Riding a decent circle

Fairytale

Fairytale

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As the title says really.......what's the secret to executing a decent circle?

Mind tend to be diamonds and getting smaller! I've almost got to the point of buying some line paint and cheating by laying it out on the grass for me to follow!! Not much use when we get to the dressage arena though :)

Any advice/tips gratefully received from Those Who May Know :D

Fairy
 
They are harder than they look! First off your horse needs to be supple and off your leg. Then ensure you ride inside leg to outside hand (lateral work can help get your horse properly into your outside rein). Then ride and decide on your angle and try not to fiddle, looking about 1/4 of the circle onwards helps you keep looking at where you want to be riding too. Marking out a circle can really help you get an idea of what a 15m and 10m (etc!) circle feels like to ride so you avoid odd sized circles in a test, as well as the dreaded squircles!
 
Its definitely me not the horse that's going wrong! He's 'corkscrewing' and twisting me in the wrong direction - but I feel that its something I'm doing to make him 'corkscrew' in the first place! And why are they getting smaller??? I started off yesterday on a (hopefully) 15 metre-ish circle but very quickly it became about 10 and getting less!!!

Most frustrating!

F
 
If you have difficulty with the size of your circle and the placing of it in a test, try using coloured drill markers from a sports shop (those small plastic saucer shaped "dots") to mark it out.

The trick to riding a circular circle is to look through the imaginary middle of your circle and out to the other side of it - it can help to have a centre marker for this, either using a dot or block or something, or even your instructor :D By looking to the other side of your circle you will keep your body position and aids consistent and it will help your horse to maintain his bend true to the line of the circle.
 
I found a way to teach someone by accident!! We did a pairs dressage test and when we practiced she had to do a good shape because she was staying with me, the OMG I didn't realise it was that big had us laughing to much to be able to carry on :D After a while she really got the hang of it and her marks really improved. If you know someone who does good circkes and your horses will not argue ask if you can do some as a pair so you can see how it feels.
If your circles get smaller the horse is probably falling in so remember to push him into the bit so he stays more upright and it will be easier.
 
I was continuously losing marks for my ''circles'' last year when we were competing RC dressage my problem wasnt the horse he was supple and had a good bend along with his outline and steady rythm but it was me! After a lesson with my instructor she gave the advice of looking around your circle. As I rode I was constantly looking up and around the bend and almost looking at the 'points' like where 12,3,6 and 9 would be on a clock. It was almost as if i rode the circle with my shoulders?! As someone else mentioned having a middle marker and a cone or markers at 12,3,6 and 9 helps you with the size as a 20m circle is actually quite big when you get it right! Good luck :)
 
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