Turn on the Forehand--On a Square
This exercise helps to improve leg obedience in forward motion, as well as adroitness and the ability to bend on a circle.
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- Turn on the Forehand--On a Square
You ride a small square--each side approximately one horse's length (3 meters). Along the sides of the square, ride a full pass. In each corner, ride a 90-degree turn on the forehand.
Start on a 20-meter circle, with X being one of the circle points. Halt at X. Next, begin to ask your horse to move sideways in a full pass for one horse's length. The full pass is a leg yield in which the horse moves sideways, perpendicular to the line of travel, without moving forward. Look for your horse's inside hind leg to cross over the outside hind leg three times on each side of the square to keep the square 3 meters by 3 meters. Then, ride a turn on the forehand. Repeat until you've completed a square and you're back to the starting point.
Repeat on the other hand.
George Williams is a USDF gold medalist, a sought-after clinician and a successful international competitor on the mare Rocher. He began studying dressage in 1973 and earned his German Bronze Rider medal at the Reitinstitute von Neindorff. He was resident trainer for Tempel Lipizzans in Illinois for 20 years and has trained with former U.S. dressage team coach Klaus Balkenhol. He is currently USDF vice president, chair of the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) High Performance Dressage Committee and a member of both the USEF High Performance Eligible Athlete Committee and USEF Board of Directors. His Williams Dressage LLC is a training, coaching and riding venture based at Elizabeth Juliano's Havensafe Farm in Middlefield, Ohio.
To read the article "Leg Yield With a Twist" by George Williams with Reina Abelshauser, see the July 2009 issue of Dressage Today. To order back issues, call 301-977-3900.
