riding a perfect circle

[rather-b-riding]

Okay, so maybe I should know how by now...but I don't know how to ride a perfect circle. What are the correct aids and such? I think my RI thought she had already gone over the aids with me but she hadn't and when she asked me to ride a circle while out on a hack and in a field I fumbled around like an idiot trying to ride a circle can anyone instruct me in the most simple terms???

Thanks in advance!

 

[toohorsemad]

Em Inside leg on the girth, outside leg behind the girth, use your shoulders to turn aswell and pull on the inside rein! Don't forget to treat the circle like a diamond!

 

[arabianbaby]

i was taught the same.. inside leg on the girth so they can bend around it, outside leg slightly back to keep the quarters in, definitely look where you want to go.. it will shift your weight on your seatbones, and as well as gentle squeeze on the inside rein was to make sure you were allowing the head to turn by giving with the outside rein.
i'm sure you will get more advice on refinement to get a "perfect" circle.

 

[~*sugarlump*~]

It is quite hard to ride a *perfect* circle ( well it was for me!). when i was taught to bend i kept making my circle smaller and smaller

 

[Rob26]

This might be a silly question but the aids to get a good turn seem very similar to asking for canter? what's the difference?

 

[Floob]

In walk and trot its more like supporting your horse with your legs, but yes the aids are very similar because when you do a transition into canter you are first asking for the correct bend before asking to go up a pace, ie increasing the pressure from your legs.

I don't really know how to explain it, sorry

 

[otl1987]

This might be a silly question but the aids to get a good turn seem very similar to asking for canter? what's the difference?

The difference is that when on a circle the pressure is constant, but not as intense as when you're asking for canter...

 

[teach1]

if you think about bisecting the circle into quarters, there will become four points where each quarter starts. think about hiting each one of these points, and riding a curve between them.

i must say it is difficult to ride an even circle in the middle of a field as you have no markers or fence line to guide you!

 

[Vicki&Milo]

shoulders

Just to follow on from what a couple of other people have said about the top half of your body. I was always told to keep your shoulders parallel with the horses shoulders, so you lead the circle from your body in a way, and I have to say that ever since I was told that I found getting a horse to bend round a circle well much easier, even horses that would refuse to come off the track or spin off in canter.

Hope that helps

Vicki