Build Confidence with the Safety Circle

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Check out my Free Ground Manners PDF: amelianewcombdressage.com/evaluate-your-horses-ground-manners-o/?KZbin&Weekly+Videos

[@hannelizezaayman4099]

Thank you sooo much for makeing this video.I have a really spooky pony and struggels to get her supple sometumes and when she spooks she rans off with me on her back and then she won't make a scircle.This is really what I needed.Thank you Amelia for always being there and showing everyone around the world a Love ❤ of Dressage.

[@annjohnson8437]

This video is extraordinarily helpful! I can't wait to try this exercise! Thank you! ❤

[@nonelgemora2589]

Amazing production. Love the aerial views!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@rlews1531]

That's good. Another suggestion is to create a situation that requires more focus. For example, place dual cones at the points of the compass to create a 20m circle at the more worrisome end of the arena so the horse must go thru each set as he goes around the circle. The cones will require a little more of his focus. Then you can go back the safety circle for a bit and then back to the cones.

[@daretocatchdaretocatch1106]

Love this so much! Boy did I need this today!!

[@BarbaraKapetanakes]

My lease mare had to go into retirement, and for the time being I'm back to school horses, and mainly riding a sweet guy who is very curious (my trainer says he'd be a reporter if he were a person), but not spooky. Just aware of absolutely everything going on within a mile! He tends to get crooked however, so circling through the center can be hard. When he gets off balance, he generally stops and digs in his heels (better for a school horse than going for a joyride I guess, but annoying!). He's quite smart but most likely had some kind of different job before he came to my barn about a year ago, little or no ring work. He's a rescue, so we don't know a lot about his history, but he's very trusting and affectionate and somewhat herd bound, much better in individual lessons than when his little neighbor, a cute mare from the stall next door, is in the lesson with us on Fridays to distract him! 🤣😍 We do things like ground poles and other exercises to keep him focused on me, but I feel like this exercise could be good in helping him with the circling and easing him into less crookedness. How would you address the crookedness that sometimes causes him to stop short as he's turning? I actually had an involuntary dismount a couple of weeks ago when he got crooked and I stupidly tried to address it in a disorganized way and spooked this not-spooky horse when I moved my whip from the right to the left while he was unbalanced. He got nervous and since we were already unbalanced I hit the ground. Hard. Bleh! By the way, Amelia, my trainer is 87 and has been around horses for literally 80 years. So much of what you do in your videos echoes her work, and she's a horse whisperer, so BRAVA!!!

[@clairevanogtrop8901]

Your training is always so helpful!!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Happy to hear that!

[@juliescott9485]

Great video, great trainer! ❤

[@c_and_l]

How would you know when you need to do this versus when it's valid to give them a chance to look around at things? Just wondering because yes it's definitely important to have them focusing and feeling comfortable, but also it does make total sense to me for them to want to have a look at where they are and what is happening.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

That's a great question! It really depends on a lot of things and it's hard for me to give a clear cut answer without more content of the situation and history of the horse. But in general, if they are responding and reacting to your aids in a reliable manner, you would be probably ok to let them look a little more, but as soon as your aids are having delayed reactions, that is when you want to put them on an exercise.

[@c_and_l]

@@AmeliaNewcombDressage that makes sense :)

[@caroljohnson7854]

Once he’s doing well on the circle, then move off the circle. When he starts getting distracted or tense, go back on a circle. Over time, he’ll relax again as soon as you start the circle. Amelia references this strategy in the video. I’ve used it in new environments like shows or trail rides. You can almost hear them say “oh, yeah. Circle. I’ve got this.” and he comes right back to you. Circles are magic!!

[@c_and_l]

​@@caroljohnson7854 Amelia answered my question in her comment. Your video reference is different to what I was asking. :) We're actually moving away from using circles in my dressage lessons to working on how we can get the focus and suppleness in other ways, since there are situations where circles aren't always possible. They are great but always good to have more tools in the box!

[@marciaharding3128]

Very helpful! I had to do this last night. However my challenge is the bend. She falls in really bad. So then the whole ride becomes trying to fix this at the walk. I hope I’m making progress.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

bend can be hard, have you seen this video: amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/bend-your-horses-body/?KZbin&General

[@hamzaouamrouche57]

❤AMELIA❤

[@janicehussein200]

I purchased Pivo thru The Dressage Academy and Klarna two months ago and haven't received it yet. $299.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Oh no! Email us at [e-mail] so we can help you!

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Oh no! Email us at [e-mail] so we can help you!

[@louh5509]

Love the idea, but I think it doesn't work with my horse :/ I have a very green (5 months under saddle) big horse; he doesn't spook but gets distracted or tense easily. The thing is, he is very good going forward but no good with the brakes hahaha. I think he gets distracted or tense and doesn't listen to me when I ask him to stop or slow down. Once, I had to keep cantering with him for a while because he wouldn't stop, but I'm not sure if he physically can't do it (he has a very powerful hind end that pushes forward naturally but still has difficulty managing his own body) or if it is because he is not paying attention to me. Do you have any videos for a situation like this? BTW thank you for all the amazing videos you post ;)

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

I don't have that exact situation, but this might help you: amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/what-to-do-when-your-horse-bucks-bolts-or-rears/?KZbin&General

[@BC-bd5zb]

My horse sees riders or people walking from a distance and freezes to a stand still. It's hard to get him moving again without overbending. Praying that he doesn't buck.