| Every horse riding exercise is based on the circle | | | | A 15m circle should take you five metres inside of X. |
| exercise. Circles help the horse to be able to bend | | | | It is a tighter circle, and will ask for more bend from |
| equally in each direction, and this also helps the horse | | | | your horse. |
| maintain straightness. | | | | The smaller circle is the 10m, which will use up one |
| Circles are a very important part of any dressage | | | | quarter of the arena. |
| test - a dressage test at all levels will include | | | | The circle exercises can be performed anywhere in |
| combinations of circles of varying sizes, at different | | | | the school - you may be asked for a 20m from A, C, |
| paces and in different parts of the arena. | | | | E or B. 20m circles from B or E will take you from |
| When a horse walks a circle he bends his body to | | | | one side of the school to the other. |
| match the curvature of the circle - this is called the | | | | In beginner lessons riders will usually ride a circle as a |
| correct degree of bend. It is important when asking | | | | group, or the instructor will tell you which letter to |
| for a circle that the rider imagines a circle drawn on | | | | start from. In more advanced lessons riders may be |
| the ground, and tries to follow it. The horse must not | | | | working in open file, and the instructor will ask all |
| lean to the outside and make the circle too wide, or | | | | riders to work a circle wherever they choose. In |
| drift in, and make the circle smaller. By practicing | | | | these lessons it is important to remember your |
| these bends the horse becomes more supple. | | | | school etiquette, and if you are going large (riding |
| Most horses find one direction of bend easier than | | | | round the outside of the arena) you should 'give way' |
| the other. These horse riding exercises are a great | | | | to the horse and rider completing a circle, and let |
| way to even up the horses muscles. | | | | them back onto the track in front of you. |
| The first circle exercise you will be asked to do is a | | | | In your first lessons you will walk or trot circle horse |
| 20m circle. This basically splits the 40m arena into 2, | | | | riding exercises. Later on you will perform canter |
| with the start of the circle at letter A or C, as below, | | | | circles. This is an excellent way of improving your |
| and the mid point of the circle crossing through the | | | | balance. |
| imaginary letter X in the centre. | | | | |