Riding Circles and Turns with Wendy Murdoch

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What is the best way to ride a turn? Pull the inside rein? Push with your outside leg? Move your inside leg back?
In this video, Wendy Murdoch - international clinician and anatomy expert - is going to demystify how to turn your horse. What Wendy teaches is the universal language of movement, weight, and balance. In this way, you can signal your horse for a turn in a way they will understand and can follow, regardless of training or riding style.
To make this even more clear and interesting, Wendy teaches with horse and human skeletal models.

[@jamiemumber4079]

I learned to ride about 50 years ago! (I'm 63). I was taught to pull back on the rein to get a turn. Recently I've been riding an anxious confused horse. He's taught me so much! I no longer use any aid other than my seat. At the trot or canter I will also use my inside lower leg to ask for the bend. We are both so much happier! And it's truly amazing how little movement of my seat causes him to turn. We are at that beautiful point now where I can just think it and he hears❤

[@onyxk9training521]

The idea of pointing the belly button in the right direction is a great picture! Will try this at my next lesson. Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@louiserenaudin1200]

So wish I had watched this about 40 years ago! This is incredibly helpful!

[@MariannesTinker]

Great video

[@simpletonsunshine]

Back to square 1! I can't wait to do this!!!!

[@juliecampbell5009]

I have been told different instructions from different teachers. I have been told outside leg at the shoulder turns the horse, I have been told inside leg towards the hind turns the shoulders. I am going to try what is in the video.

[@annakuta8031]

perfect! to turn the saddle

[@simpletonsunshine]

I hold the outside rein with light pressure, add light pressure on inside rein, so I see the corner of my horses eye. I hold me inside leg, a little behind the girth, move my outside leg, slightly forward, with light pressure. My weight is on the inside seatbone, looking with my eyes to where I'm going. In my mind I'm "pivoting" my horses body between my legs.

[@N2Dressage001]

I was told initiate with the inside rein, execute with the outside, slight weight on inside stirrup.

[@Hdfhhh6996]

Only by inside rein pulling

[@sesagolu]

I use my inside leg to "wrap" the horse around it; my inside rein maintains a bend while my outside rein is steady against, and look ahead to where I'm going. My instructor keeps reminding me not to lean and sit straight putting my weight in my seat bones. However, instinctively, as if I have a rubber band pulling my legs and seat out of position, I'm in the wrong position. I don't own a horse any longer and taking riding lessons, so I can't practice on a horse. Are there ground exercises I can do?

[@Alex-horsman]

So, what I did instinctively, without any teachers was the most correct :). Thanks!

[@barbarapowell8217]

My horse leans, especially to the right tending to throw my weight to the outside, so I lift my outside seat one a little to stay centered.

[@rlews1531]

What I think I do is simply think the turn. What I probably do is what Wendy suggests. In the walk. And that's dependent on how much I have to change my center of balance due to the hollowness of the horse and his training level. And, also her suggestion doesn't specifically address the posting trot, which is what I mostly work on in the arena and others probably do as well. I think the answer is the same - it is the feel of the turning hips that my horse feels, but in the trot, as well as the canter, I maybe be sitting quite a bit to the inside. The idea that my butt cheeks remain perfectly spaced over the horse's back can be misleading in many situations.

[@lwb442]

I'm told to look a where I want to go.

[@juliecramer7768]

Interesting! Obviously God made the horse to be ridden. Thank you!