| How often do you train circles when preparing for a | | | | Use your inside hand to show your horse the way. |
| dressage competition? | | | | Ask him/her for a slight bend to the inside of the circle |
| There is more to riding circles than just getting higher | | | | with your rein aid. Your outside hand softens slightly to |
| scores in dressage competitions. Riding circles have | | | | allow your horse to bend his/her neck in that direction. |
| great advantages in having your horse supple and | | | | Think of how the neck can flow around the curve of |
| balanced when you are riding. You can have more fun | | | | the circle line. |
| and do more things with your horse. Riding good circles | | | | Use your inside leg placed at the girth to remind your |
| are a great way to train your horse to be supple and | | | | horse to keep going forward. Sometimes lazy horses |
| balanced. It is easy to plan your training to include | | | | use a change in direction like a circle as a good |
| circles of different kinds in your training program. It | | | | excuse to slow down and have a rest! Keep your leg |
| helps a lot if you have some markers around the circle. | | | | on to keep the impulsion so that your horse keeps |
| Then you can clearly see where you are going. | | | | going forward. Remember forward first! Your outside |
| How do you ride a good circle? | | | | leg stays slightly behind the girth so that the flow that |
| Remember that you are your horse's riding partner. So | | | | you started with the head and neck continues through |
| think about the part that you play in riding good circles. | | | | your horse's body. A well ridden dressage circle |
| What about your position? Are you supple and | | | | means that your horse's quarters don't swing away |
| balanced as a rider? Check that. Sit straight and tall, | | | | from that line of flow. The result of riding good circles - |
| have your shoulders square with your horse's | | | | a balanced and supple horse! |
| shoulders and that your hips are aligned with your | | | | What kind of circles do you ride and how well will they |
| riders hips. Make sure you look ahead - look where | | | | score in your next dressage competition? |
| you are going! | | | | |