This simple flatwork exercise is a favourite of H&H deputy art editor Sophie Cheeseman to do at the start of a session to encourage your horse to be supple, off the leg and to “get your own legs working too”.
This is a great suppling exercise to do at the start of a session to warm you and your horse up, and is great for practising riding accurate circles.
It entails consecutive 10m circles off the centre line, on alternate reins. This works on your horse’s suppleness, collection and connection with the rider.
No setup required. You can do this exercise in an arena or a field, though it’s best to mark out an arena to help you stay disciplined on circle sizes.
The diagram below shows the exercise in a 20x60m school. If you are riding in a 20x40m, just do one circle fewer.
(Image credit: Future)
How to ride this exercise
Establish an active walk working into a contact and go large on the left rein. Turn down the centre line and almost immediately ride a 10m circle to the right.
On returning to the track, walk a few strides straight then ride a 10m circle to the left.
Establish straightness again on the centre line, then circle on the right rein, and so on.
Continue with these alternate circles until you reach the end of the arena. You should aim to fit five 10m circles in a 60m school – adjust according to the length you have available.
You can repeat this exercise in trot.
Tips and troubleshooting
1. Space out the circles
When you start doing this exercise, you may want to space out the circles so you’re not rushing your horse. Work on ensuring you have the correct bend on both reins.
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Equally, it’s beneficial to practise a few strides of straightness in between the circles as well as the tight turns.
2. Build up slowly
Your horse needs to be established and balanced on single 10m circles before attempting this sequence, which requires significant suppleness and multiple changes of rein in quick succession.
Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
