In this lesson, we are going to use our foundational lateral movement exercises to get the body control we need for a soft, pretty, and fluid spin. There are five exercises we will build off of: 1. The Basic Circle, 2. Leg Yield, 3. Turning on the Forehand, 4. Side Pass, and 5. Reverse Arc Circle.
The Basic Circle
If you cant ride a basic circle in a nice arc with the horse's head where you want it, you will have a really hard time with the spin. Be aware of your body position in the circle, being careful not to lean or slump the shoulders to the inside or outside. Be aware of your hand positioning, also being careful not to drift a hand too far away from the saddle horn. Imagine your hands are cuffed together.
Leg Yield
To establish shoulder control, we will work on a basic leg yield. Start on a circle, then take your inside leg to position 1, asking your horse's shoulder to move off the circle. Once he has taken a few good steps, take your leg off and allow him to follow his nose back to the original circle. The full release comes after he follows his nose.
Turn on the Forehand
In this next exercise, we will take our basic disengagement of the hindquarters, which we taught our horse on the very first ride, and build on it. Walking in a circle, stop the front end by utilizing the outside rein, and ask the horse to move his hind end around, while keeping his body relatively straight.
Side Pass
Next, we want to gain control of the ribcage. We will combine the shoulder and hindquarter control exercises, moving the shoulders one direction, then asking the hindquarters to move in that same direction, alternating between the two. When the horse is consistently responding with softness, move your inside leg to position 2 (neither forward nor back, but directly underneath you), and use your seat to give the horse space to move laterally underneath you to the outside. Use your outside rein to control leg speed: if he is moving forward, use more outside rein, and if he is stepping backward, use less outside rein. Keep him relatively straight, with just a slight bend of his nose to the inside.
Reverse Arc
When we have solid control of the shoulders, hindquarters, and ribcage, the next step is to help the horse learn to take his cues from our seat. We will accomplish this with a reverse arc. Starting on a circle, tip your horse's nose to the outside of the circle, using what was your outside leg to move the horse in a counter bend around that same circle. Then change directions by shifting your seat and asking him to follow his nose. When he follows his nose he will be going the other direction. Repeat the exercise.
While these exercises are simple, they are the essential building blocks for the more exciting maneuvers. Join us for Part 2 of this lesson next week, where we will start using the body control we have achieved to teach our horse to spin.
Until next time, may God bless the trails you ride.
- Ken McNabb