I am new to this exercise and just learned it. The instructor said to think about pushing the hindquarters out, like a turn on the forehand, only on a circle. The hindquarters are making a bigger circle than the shoulders.
Just curious if this is a standard exercise?
My trainer has me do an exercise that sounds about the same, she calls it āspokes on a wheelā and basically you turn the shoulders into the circle while sending the body around the circle.
Yep, did it in my last lesson actually! Good for engaging the inside hind leg. It really improved my horseās swing through the back in trot.
is there an official name for this exercise?
Yes, itās a walking turn on the forehand (if it is small) and it is a super useful exercise. If itās on a large circle it is quarters out leg yielding which is also a useful exercise. On a large circle it can be done in all gaits and is a terrific straightening exercise as well as a suppling/aid re-inforcing exercise.
Adding - be thankful that your teacher is helping you learn this. Itās amazing how many people donāt know about it.
Circle in renver (haunches out).
It is a traditional exercise to teach the horse to engage the hind end.
Nothing strange or new here.
I donāt think thatās whatās being discussed, the difference being that haunches out would be done with the horse bending to the outside.
Iām doubt this is what the OP was doing. A turn on the forehand is nothing at all like renvers and the OP specifically mentioned ālike a turn on the forehand.ā
And how do you think one starts to school a true renver? ā¦eg., one with bending thru the ribs?
A tactful rider does not get a finished product the first time one asks a horse for a movement. Neither does a beginner rider who has never done this sort of exercise.
Once the horse learns what to doā¦as it develops the strength and gymnastic ability to allow it to truly engage the hind endā¦the bend in the body that is characteristic of renver will appear.
Additionally, if a rider has never ridden a renver, much less a renver on a circle, how do you think an instructor teaches that rider to initiate the movement? Asking the rider to ride with the haunches out on a circle is the beginning of helping a rider feel the movement.
@pluvinel Well regardless of whether you eventually develop that into a haunches out, turn on the forehand on a circle is definitely its own exercise. I do know the difference.
For us this has been so much funā¦ learned in walk, worked in trot and attempted in canter. We are not at a level(yet) where we always have the correct bend to ācallā what we are doing anything. Last year we just āmoved the hindquartersā in or out on a large circle, or the forehand (separate exercises). This year we have been adding bend, both to the inside and the out of the circle. My mind was spinning at first, trying to figure out the geometry and the aids. My instructor said it not only helped the horse lighten and supple, but made me think about EXACTLY where I wanted to place the horse. My horse is honest and kindā¦really tries and figured this out almost better then I did.
The world is not binaryā¦movements are not done for the sake of a movement, but to gymnasticise the horse and strengthen its body.
You can do a movement where the basic geometry has the horseās front feet making a smaller circle than the hind feet.
What it does with its body determines the horseās gymnastic effort.
The movement can be done with no bendā¦the horse just crosses the front and hind legs.
The movement can be done with the horse bent opposite to the bend of the circle (renver or haunches out).
The movement can be done with the horse bent in the same bend as the circle (shoulder-in).
And depending on the size of the ācircleāā¦if that circle is small enough, the movement becomes a reverse pirouette.
ok, so now that I know its called a walking turn on the forehand, I found this example on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mgcp_wH7vk
So we should call leg yield on the diagonal half pass?
Should shoulder fore be shoulder in?
How about calling travers in canter on a large circle a canter pirouette?
We name things very specifically in this sport/art so that we can absolutely have a perfect clue about what we are doing, what effect doing it has on the horse, and so that we donāt call things that are not related the same thing. Itās confusing enough without saying since this 1st exercise leads to a 2nd exercise it is therefore the 2nd exercise.
You, Pluvinel, are wrong in this instance. Suck it up.
FYI, this link didnāt work. Maybe it was a video of walking turn on the forehand?
Oh shoot, yes it was a little one of me doing one to explain it better to a visual learner student. Sorry the linky no worky, but the one you posted is just about as good 
The only thing different is I had my camera person on the centre line and walked straight towards her so when I did the turn, you could see the pattern of one full circle and back onto the centre line.
I hate the term āturn on the forehand on a circleā, but I admit Iām biased because the only instructor Iāve had who has used terminology close to that drilled horses and students for large portions of the lessons (nominally) in this exercise, even though she actually wanted a shoulder in on a circle. Difference (briefly) being bend and intent of the exercise - the OP has not given us this info explicitly, so she could be asking about SI or leg yield or renvers on a circle of various diameters. Already on a circle and pushing the haunches out for ToF feel (straighter than the bend for the circle), makes me think LY on circle.
If the OP was doing whatās in that youtube video, @saschaās terminology is absolutely correct: āWorking turn on the forehandā (I havenāt heard āwalking turn on the forehandā before, but itās perfectly good), including the devolution to leg yield on a circle, imho.
I also do not like the term āturn on the forehand on a circleā because it does not make literal sense. It sounds like the forefeet should be processing around a circle, while the hind executes the turn on the forehand all the while. Like a pinwheel of pinwheels.
I would put this movement in the general category of shoulder in on the circle. Very useful gymnastic and will lead to shoulder in on the rail eventually.
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