The Stretch Circle: Common mistakes and fixes

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#stretch #dressagehorse #training
Teaching your horse to stretch over the back is a very important part of Dressage training and a test that your horse is properly accepting the contact and the bit.

[@snickercappydo]

I’m still having problems with this move. It would be helpful sometimes if we could see you working with a less advanced horse and working through some of the problems we are. Thanks!

[@christinemiller3061]

This would be good to see with a horse that is first learning the stretch circle

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

I've since done an updated video on the stretch circle! amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/stretch-circle-with-a-judge/

[@jillymet]

Really was helpful. Love this type of video. The movement the explanation the pitfalls and correcting them. More like this please!

[@suebenbow6860]

I love this video. I do this with all my horses and what a difference it makes

[@RedRedux]

Thanks for the lesson :) my mare is great at home but at shows she is down and then up down and then up lol. I'll try the wider hands and the bending off property when she's tense and see if it helps :)

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Yes, it's definitely harder at the show when they are a little distracted and tense!

[@muserola2010]

This exercise has worked magical effect on my mare. I do it also at the walk, thanks for sharing, totally recommended to start and end training sessions on this frame. Thanks for sharing!

[@michellebannon674]

This is very helpful, thank you! I have lots of work to get to this point but we are moving in the right direction.

[@charmainemckinney4064]

Thanks Amelia I have watched this video several times and now putting it into action . I never realised how important this stretch circle is . Thanks again for your great videos.

[@33CHRISTINA33]

This is a nice horse and he is loving the stretch work💖🐴

[@brucepeek3923]

Amelia- your horse like so many show dressage horses nowadays - NEVER moves his nose OUT - He is behind the bit whether you think so or not.. He goes around with his nose behind the vertical.. Look at your own video .. The key thing in the stretch circle from a biomechanical viewpoint is that he stays tracked up with his hind feet or better yet even overtracks.. The benefits of dressage for all horses is that it becomes physio therapy for all horses.. The therapuetic benefit for the horse is why we do Dressage best Bruce Peek ...

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Hi Bruce, you're correct there are moments in this video where his nose could be more out... this video is also 6 years old now! Riding is a lifelong journey and we are all improving as we go along. If I stopped and fixed every mistake I ever made in a video, I would have videos that were way too long! And the essence of each video would become muddled and hard for watchers to understand. It's all about little bits being build together for long term development :)

[@33CHRISTINA33]

Yay for proper stretching🐎🎉

[@equusmart]

I am so appreciative of your help!!! Thank you.

[@1sacoyle]

Is there a video on getting a high headed , hollow back horse to relax and round his top line on the lunge line.

[@JusmeandmrD]

Thank you for this video!! I recently just started Dressage with my HUS QH.

[@pianocatkatarina3960]

so so importnat!!!! and so rarely seen :-( It is as well important in longing! Especially with young horses...

[@snickercappydo]

Thank you so much! Great video!

[@marusiaradimiow7811]

I don’t understand one thing: you said that horse shouldn’t be behind the vertical and at the end of the video young horse is behind the vertical and you are happy with it

[@biscuit1230]

Thank you 🙏

[@carterj2994]

Would love to see this remade with a young/inexperienced horse! I have trouble moving my horses into the contact with their nose out. They seem to curl behind and won’t move into contact.

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Check out this program: amelianewcombdressage.com/30-days-to-round/

[@hossammosbah5295]

This is wonderful. Thanks.

[@mariepelton]

Thanks, Amelia. I just did one in my Training Level 2 Test. The biggest thing with me is showing the difference btwn the regular trot & stretching down. I tend to trot around with my arms straight out and not ask enough of a frame...otherwise my stretchy trot is pretty good....Do you ask for bending w/ the inside reign during stretchy t. or just with the inside leg?

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

Yes, bending with the inside rein and the inside leg to prevent the horse from falling in.

[@1Pabatsa]

Hi Amelia! Love your videos especially this one as I'm riding Training Level 1 and 2 next week! This is a very hard one for me since I have to use loop reins. What I'm having trouble with is how to let the reins out and pick them back up and where? I can't hold on to the loops far enough to get that stretch and have to let go of them. I use the DeBoiz Contact Loop Reins. Any suggestions would be a lot of help!

[@PETRAS214]

Nice that the horse is allowed to stretch - but 99 % behind the vertikal??? The Horse is very much left bended and leans a lot on the reins. No selfcarriage at all......

[@gcranch1]

Do you work them with side reins when you're just starting a horse

[@annetjanssen3927]

Do you also have a video of how to keep the energy in your horse like a close circuit ?

[@TheTeapotte]

You can really see the difference in his trot when he is stretching with his nose too far behind the vertical compared to when he is poking his nose out. The trot goes all choppy and short when he does the stretch incorrectly

[@AmeliaNewcombDressage]

So true!

[@hossammosbah5295]

Exactly.

[@harmonywilson1832]

very nice

[@tonibrannan358]

Should the stretchy circle always done in rising trot?

[@bethfornaro9383]

How do you fix the tendency to curl backward behind the vertical when asked to stretch? (To be fair this horse wants to tend to curl back at working trot as well but it is worse when asked to stretch). I'm riding a horse just back into work after a year off.

[@marusiaradimiow7811]

If I understood right she moves her hands forward

[@bethfornaro9383]

@@marusiaradimiow7811 , hi, thanks, yes I think so. Wondering if to continue to drive forward w legs or if she recommends additional action...

[@chanellelemm8555]

Watch the part where she says about widening her hands abit 😊​@bethfornaro9383

[@naunettemartin7450]

Win you post dose The horse leg horse leg to the out side Ariel do you go up

[@josiemutch3036]

Yes posting up on the outside leg is being on the correct diagonal.

[@mariaassuncao5048]

nose out? why?

[@josiemutch3036]

For better contact of the bit, if the nose is behind the vertical it is avoiding the contact of the bit. Nose should be a slight touch out not all the way out because then he would be above the contact of the bit.

[@chanellelemm8555]

​@@josiemutch3036 as well as for better balance and development of the topline 😊