Riding Profile

-The Turn on the Forehand-

The turn on the forehand is a movement that is not used in Dressage, but is taught to induce flexibility, co-ordination, and obedience in the horse. It can be done two ways:

With the horse facing away from the direction in which he is turning;
or with the horse facing the direction in which he is turning.

The turn on the forehand is performed at the halt. Keep reading to learn the aids for the movement:

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The aids for the turn on the forehand are:

Have the horse at a square halt, and on the bit.
Bend the horse a little to the right with the right hand.
Have your right lower leg drawn back behind the girth.
Ask him to move his hindquarters round with regular, even steps, by applying pressure with your right leg on the girth.
The left hand prevents him from moving forwards, and the left leg is kept in contact to prevent him from stepping backwards.

Those are the aids for the turn on the forehand. Remember that this is a physically demanding exercise for the horse, so don't do it much at first!

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