A turn on the forehand is a foundational equestrian movement where the horse's hindquarters move around its forehand, with the front legs remaining largely in place. It's an excellent exercise for developing a horse's responsiveness to leg aids and improving its suppleness.
Understanding the Turn on the Forehand
The essence of a successful turn on the forehand lies in the horse's ability to pivot on its inside front leg while its hindquarters circle around. For a good quality turn, the horse's back legs should actively circle around its front legs. Specifically, the inside hind leg must cross well over in front of the outside leg, driving the hindquarters away from the rider's inside leg. Throughout this movement, the horse should aim to pick up and put down the inside front leg in the same place (or as near as possible), maintaining the pivot point.
This exercise teaches the horse to yield to the rider's leg, encouraging lateral flexibility and engagement of the hindquarters. It's often one of the first lateral movements taught in dressage and horsemanship.
How to Execute a Turn on the Forehand
Executing a turn on the forehand requires precise coordination of the rider's aids. Here’s a breakdown of the steps and the role of each aid:
Rider's Aids for a Left Turn on the Forehand:
| Aid | Description | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Inside (Left) Rein | Apply a slight, soft flexion to the inside (to the left). This encourages the horse to bend slightly at the poll and neck, looking in the direction of the turn. It's crucial not to pull back, but to suggest direction. | Initiates slight flexion, encourages the horse to step around with its hindquarters, and helps keep the forehand relatively stationary. |
| Outside (Right) Rein | Maintain a supporting contact, preventing the horse from overbending its neck to the inside or stepping out with its outside shoulder. It acts as a "wall." | Controls the horse's shoulder, prevents forward movement, and maintains alignment, ensuring the hindquarters move around the forehand rather than through it. |
| Inside (Left) Leg | This is the primary driving aid. Position your left leg slightly behind the girth. Apply rhythmic pressure (squeeze, release, squeeze) to encourage the horse to move its hindquarters away from the leg and initiate the crossing of the hind legs. | Pushes the hindquarters away from the leg, causing the inside hind leg to cross over the outside hind leg. This is the main force for the lateral movement, ensuring the hindquarters actively circle around the forehand. |
| Outside (Right) Leg | Maintain at the girth for support. It helps to prevent the horse from stepping forward or back and can subtly encourage the outside hind leg to step under the body, supporting the turn. | Supports the forward impulsion, encourages the horse to stay engaged, and ensures the hindquarters do not swing too far out or too far back. |
| Seat & Weight | Slightly shift your weight to the inside (left seat bone) while remaining balanced and upright. Your seat helps to influence the direction of the turn and supports the flexion. | Communicates the desired direction and encourages the horse to remain balanced under the rider. It helps to keep the horse's weight slightly more on the inside hind, allowing the outside hind to step over. |
Practical Steps to Teach and Refine:
- Start at the Halt: Begin by practicing from a standstill. This allows both you and your horse to focus solely on the lateral movement without the added complexity of forward motion.
- Preparation: Ask for a slight bend to the inside (e.g., left for a left turn). This sets the horse's body for the movement.
- Apply Inside Leg: Apply your inside leg (e.g., left leg) slightly behind the girth. Use a soft, pulsing pressure to ask the horse to step its hindquarters away.
- Allow and Reward: Ask for one or two steps, then release the pressure and reward. It's better to achieve a few correct steps initially than to force a full turn and risk tension.
- Focus on Leg Work: Pay close attention to the horse's hind legs. You want to feel the inside hind leg stepping across and in front of the outside hind leg, creating that clear crossing movement away from your leg.
- Maintain Forehand Stability: Ensure the horse's front legs remain as stationary as possible. If the forehand starts to move significantly, lighten your inside rein and reinforce the outside rein to keep the shoulder still.
- Progress Gradually: As your horse understands the aids, you can gradually ask for more steps until you can complete a full 180-degree turn. You can also begin to practice at a walk.
- Consistency: Practice on both sides to ensure even development and understanding.
Common Challenges and Solutions
- Horse moves forward or backward: This often indicates too much rein aid or not enough supporting leg. Use your outside leg and rein to keep the horse from moving forward, and your seat to prevent stepping back.
- Forehand moves more than hindquarters: Your inside leg might not be active enough, or your inside rein might be pulling back too much. Lighten the inside rein and increase the pressure from your inside leg behind the girth.
- Horse resists or becomes stiff: Ensure your aids are clear and consistent, but not overly forceful. Break the movement down into smaller steps and release pressure immediately to reward correct responses.
- Lack of crossing steps: This indicates the hindquarters are not truly yielding away from the leg. Ensure your inside leg is active enough and positioned correctly to encourage that lateral movement and the inside hind leg to step over.
The turn on the forehand is a fundamental building block for more advanced lateral movements like leg-yield and haunches-in. Mastering it will significantly improve your horse's responsiveness, balance, and suppleness.
