Getting stuck in walk pirouettes

[the_sandiest_shoes]

(Apologies if I’m over-posting right now - slow work day and procrastinating on forums).

I suck at walk pirouettes. I can get it done well enough on the left sometimes, but I’m a bit crooked and it buggers up my pirouettes on the right. It’s happened on every horse I’ve tried this with, and is happening with the schoolmaster I’m leasing now.

This guy did GP back in the day and reads my signals as half-asking for a canter pirouette, so it becomes walk/canter turns. I’ve been working on these with my coach but she can’t seem to get through to me and I still can’t figure out what I’m doing exactly to mess it up.

Any advice on the aids? Below is a link to a recent Third 3 test, turns on haunches beginning around 2:40 mark - you can see the left one is deec, then whoops! on the right. Hmm.

https://www.facebook.com/kimwhatev/videos/10161983513365125/

[hoopoe]

on the turn to the right it is easy to see that you are tugging downward. This is backward thinking . Your horse should collect forward into your outside rein and leg which are controlling the bend and curve. Just as you should not be making the bend of the shoulder - in with the inside rein . When you break down any moment of a half turn or pirouette can you see how influential the shoulder in is within the exercise?

create the inside bend with your inside seat to connect to the outside shoulder;. Use the outside femur and inside weight to bring the shoulder around, the inside leg maintains the momentum. The inside rein should be soft not pulling.

Best advice I ever heard was from an “O” judge. Instead of steadily looking forward ( through the ears) through this exercise, look gently to the inside and slightly downward where you are going to go, this should slightly allow you to weight your hips

[alibi_18]

The horse is mainly cantering because you are nagging with your outside spur way too much instead of using your core, your weight, your outside rein and correct leg aid.

Same for the canter trans. in your medium trot.

[joiedevie99]

Two other tips:

1. Keep walking with your hips. When your hips stop swinging, the horse is free to invent whichever rhythm he likes (or stop).

2. Collect before you start turning. Don’t turn and hope it creates the collection. Practice it more gradually - collect and energize the walk as if you’re about to piaffe, then turn instead.

[raff]

I notice your right side in longer which takes the weight of your seatbone. Try bringing your right seatbone more in towards the midline and back. I love your horse, what a great guy

[atlatl]

What a nice horse.

Keep in mind that at 3rd level, you don’t HAVE to do a walk pirouette, the test says turn on the haunches so if you’re trying for a piro, it better be good or you will be penalized more.

Once upon a time, someone told me or I read somewhere that for TOH (or walk piro), think about dismounting in the direction of the turn. This makes you step into the inside iron and helps signal TURN to your horse. Hey, it works for me. Don’t worry about making it so small, make it easier for you and the horse both. Remember that the horse is supposed to be bending around your inside leg and taking up the outside rein.

Also, when schooling, you don’t have to do a 180 degree turn; do just a quarter turn correctly, without stepping wide behind like in your turn to the left, then walk out which will help your horse keep thinking forward. When you can consistently do an awesome quarter turn, then go for more.

Good Luck!

[the_sandiest_shoes]

Yeah using too much leg/spur every stride is something I’m working on - trying to get a more effective leg aid so he doesn’t get lazy and rely on my nagging leg to keep him going every stride and more balanced in my seat/stronger in my core to keep my legs more still with his EXTREMELY bouncy trot - haha I have literal ab muscle lines that have appeared from riding him for the last 8 months. At a Laura Graves clinic this weekend, she said the biggest difference between amateurs and pros is how long you let the horse “go like shit” (i.e., getting effective aids the first time instead of letting them make you keep nagging to keep them going or whatnot ). I also need to spend money to get proper boots instead of my slipper boots that aren’t doing my bouncy ankles any favors!

Also moving my hips more with the walk definitely something I’m working. I get all stiff and stressed at shows! And of course my right-side crookedness and dominant right hand/leg.

Thanks all!! Very helpful.

Oh and he’s an absolutely great horse! He’s 20 now - he was strong like a tank when he was younger and a little bat-shit apparently (still has his moments in both regards), otherwise his owner thinks he would have been much more competitive at the GP.

[merrygoround]

You are a little less coordinated with your left leg, both in the pirouette and the lateral work. And I suspect that tension makes you give a little stronger seat thrust, so he obediently canters.

As mentioned it’s your thigh (femur) that should control the shoulders, while your lower leg keeps track of the hindquarters, quietly. ( No wonder our knees hurt:)) Then you wouldn’t need to raise that inside hand.

[Huntin_Pony]

It also appears that your right stirrup is longer than your left. What does that mean?

[Mondo]

You are not collecting the walk soon enough. This creates an abrupt stopping of his forward motion instead of collecting the walk and then smoothly making the turn. At home, practice haunches in at the walk on the long side. When that is well established, collect the walk while in the haunches in positioning and make the turn toward the center of the arena. This will keep him walking and avoid the sudden change from medium walk to collected walk.

[the_sandiest_shoes]

Thanks everyone so much!! Very helpful.

Re stirrup length - they’re actually even. I am working on straightening my uneven shoulders - they’re even crooked when I stand normally - 10 years of desk work is terrible . Because of my unevenness, I tend to shorten up my left side, raising my left hip and leg. It was much worse a few months before this video lol

[atlatl]

@the sandiest shoes

Thanks everyone so much!! Very helpful.

… 10 years of desk work is terrible . Because of my unevenness, I tend to shorten up my left side, raising my left hip and leg. It was much worse a few months before this video lol

I wish I only had 10 years of desk work! More like 40 for me! Anyway, the two things I’ve found to be most helpful in regaining my own body symmetry are running and pilates.

Lynn Palm has a great saying; fix the rider and you fix the horse.

Good Luck!

[the_sandiest_shoes]

Oh I have no doubt this is a me issue and not a him issue!