The systematic way to train a dressage horse to do a walk pirouette is to start with a roll on the haunches.
A haunch roll is a 180 degree turn performed while walking. His horse bends in the direction of the turn. His forehand moves around his hips until he’s facing the opposite direction. Its outer hind leg and front legs move around its inner hind leg, which forms a pivot.
o Your horse must maintain a regular pace. Your pivot leg is raised and lowered each time, slightly forward of where it was before.
o Turning the haunches compromises the hindquarters and favors the flexion of the joints of the hind legs. The end result is that your horse’s body feels more packed.
o Twist on the hips is an introductory movement to the step pirouette. It differs from a pirouette in that it is performed from a shortened half step while a pirouette is performed from a collected step. Also in the haunch roll, your horse’s hind legs form a small circle (about the size of a dinner plate). In a walk pirouette, your horse’s inside hind leg should rise and fall in almost the same place.
Aids to train your dressage horse to do a left haunch roll are:
Seat:
Put your weight on the left (inner) sit bone.
Left leg (inside leg):
Place your left leg in the circumference to promote flexion and hooking of your horse’s inside hind leg.
Right leg (outside leg):
Place your right leg behind the cinch to help bend your horse around his inside leg and prevent his hindquarters from swinging out.
Left kidney:
Turn your wrist to request +1 flex.
Right kidney:
Use your right rein as a side rein to limit the amount of flex you get in the neck.
Both hands:
Move both hands in the direction of the turn to swing the right around the hindquarters. Keep your hands next to each other and equidistant from your body. Think of your left rein as a opening rein and bring the right rein closer to your horse’s neck. Imagine that your hands are like the second hand of a clock revolving around the face of the clock.
The aid sequence is:
1. Prepare for the turn by using a “quiet seat” to shorten your dressage horse’s mid-gait.
2. Bend your horse in.
3. Prepare for the twist by riding with your shoulders slightly forward.
4. Reach both hands in the direction you want her body to turn to guide her right around her hindquarters.
Since the two most important ingredients in training a dressage horse to do a correct turn on the haunch are rhythm and flex, maintain these qualities by introducing him in a circle.
o Do hunchbacks in a 10 meter circle.
o As long as your horse maintains the pace, lean, and desire to move, gradually decrease the size of the circle while still squatting inward.
o Make the circle as small as you can while maintaining the pace, incline, and desire to move forward.