The Circle and Leg Yield
By Gaye DeRusso
 
Lateral movements are movements where you push your horse sideways. By doing so, it can help you go from a 2-beat gait, such as a trot or pace to a 4-beat gait. It also helps your horse to become more maneuverable and safer to control. 
 
The Circle 
 
Circles are helpful if trying to separate your horse's legs, get it to reach underneath itself more to increase stride length, become more flexible and listen to the rider's aids. It is very helpful for pacey horses. Start with a smaller circle about 10 meters in size.
 
 Look around the circle and try to trace an imaginary line with your eyes to follow. If you're not good at imagination, then try putting cones in a circle pattern and ride around the outside of the cones to give you guidance. Let's start by going in a circle to the left. Your inside rein (toward the inside of the circle) will be your left rein. You are going to pull and release on this rein to get your horse to bend and follow the circle. Every time you pull on the rein, dig slightly with your inside leg (left leg) at the girth, if the horse leans on your leg, it's helpful to wear a spur. They will not lean on a spur. By coordinating your hand with your leg, it will tell your horse that when you pull on that rein, you want the horse to give with his body and bend around your leg. 
 
This will make your horse more balanced in time. With your outside rein (right rein), you will give support to guide the outside of the horse's body (right side). If the horse is cutting in on the circle open the outside rein and apply pressure, to help guide the horse out. If the horse is drifting out (to the right) then close the rein against the horse's neck to block the horse from drifting. With your outside leg (right leg), keep it right behind the girth and if the horse drifts out, apply pressure to block the horse from drifting and to control the hindquarters. 
 
If you need to block the horse from drifting, remember to lighten your inside leg, so your horse understands which leg to move away from. Make circles 2-3 times in one direction, then reverse and repeat in other direction. Remember this is good for pacey horses to do at a walk but also in gait. For trotty horses this is good to do at a walk, but if you try to gait and they are getting trotty, I raise their head and sit in more of a chair seat, but if they are still trotty  then do not gait in a circle and only do the circle at a walk. 
 
Leg Yield 
 
This is a movement that requires your horse to move forward and sideways at the same time.  The horse will be slightly bent away from the direction he is going. So, if you are pushing your horse off your left leg over to the right, the horse will be looking slightly to the left as you do the movement. 
 
Teaching him to move sideways in a leg yield will help improve his suppleness, straightness, and acceptance of the rider's aids. It is helpful if your horse gets distracted on the trail to give him a job to do or if you need to move him over to get out of the way of a hiker or biker. It is very helpful at separating the horse's legs and getting a pacey horse to gait. 
 
Do this in an arena or a wide road when teaching the horse. In the arena walk down the quarter line (halfway between the middle of the arena and the rail). Let's say we are walking to the left. Turn left down the quarter line, the first time you do this just walk a straight line to the other end of the arena. You will be surprised how many horses cannot walk a straight line. Repeat until your horse can walk a straight line to the other end of the arena. Use your legs and reins to keep him straight.
 
Once he can walk a straight line again turn down the quarter line to the left. Once the horse is straight, press your left rein (inside rein) against your horse's neck, pulling slightly toward your right hip, but do not cross your rein over the neck. With your right rein (outside rein), open it to the side in the direction you are trying to go (that is to the right). The reins are guiding the horse. 
 
With your legs, bring your left leg (inside leg) slightly behind the girth and press until your horse takes a step sideways to the right. If as you press with your leg, your horse tries to speed up, pull on your reins and block the forward motion, so the only opening for your horse is to the right. 
 
Once he takes a step sideways, then take the left leg off and apply the right leg to block the horse from moving over anymore. At the same time bring your reins back to center. So basically, you are asking the horse to take a step sideways while walking and then you ask them to go straight for a step. Then you repeat and ask for another step sideways and another step straight. As your horse figures this out, in time he will move sideways then straight and understand to keep doing this till he gets back to the rail of the arena or the other side of the road. Once your horse has the idea in one direction then repeat the other way. I usually do this anywhere from 2-4 times around the arena. 
 
With the pacey horse I will do this at the walk and their gait. As it helps to separate a pacey horse's legs. I like to keep the pacey horse's head lower and neck and back, relaxed and round as I do this to help with their gait. 
 
For the trotty horse, I will do this at the walk and if I go to gait and he starts getting trotty, I will raise his head and sit more in a chair seat to help him hold his gait, but if he is still having issues staying in gait and doing the leg yield, then I will do it just at a walk, until he can hold his gait better. 
 

By Gaye DeRusso
 
These are the basic ways to correctly use your reins to communicate with your horse. 
 
Direct Rein
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It is used for steering and control. It is one of the most basic rein aids.  The direct rein is when you pull the rein straight back toward your hip on the same side. 

​Indirect Rein

Is used in bending and transferring weight. The rider pulls the rein toward the opposite hip, so the rein goes against the horse's neck but not over its mane.  An experienced rider can use this rein to shift the weight and balance of the horse onto the opposite side of his body. When the rein is brought across in front of the withers, the horse’s weight will shift to his opposite front leg; when the rein is brought behind the withers, the horse’s weight shifts to his opposite hind leg.

Supporting Rein

This rein is very important, but most people do not use it. It helps to control the outside of the horse's body when circling or making a turn. When you neck rein a horse and you are holding both reins in one hand, you are using the outside rein as a supporting rein. You always want to support both sides of the horse when riding. 

Leading or Open Rein

Helpful for young green horses or when the horse gets stuck. The rider opens the rein away from the horse's neck and leads   the horse's nose in the direction they want to go. This way you do not interfere with the horse's forward movement. Say your horse won't go through a puddle, you can use an open rein and lead left then lead right and go back and forth till you get your horse to move forward then stop reward and repeat. Just by doing this you can sometimes get through the puddle. 

Knowing how to use your reins correctly will avoid confusion with the horse and help you clearly tell him what to do. The more you know how to help him, the happier your horse will be.