Flatwork train to enhance corners in dressage and forestall reducing
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Martha Terry
5 June, 2026 11:45
One of many best methods to impress a dressage decide is by using correct corners. Nevertheless it’s not nearly scoring excessive marks; bettering the way you trip corners encourages the right bend, suppleness, straightness and steadiness from the horse with the rider prioritising utilizing their seat and leg, over their palms. That is the inspiration for all lateral actions and extra superior work.
Right here’s how one can work in your self-discipline and accuracy around the bends with the assistance of a easy flatwork train.
Goals
to trip into the corners of the world
reaching bend by means of the horse’s complete physique, with out drifting in or out
to encourage straightness and suppleness
enhance your transitions
The setup
Setup: No setup required, however you do want an area – whether or not everlasting or marked out in a discipline – so that you’ve corners to trip into.
Rebalance for the corners by making a transition from trot to stroll earlier than turning.
The best way to trip the train
When you’re warmed up, trip a 20m sq. in trot, turning throughout the varsity from E to B (or B to E, relying on the rein).
Two strides earlier than every nook, ask your horse to stroll. Think about your horse’s whiskers touching edge of college so that you just trip deep into the nook, then flip and trot out. The downward transition ought to assist rebalance your horse.
As you strategy every nook your horse ought to start to naturally take their steadiness again on to the hindleg as they anticipate the downward transition. Whenever you really feel this, you possibly can proceed across the nook in trot with out strolling.
Construct as much as a constant trot rhythm on the entire sq., with out altering tempo or reducing any corners, then repeat on the opposite rein.
In case you really feel the horse fall in or attempt to lower a nook, do the subsequent one in stroll.
Ideas
1. Cease the drift
In case your horse tries to chop the nook, half halt and examine your inside leg is there to encourage them to bend their physique round your leg by means of the nook.
2. Build up
As soon as your horse is turns into extra constant, as an alternative of strolling within the corners, simply half-halt to rebalance the trot earlier than the flip.
3. Progress
Because the steadiness of each horse and rider develops, it is possible for you to to trip a constant trot rhythm by means of the entire sq. with out reducing any corners. In case you lapse at any stage, return to stroll and set up appropriate corners once more so the horse understands what you might be asking him to do.
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H&H options editor
Martha is an skilled journalist who’s mad-keen on horses and canines. Her reporting CV contains the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Competition and World Cup finals. After rising up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she loved 14 years with two rescue canines. Now, her fixed companion is Fidget, a particularly energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on matters as various as a high horse’s clone to one of the best GPS trackers for canines, in addition to equestrian and rural issues for Nation Life, The Area, The Instances, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
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