to travers. The horse’s hindquarters remain on the track while the forehand is moved inward off the track, but unlike shoulder-in, the horse is looking in the direction in which it is moving, with a bend around the rider’s inside leg (the use of “inside” in this context is related to the horse’s bend, not the position of the horse within the arena). The horse’s outside legs pass and cross in front of the inside legs.

Benefits of learning how to ride renvers to the rider

• Develops co-ordination
• Teaches the rider how to control the haunches and hind legs
• Is a useful introduction to half-pass
• Develops feel and sensitivity as a rider

Benefits of renvers to the horse

• Improves co-ordination, suppleness and athleticism
• Encourages engagement of the hocks, especially the inside hind leg
• Develops collection
• Increases obedience to the rider’s aids
• Preparation for half-pass
• Helps stop the horse falling in through its shoulder
• Prevents the horse from trying to evade his body to the rider’s hands, by over-bending in his neck and falling out through the shoulder
• Strengthens horses which are weaker on one side
• Adds something new to training

How to ride renvers

Begin introducing this to the horse in walk, before moving on into trot and canter.

• The rider must be aware of their position in the saddle and be able to control their weight aids before introducing this exercise
• The rider should look ahead while sitting slightly to the inside
• The inside leg is placed by the girth and the outside leg is behind the girth
• The inside rein asks for positioning, direction and bend while the outside rein controls the amount of bend and speed
• The rider can approach renvers from a half-pirouette in walk, from half a 10m circle on to the centre line, or by riding up the outside track of an arena and turning back onto the quarter line
• To finish riding renvers, the forehand is re-aligned with the quarters on the track.
• If you are new to renvers, you should watch someone ride the movement and then ask an experienced trainer to help you ride it

Common problems

• Renvers is an advanced movement so it will take time and repetition for your horse to learn
• The horse resists the aid, so loses energy and rhythm. You must ride forward to re-establish the quality of the pace before asking again
• Too much or too little angle so the horse evades the bend
• The rider is not clear with the aid so the horse gets confused and thinks they are being asked a different question. Ensure that you fully understand what is being asked during renvers before asking the horse

Is renvers included in any British Dressage tests?

Renvers is not a compulsory movement in any British Dressage tests, although it is a permitted movement in freestyle dressage at medium level and above under British Dressage rules. It is not used in British Eventing dressage tests.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

International dressage rider Sarah Millis explains how you can improve the quality and rhythm of the trot by training with half-10m circles and shoulder-in

Aim

This exercise is a great way to teach shoulder-in to young horses, but it can help improve and maintain engagement and suppleness at all ages and levels.

With young horses, when teaching shoulder-in, don’t ask for the movement along the entire long side. Instead, use half-circles to encourage the horse to turn and stay supple.

I don’t ask the horse for too much flexion in the shoulder-in initially — I just teach them how to take the correct positioning and learn to come on to three tracks. Otherwise, they learn to bend the neck too much and fall out through the shoulders. This results in them bending just the neck, rather than allowing the inside hindleg to come under to help create bend through the whole body for a true shoulder-in.

Exercise

1. Trot around the short side of the arena on the left rein then, from F to D, ride a half-10m circle left followed by a half-10m circle right to K. Make sure your horse is carrying himself, straight on the centre line and beginning to flex through his ribcage around your inside leg before turning, so he doesn’t fall on to the inside shoulder.

2. At K, go straight into shoulder-in right until the next marker (V in a 20x60m arena or E in a 20x40m) and repeat, so it’s a continuing exercise you can ride from one end of the arena to the other.

When starting to position the shoulder-in, think of beginning another circle so you guide the shoulders around, then ask your horse to yield from your inside leg to a steady outside rein. Your outside leg needs to support his outside hindleg so he doesn’t swing the quarters out.

3. During both movements, focus on the rhythm as it is important that the

purity of the horse’s gait is not lost, otherwise he’ll become uneven and lose balance. Ride the exercise from one end of the arena to the other so that you are performing the shoulder-in on both reins.

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Tips and pitfalls

• It’s important to keep focused on maintaining a good, active rhythm in the trot. Always refresh your horse’s forward-thinking mind and active hindleg by riding some lengthened strides or medium trot on the long side or diagonal before repeating, or in between if the horse loses impulsion.
• If you don’t have the use of a mirror, it’s important to have someone on the ground videoing from behind and in front so that you can see if you’re staying central over the horse’s back and not slipping to the outside.
• If your horse tends to run on down the long side, try asking for some trot-walk-trot transitions. This will encourage him to wait, instead of you hanging on to the front end and riding him from front to back, when he should be working through from behind with an engaged hindleg.

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Top show producer Aimee Devane (pictured) reveals how she uses shoulder fore to improve flexion and engagement, while maintaining impulsion and power.

Aim

Ensuring that show horses and ponies are able, and willing, to flex and bend correctly is something to perfect before you get in the ring. At home, I spend a lot of time working on suppleness with the natives I have in. Mountain and moorlands can be strong to ride and some breeds have a tendency to lean on the forehand. Therefore, practising exercises like the shoulder fore helps the rider establish greater flexion and control, which is especially useful when you’re on a go-round with more than 40 other ponies in the class.

The exercise: shoulder fore

1. It’s best to introduce the shoulder fore in walk and work towards completing it in working trot, sitting or rising. When you have perfected this then you can work up to canter, but this would take time over a number of sessions.

2. Starting on the right rein, come on to the long side of the arena and turn as if you’re going to ride a 10-metre circle in the corner.

3. As your horse takes that first step on to the circle, half-halt and ride straight down the long side. Your outside (left) rein supports the horse’s outside shoulder. You may need to adjust the contact on this rein to make it firmer. Use the outside leg to stop the quarters swinging out by placing the thigh, knee and lower leg behind the girth. This leg should remain passive and simply act as a support for the horse. The inside (right) rein keeps the angle and controls the amount of bend — do this by gently opening the hand and softly squeezing the contact — while the inside leg needs to be on the girth to actively push the horse forward and sideways. Note that in the shoulder fore position, the horse should move the shoulders in off the track, while the hindquarters remain where they are.

4. Make sure you position your body correctly with your seat weighted slightly to the inside and your inside hip forward. Look between the horse’s ears and keep your shoulders parallel with the horse’s shoulders. You must maintain impulsion, self-carriage and tempo, meaning that the horse should feel more uphill.

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Tips and pitfalls when riding shoulder fore

• Bear in mind that you don’t have to keep the movement for the entire length of the arena, but aim for a few good steps then come round and try again.
• Try not to have too little or too much bend. Make sure you provide enough outside rein contact and don’t have too much inside rein tension, as this causes too much bend in the neck.
• Don’t make the angle to the inside track too sharp as this then almost becomes a leg-yield. The angle should be about half that of the shoulder-in, so 15°.
• If the hindquarters drift out, your thigh, knee and lower leg are not supporting the horse enough. Check your outside leg is positioned correctly behind the girth and against the side of your horse.
• If the horse is young or green, then this form of exercise will initially take a lot of energy and brainpower so take plenty of walk breaks in between attempts.

We continue to publish Horse & Hound magazine weekly during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as keeping horseandhound.co.uk up to date with all the breaking news, features and more. Click here for info about magazine subscriptions (six issues for £6) and access to our premium H&H Plus content online.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Swedish Olympic event rider Ludwig Svennerstål explains how shoulder-in on a circle encourages self-carriage

Aim

Shoulder-in on a circle is something I do every day, whether I’m warming up to jump or do dressage, as it shows me if the horse is on the aids and helps me ride from the inside leg to the outside rein.

The aim is for the horse to be in self-carriage and in front of the leg. If you discover that he is behind the leg and his head is behind the vertical, make sure that your contact is consistent and equal — check you are not using too much inside rein and make sure you use the inside leg to encourage the horse to think “up” and forward.

Transitions are like changing gear on a car: if you go down a gear you don’t want to stop the horse in his tracks, but for him to gather himself and push forward into the new gear. Shoulder-in on a circle really helps with this.

When you go up a pace, make sure the horse goes into the new pace in a positive and active manner. Once he is forward then you can create collection by using your inside leg.

The exercise

1. Start on a 20-metre circle in walk and do a couple of steps of shoulder-in. Once that is established, proceed to trot and canter. Remember it is a simple exercise and you should ride from your inside leg to your outside rein. With new horses, I sometimes spend weeks on this first step to teach them to do it correctly.

2. Make small transitions of tempo within the pace. Create more angle in the shoulder-in and keep your leg on to achieve a smaller trot — avoid the mistake of taking the leg off and using too much rein.

3. Make transitions to different paces while doing the exercise. When going down a pace, use a bigger angle in the shoulder-in, keep your leg on, use your seat and “think” the transition to get the horse to change to the slower pace. Stay patient, as sometimes it takes 20 circles before the horse understands what you want him to do.

4. Go large around the arena, keeping the principles of the exercise in mind. If you have done the exercise correctly, the horse will be in self-carriage, on the aids and directed by a light touch of the outside rein.

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Tips and pitfalls

• The biggest downfall for most riders is a lack of patience. Repetition and composure are essential.
• Resist the temptation to pull on the inside rein to create the angle of the shoulder-in. It will only lead to an over-bent neck with too much bend to the inside, and a head which is behind the vertical.
• Don’t sit and nag the horse with your inside leg. If the horse doesn’t listen to your aids, give it a “Pony Club kick” and then keep the leg still. The horse needs to accept your aids, but you must be clear and consistent with them.
• You should usually aim to keep the contact in both reins constant and consistent, but in this exercise, rein contact needs to be stronger on the outside than on the inside.
• Remember to pat and reward the horse whenever he does something correctly or improves his way of doing something.

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Australian dressage rider Lyndal Oatley provides tips for nailing this advanced move

Based in Germany, Lyndal is one of Australia’s leading dressage riders. She was the highest-placed Australian competitor on the late Sandro Boy at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics. She is married to fellow Olympian Patrik Kittel.

Training the stars

Sandro Boy was a gifted horse gymnastically. The half-pass became his strength with time, training and use of basic exercises. It became the movement people remember best about him.

Encouraging freedom and expression in a half-pass can transform it into a test highlight. Here are some exercises I use to improve the movement.

Tackling the issue

1. Riders often focus on the position of the shoulders and whether the hindlegs are trailing or leading, but suppleness through the ribcage is also instrumental in developing increased expression in a half-pass. An easy exercise to help this is to ride up the long side starting in shoulder-in, then switch to travers, back to shoulder-in, then back to travers. With each change in exercise, think about yielding your horse off the inside leg. It should feel as though you are shortening the distance between the horse’s hip and the shoulder around your inside leg.

2. Check how you are sitting in the saddle. Sometimes we inhibit expression by how we use our bodies. Make sure your body is turned slightly in the direction you are heading. Don’t use your hips to shunt your horse across. Instead, think about having your inside hip bone slightly lower than your outside one, and your outside hip slightly forward.

3. Flirt with power and collection. Simply encouraging the horse forward within the half-pass followed by a few steps of collection can make a world of difference. When your horse responds to your half-halt asking him to collect, reward him by allowing him to go forward again.

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Consider this…

• Start your half-pass with a few steps of shoulder-fore.
• Extra flexion doesn’t come from bending the horse more in the direction of the half-pass. Remember to keep a connection on the outside rein.
• Increased expression comes from the inside shoulder’s ability to move freely. Be careful not to block with the inside rein by fixing it at the withers or by taking your hand across the neck. Aim for a soft, constant rein contact and position your hand slightly in off the withers.
• Less is more. Don’t do half-pass after half-pass. Focus on these exercises instead.
• Make learning a positive experience. Your horse’s happiness and soundness are paramount.

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This is a simple leg-yielding exercise from Sue-Helen Shuttleworth (pictured) for both established and young horses, enabling the rider to master the art of flexion and the correct use of the inside rein

Aim

The aim of this leg-yielding exercise is to lighten the horse to the forehand while improving strength, balance, suppleness and straightness. It also helps to teach him to move away from the inside leg and work into the outside hand.

The idea is that the horse has a slight flexion at the poll, away from the direction of travel. His inside legs should cross in front of his outside legs, which is done while maintaining a forward rhythm. A horse who appears light and easy to ride in the show ring is more likely to attract the judge’s attention.

The exercise

1. It’s best to start in walk, as this will help both horse and rider to understand and coordinate the aids. Then move up to trot.

2. Starting on the right rein, go large around the arena and establish a balanced and forward walk or working trot, while asking for a small amount of flexion with your right rein. Try to use a little “feel and release”. The inside rein is there to guide your horse — it’s not there to drag him around the bends and turns. I like to make sure I can see just the corner of the horse’s eye.

3. When you reach A on the short side of the arena, apply a half-halt using the outside rein to signal you would like your horse to wait and listen for his next instruction. Then ride on to the three-quarter line. I like to ride straight down this line once before asking for the sideways action.

4. Repeat the above, but this time ride halfway down the three-quarter line before applying another half-halt. Put your right leg very slightly behind the girth and ask him to move sideways, shoulder first, towards the fence, while maintaining the right flexion.

5. Your left leg is used to maintain the forward rhythm, control the angle of his body and prevent him from falling out on to his left side. If the horse gives too much inside bend, remember to keep an elastic feel down the inside rein and support the angle of the bend by using your outside rein and leg.

6. When you reach the edge of the arena, praise the horse and give the right rein to keep him soft. Once back on the track, ride straight again while maintaining forward momentum. Change the rein and repeat.

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Tips and pitfalls

• Sometimes the horse doesn’t understand the inside leg aid and ignores it. If so, start in walk and use your stick to back up the leg aid — a few small taps on the shoulder encourages the horse to move quietly away from the leg.
• He might misunderstand the leg aid and rush forward. Repeat your half-halts and be quick to release the rein, so he remains relaxed. Once the horse understands the aids in walk, the trot work will follow.
• If the horse anticipates the movement across, try riding down the centre line and leg- yield to the three-quarter line.
• If the horse leads with the quarters, ride straight out of the movement and ask again, this time with your inside leg slightly more forward.
• Lots of qualifiers now ask for a more precise and technical ridden display. This can include walk to canter or cantering on the straight. I find it beneficial in training to use the leg-yield exercise just before asking for canter to encourage straightness and the correct lead.

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