Turn on Forehand, Turn on Haunches

Blessed Mare · 01-20-2006, 06:07 AM

Would someone be willing to give an explanation of how you taught your horse to do? Leg and rein cues. Thank you.

HoosierSuz · 01-20-2006, 04:59 PM

Well, you can't just up and do one. Does your horse already do lateral movements? I'd get the horse well versed on moving off your leg laterally, flexing and bending before trying either of these moves. If your horse already does those things, learning the turn on the haunches and forehand is not that hard.

It's not terribly easy to type out the directions, since it's a lot of feel and I don't know the level of training you've already achieved. Can you have someone teach you at a lesson and coach you through it?

A J · 01-20-2006, 09:29 PM

I'm afraid I kinda agree with Hoosier on this one - it would be a page long post to really describe it, and most of it is feeling when to apply which thing - hard to describe in writing. To do a full turn, the horse must move off your leg to begin with, and these are taught one step at a time. If the horse is taught leg cues from the beginning, learning these turns will be simple - your horse should also be able to sidepass and perform other lateral movements at that point. Some horses pick it up quicker than others, but most within their first couple weeks of riding can get the general idea (not perfected, but the idea).

Blessed Mare · 01-21-2006, 04:09 PM

Yes, she sidepasses. We practiced turns this afternoon and she did better. I am more fluid with my cues which has diminished her confusion. We will continue to work with trainer also.

Nogami47 · 01-22-2006, 07:15 PM

I was taught to start with the TOF and TOH from the ground. You can see exactly where the horse is stepping and reward for any attempt at the right movement. I am just starting my horse on the TOH, and she is not thrilled. It's more work to keep the butt in place!

To do it while mounted, we were taught to put the horse at right angles to a fence or wall, which helps you keep her from going forward. Then you just press your right leg, say, to get her to step to the left, and when you've got her so that she's standing beside the wall, voila, you've done a quarter turn.

For a turn on the forehand, I put my leg back behind the girth because I'm engaging her hindquarters. For a turn on the haunches, I have my leg more at the girth because I want the forehand to turn.

01-20-2006, 06:07 AM
Blessed Mare Newborn Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 3	Turn on Forehand, Turn on Haunches Would someone be willing to give an explanation of how you taught your horse to do? Leg and rein cues. Thank you. __________________ Blessings

01-20-2006, 04:59 PM
HoosierSuz Weanling Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 382	Well, you can't just up and do one. Does your horse already do lateral movements? I'd get the horse well versed on moving off your leg laterally, flexing and bending before trying either of these moves. If your horse already does those things, learning the turn on the haunches and forehand is not that hard. It's not terribly easy to type out the directions, since it's a lot of feel and I don't know the level of training you've already achieved. Can you have someone teach you at a lesson and coach you through it?

01-20-2006, 09:29 PM
A J Greenbroke Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Vallejo, CA Posts: 3,477	I'm afraid I kinda agree with Hoosier on this one - it would be a page long post to really describe it, and most of it is feeling when to apply which thing - hard to describe in writing. To do a full turn, the horse must move off your leg to begin with, and these are taught one step at a time. If the horse is taught leg cues from the beginning, learning these turns will be simple - your horse should also be able to sidepass and perform other lateral movements at that point. Some horses pick it up quicker than others, but most within their first couple weeks of riding can get the general idea (not perfected, but the idea). __________________ Try not, do. Do or do not. There is no try.

01-21-2006, 04:09 PM
Blessed Mare Newborn Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 3	Yes, she sidepasses. We practiced turns this afternoon and she did better. I am more fluid with my cues which has diminished her confusion. We will continue to work with trainer also. __________________ Blessings

01-22-2006, 07:15 PM
Nogami47 Newborn Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Maine Posts: 24	I was taught to start with the TOF and TOH from the ground. You can see exactly where the horse is stepping and reward for any attempt at the right movement. I am just starting my horse on the TOH, and she is not thrilled. It's more work to keep the butt in place! To do it while mounted, we were taught to put the horse at right angles to a fence or wall, which helps you keep her from going forward. Then you just press your right leg, say, to get her to step to the left, and when you've got her so that she's standing beside the wall, voila, you've done a quarter turn. For a turn on the forehand, I put my leg back behind the girth because I'm engaging her hindquarters. For a turn on the haunches, I have my leg more at the girth because I want the forehand to turn.