Keeping Circles on Track - The equestrian’s quest for the perfect circle crosses all disciplines. For Western and English riders, geometry matters. Horse show judges expect to see circles of uniform size and curves ridden with the horse’s body shaped to follow the arc. In dressage and reining, riders must show a clear distinction between large and small circles. In working equitation, circles around barrels and figure-eights must be symmetrical. In equitation and horsemanship patterns, judges frown on oval-shaped “circles.” In all classes, judges will deduct marks for circles of inaccurate size and over-arced or counter-flexed body alignment.

Every Time, Everywhere - Wrong lead! It’s one of the earliest alerts a young rider hears from her coach. One’s heart sinks to hear that same alert from the coach calling over the show ring rail. The novice rider learns the outside leg back and kiss cue to canter but I’ve found that riders are often unsure why they should use this cue. Let’s break it down. We’ll review the phonics of teaching your horse to pick up the correct lead and some hints to help the rider recognize it.

Canada is a massive country, with large distances between equine competitions and a relatively small number of upper-level equestrians. Hence, Canadian riders who want to be competitive at upper levels struggle to find enough higher-level competitions to advance their riding careers. Canada also has winter weather that precludes many riders from training outside for half the year. This can limit advancement and horse fitness. For example, three-day event riders can’t school cross-country jumps or get their gallop training in when fields are drifted with snow, nor can endurance riders do long rides on varied terrain.

In reining, rhythm, or “cadence,” is necessary when it comes to executing all aspects of a well ridden pattern. The horse should be balanced and responsive while willingly accepting the riders aids which should appear seamless. Establishing a consistent rhythm which can be adjusted accordingly is one of the fundamental building blocks that will assist the rider in achieving the ultimate goal in reining, which is a horse who appears to be executing a flawless pattern without the interference of the rider.