How to Properly Turn a Horse

To turn left, all a rider must do is apply a small amount of pressure to the rein in your left hand, while keeping a steady contact with the rein in your right. Make sure this is a squeeze, rather than a tug. This squeeze should consist of the flexion of your palmaris longus muscle. At the same time you cue with the reins, apply pressure with the squeezing of your gluteal muscles as well as your rectus femoris and hamstring in your left leg.

It should feel as tho the horse is bending around the pressure given by your left leg. This pressure is not constant but a squeeze that should last no more than a second on, and two seconds off, and should be continuous as long as the horse continues to turn in a circle. As the horse begins to obey this command, you can lighten the pressure in your hand, and continue to keep a left bending aid in your left rein, by squeezing and releasing the left hand.

Your right leg should be placed a in a more bent position, keeping you leg behind the girth of the saddle. Use the same muscles above to apply a light, but constant pressure on the hoses right side.This motion can be repeated but in an opposite manner by cuing all the right sided aids to turn. Keep this up, remember practice makes perfect. Sometimes if you can take a lesson it will help you enhance your skill level.

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