The Motion  |  The basics  |  The maneuver  |  Problems

In order to be able to train the spin, one must clarify oneself the correct course of motion: The turn is introduced, as the horse sets the inner front leg  to the rear and to the side. Then follows the over crossing of the outer front leg, which steps in front of the inner one (pic). Finally the horse jogs on his forehand in a two-rhythmt around its inner hind leg. The outside hind leg provides for the speed of the turn (picture). During the whole turn the horse's head and neck is to keep flat ("spin "flat) and the nose only easily inward.

A condition for learning the spin is, that the horse bends it's head easily  to both sides and in the poll, especially it should now lateral movements. If problems should arise in advanced training, one can start again with  this basic training. The more conscientiously one practiced this basics, the easier the horse will learn to spin.

The concrete preliminary work for spin? Training takes place in riding 180° - idioms. These are developed out of the walk, whereby the special attention is paied  to a clean technology of the horse's motion. The horse should be to a large extent straight-arranged in the body, which is reached by the outside thigh of the rider. The thigh introduces the turn by an impulse, in connection with the outside rein being put to the horses neck. If the horse get's off the ground with his inner front leg, take the salck out of the inner rein, that leads to the fact that, the horse goes  into the idiom. Crucial here is  the correct timing: Only if the inner front leg is in the air, it can be moved in the desired direction. At the beginning of the training it is irrelevant, if the horse turns not on the inner hind leg or describes a small circle with his hindquarters  Also one should not train on speed at this time under any circumstances. This only makes sense if the horse works with correct movement, since otherwise the danger would exist, that it feels the exercise as something unpleasant and overtaxed. Only if the horse controls this half turn perfectly, one can finally ask for a complete turn and several complete 360° turns (spin).

Running out out of the spin: 

Especially at the beginning of the training it can happen, that the horse runs forward out of the spin.

Completely counter productive would be, if one would try to prevent this by pulling the reins harder. The horse would then not understand, what was wrong. It is correct to let the horse run out out of the turn in order to in-ride it immediately into a new turn. If it runs out then again, let run out and lead in a new turn. If one does this consistently, the horse will very fast understand that running out of the spin does not make a sense. It will be anxious to remain in the turn . One must permit the horse to make failures in order to be able to correct them.

Hopping on the forehand:

If the horse gives up its jog-rhythm  and instead takes up a three-rhythm, it is a clear indication for the fact that the rider asks for too much speed and the horse feels overtaxed. The rider must absolutely take out  the speed and may turn only in an appropriate speed , at which the horse feels safe.

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