Quarter Turns on the Forehand/Haunches

[Mattb125]

Hi
I find these great for supplying up a horse but could someone knowledgeable confirm the exact aids as I often fudge them.I feel I could improve them if I could refine the exact aids for the movement.

Thanks
Matt

 

[Ani]

Different instructors will teach different ways and as with everything else aids often have to be adapted from horse to horse. Firstly, remember that they are different , with turn on the forehand the horse halts and then steps around the the forehand with the hind quarters, with turn on the haunches the horse halts then steps around the hind quarters with the forehand... and both of these are different from turn about the forehand where the horse collects the walk (does not halt!!!) and steps the quarters around the forehand, Pirouette where again the horse collects the pace (walk or canter) does not halt!! and steps the forehand around the hind quarters... then of course there is just turning the horse off the outside leg, really good for shoulder control and getting better balanced turns to jumps. all have slightly different aids. which exacly are you doing? i don't mean to be patronising but alot of the people i teach i find cannot ride them well until they can differentiate which is which.

 

[Partoow]

Hi Mat,
Ok i dont really do the turn on the fore hand anymore dont really find it relevant to the training system. Turns on the haunches sre my favourite and can help so much at many levels.
I always start this work with a nice little exercise where i am thinking about the correct body position for leg yeild. Turn your shoulders and the horses away from the dirrection of travel keep and even balance in the seat keep the shoulders and the hand the same height and remember the side ways is 'felt' on the outside shoulder as the outside shoulder comes back. The outside leg behind the girth dirrects the body parrallel to the side of the school by applying a holding pressure not the light tap of the inside activating leg. Once you reach the track turn your hips bring the shoulders in and ride a couple of steps , about 15m in shoulder fore/ shoulder in depending on age and stage of training.This can be done in both walk and trot and for the babies i keep to rising trot.
Ok this then starts gtteing you both cordinating the aids for a turn on the haunches.
i set it up in shoulderfore. Hips turned to the direction of the horses shoulders, imagine you are taking both of the shoulders in not just pulling the inside shoulder back. This is important as this helps keep the movement forward . As in the shoulder fore you apply the 'take' on the outside rein as the outside shoulder comes back. this starts the turn obviuosly the iside leg activates as it encourages the inside to lift actively up and down. The outside leg behind the girth only HOLDS the outside leg it must not start the movement. Its hold becomes more important on the second step as this is the moment the outside hind wants to step out to avoid the inside leg having to do its job. Think of it like the hub of a bike wheel [his quaters] and the spokes radiating away from the center each spoke = the next step with the the outside shoulder leading the movement. If you have him betwen leg and outside rein by the 3rd step you should soften the hands [ both] of them slightly forward this stops overrotation and encourages the inside hind to step forward not back. remember at all times and at any point you should be able to step straight out of the movement.
Also make sure you do not lean back try and make sure that you slightly press the front 'fork' into the front of the saddle this has the effect of allowing a lighter seat and therfore releasing the back but also lets your hips turn more readily.
Ok hope that helps.

 

[Partoow]

Sorry jiggy-with-it but in the turn on the haunches it is not about the turn off the outside leg it is the turn of the outside shoulder around the inside activating leg. it developes shoulder freedom through hind leg activity. This is a common miss understanding and the reason why the quaters end up leading and the inside hind either sticks or steps back or out.The horse must always be turning its front infront of you never the other way round and too much emphasis on the outside leg does not encourage this.

 

[Ani]

Appologies for the wording, that is not what i meant when i said turn off the out side leg i meant "aids", but you realise your aids are idealistic and must be adaptable to the amount of outside, inside, leg, seatbone, rein according to the horse or rider you are training.

 

[Mattb125]

Hi
Thank you both and I will try and reply to both.
Jiggy thanks for the response and basically I'm looking for clarity on the aids for both as I regularly ride quarter turns and understand that that I need to create slight insight flexion will keeping contact in the outside rein to prevent the forehand step.With the inside leg nudging behind the girth to encourage the step as the outside leg stays gently on the girth.Could you please confirm if that is roughly correct and how I ask for the quarter turm on the forehand.
Partoo thanks for the guide and can you tell me if you use quarter turns as part of your warm up?

Thanks

 

[Partoow]

Yes i ride squares [1/4 turns =each corner] as i find this helps keep the feeling of forward to the outside rein.
Just vary the size of the square to give a different value to the exersise. ie it makes it more difficult the smaller the square. Also use this to develope the canter and work to pirouettes in canter.