demi pirouettes

ClobellsandBaubles

ClobellsandBaubles

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ok have been schooling horse that has been turned away over the winter to get him going again.
he was quite unfit and not the most forward going of horses so have just been concentrating on the basics getting him going forward swinging from behind and active and not leaning on my hands and this has been going quite well despite a quite water logged school.
anyway owner has suggested that i try doing some demi pirouettes to get him more responsive to the outside aids. i was going to progressive to doing some leg yielding, turns on forehand etc. having not done any form of pirouette before
can anyone suggest how to start going about bringing this into our sessions and the correct aids?
 
oh thats good because if he is unfit doing movements like that could be so damaging to his ligaments if its just in walk make sure he is staying soft and using the hind leg to shoulder in / out, leg yield then just use the outside leg to push his front end round, use your seat to slow him and absorb the movement so he moves around a circle but dont push for a half circle or the dinner plate size back leg footfall because itll be too much too soon just ask for a few steps around the haunches and build it up very slowly and make sure you push the front end around dont try and do too much else! Xx hope that helps its quite hard to explain the feel but honestly go for shoulder in and out first which will help u get the feel of the control to start any pirouette x
 
I think you're trying to run before you can walk tbh. You need good established travers and shoulder in before starting pirouettes. Perhaps work on these movements but I always find transitions with in the pace great for getting a backward horse thinking forward. Once you can do this do the transitions in a slightly shoulder in position to gain more hind quarter engagement and then try for a traver either in walk or if he listens better in trot, in trot. Once you've got that sussed ask for a shoulder in then push the forequarters round your inside leg to do a 1/4 pirouette (good to do this on a diamond shape) but you must keep the forwardness or you can create problems of stuffiness... At first it doesn't matter if the pirouette is 'big' it's the feel that counts. I was always taught to think of a pirouette as a 1/2 m circle in travers... if you think of it like that, it shows how balanced your horse needs to be to acheive this movement.

Bnbx
 
Thanks for your help think i understand better now
re. blitznbobs i was thinking along the same lines as well but as the owner asked specifically thought id better find out a bit more to maybe work it in currently doing lots of transitions etc. think il try and work in a little more leg yielding shoulder in first as i am much happier doing this once im happy he's going forwards
re. farma would definitely be in walk only ask him to be a bit more engaged and off the leg in walk at owners suggestion shall start with little bits of shoulder in and work up then thankyou :)
 
What may be okay for his level would be to go on a square and ask for a tiny little pirouette around the corners. Don't expect too much though and don't push him until he's ready or you can do some damage.
 
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