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Building Round Circles

The two keys to a quality circle are a willingness to rate speed and to stay between the reins without pulling and leaning on the rider. Until this basic skill is in place, the horse is not ready to tackle the demands of the show pen.

Most horses pick up this skill without a lot of fuss if the rider applies proper cues, takes immediate and proper disciplinary action when the horse makes a mistake and gives an immediate reward when the horse does things right.

There are two very common problems that will occur while running circles. The first problem is the horse that wants to brace on the bit, pull on the rider's hands and sometimes run off. In most cases, problem was caused by a rider who always rides on a tight rein. The more the rider pulls on the horse's mouth, the more the horse will pull back.

This rider problem can be difficult to correct because bad habits die hard. Most riders tend to keep the rein tight for their own preservation. They feel that by keeping the horse in tight check, they can prevent dangerous situations such as bucking, run offs, etc. The fact is that a constant tight rein will increase the chances of loosing control of the horse.

The correct way to ride is to apply no pressure until you need to signal the horse to do something or to correct undesirable behavior. This means that the reins should always remain loose unless you have a very very good reason to pick them up.

The second problem is the horse that wants to lean out of the circle. Typically this is a problem that is one hundred percent the horse. Generally this will occur when the horse tries to go home. For example, while loping circles in an area, a horse may lean toward the gate each time he passes it.

The corrective action is similar for both problems.

Step 1:
Ask the horse to correct himself. If the horse is pulling on your hands or running off, sit down in the saddle, get your legs off the horses sides, bump his nose down and say easy. If the horse is leaning out of the circle, pick up the offending shoulder and set it back in line. For example, if the horse is pushing his shoulder out to the right, lift the right shoulder by raising the right hand directly above the horse's center line to apply bit pressure and rein pressure on the right side of the neck. At the same time. apply a little right leg to move the shoulder back to the left.

Step 2:
If the horse does not follow the cues and correct the problem within a stride or two, drag him into the ground. If the horse has a good stop this can be done with a two rein stop. If the horse's stop is weak, do a one rein stop by pulling the horse's nose to one side and pushing the hip in the opposite direction.

Step 3:
Back the horse over his own tracks. If the horse is a strong backer, back up about a quarter circle or more. If the horse's backup is weak, get what you can. This backup is the disciplinary action for ignoring your cues. As such, it should be work but don't back so hard that you force the horse to do it incorrectly.

Step 4:
Stop and let the horse rest for a few seconds so he can soak up what just happened.

Step 5:
Start again.

Step 6:
When the horse gives you one or two good circles, stop and let him rest. Then do something else or consider giving him the rest of the day off. When you get what you are looking for, do not continue to pound your horse around the circle. The good things you taught him will soon evaporate if the lesson continues too long.

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