Circle

The circle, also called volte, is one of the first important exercises your horse is going to learn in Straightness Training. It sounds like a simple exercise, but it's hard for your horse to move on a circle, especially in trot and canter.

Watch this short video to discover why:

The circle: the hardest exercise

Antoine the Pluvinel (1555 – 1620) wrote in his book that it’s not the fancy exercises that are the most difficult for a young or a crooked horse, but actually, the circle is the most difficult!

How do we know? Look at young horses: when we see them running, we can see them perform high school jumps and flying changes. We also see quarter or half voltes, but we never see young horses perform one or more perfect round circles.

The reason a circle is so difficult, is your horse's the natural asymmetry.

How natural asymmetry affects the circle

Let's have a look a left bended horse:

• When moving on a circle to the left, a left bended horse has the tendency to lean out or fall over the outside shoulder  (left picture)
• When moving on a circle to the right, the left bended horse has the tendency to lean in or fall on the inside shoulder (right picture).

Left bended horse on a circle to the right and to the left.

So if your horse struggles with imbalance, stiffness, or falling in and out on the circle, you’re not alone. The reason isn’t disobedience—it’s natural asymmetry.

The solution

Teach you horse to turn, so instead of leaning or falling, your horse needs to learn how to turn:

For example, if you have a right bended horse, it will be very difficult for him to bend to the left. Teaching this horse to turn is about lengthening his short muscles (on the right side of his body) and contracting his long muscles (on the left side of his body).

When this horse can bend to right, the inside hip can come forward, and then your horse will be able to step under the center of mass with the inside hind leg, as you can see on this picture:

Supporting the body with the inside hind leg instead of leaning on one of the shoulders is also a much healthier way to carry a rider.

Definition of the circle

The circle is an exercise on one track. The inner front and hind leg make a smaller circle, than the outer front and hind leg.

The goal of the circle

The long term goal of Straightness Training is achieving flexibility, gaining strength, build muscle and improving your horse’s overall health and maintaining it for a lifetime. This goal is achieved through a logical system of progressive exercises.

The goal of the circle is to teach your horse the first three keys of Straightness Training, and together those keys are called the LFS:

1. L ateral bending of the body
2. F orward-down tendency of head and neck
3. S tepping under with the inside hind leg under the center of mass.

When the LFS is correct, your horse can move in a balanced way.

Teaching the circle to your horse

In Straightness Training, all exercises are first taught in grounwork and on the longe line. This teaches your horse to move on the circle in all different gaits, and to find balance without the additional weight of the rider.

When the horse can turn and move with LFS without the rider, it's then easier for your horse to do with a rider, first under guidance of a helper on the ground.

Also at liberty and with bridleless a horse has to ‘turn’ on a circle, finding balance on the inside hind leg.

Circle variations

In a training session, there are many ways you can practice the circle and volte.

You can ride big circles (20 meter) or smaller voltes (10 meter).

You can increase a small circle to a big one.

You can decrease a big circle to a small one.

You can change the lead through the center of the circle, creating 2 small sized half circles, also called an S change:

 You can ride serpentines:

You can ride tempo changes on the circle.

You can ride transitions on the circle.

So you can do endless things with circle so your training sessions will never be boring.

Your Next STep

If your horse struggles with imbalance or stiffness on the circle, join my free Straightness Training Masterclass. You'll learn more about the 5 mistakes most riders make, and the 3 secrets to create real change for you and your horse:

• Free Masterclass »

Links to Related and Recommended Articles

• Circles, Yes or No»
• Teach Your Horse To Turn »
• Bending, Rotation, Flexion, Extension »