How to turn on the forehand

By Your Horse

How to...

03 July 2008 11:29

Lateral work is a very valuable tool for suppling your horse and keeping him fit for his job, but it’s very easy to forget how and what to do. We guide you through the five most common lateral exercises

Historically, turn on the forehand was the initial introduction to lateral work for most horses and riders. It helps your horse learn that the inside leg also means ‘move away’ as well as ‘move forwards’.

In turn on the forehand you ask the horse to yield his hindquarters in a semi-circle shape. To do this, his inside front leg pivots, and the outside front leg lifts up and down in a semi-circle.

The back legs move around that semi-circle. The inside hindleg steps forwards and crosses under the body – you should feel the inside hip drop as your horse does this. The outside leg moves out and round the semi-circle, and you should feel your horse lift his back to allow his hindleg to step through.

How to ride it
For turn on the forehand, hold your halt through your hand, seat, stomach muscles and leg.

Ask for flexion with your inside hand so you just see the inside eye. Squeeze with your inside leg, slightly behind the girth, to shift your horse’s quarters over. Use your outside leg on the girth to gently catch the sideways steps if needed.  

Your outside rein controls the forward movement. If your horse starts to move back, use your outside leg to encourage him forwards. Maintain a soft rein contact to avoid resistance.

Turn on the forehand is ridden from halt but you can also ride turn about the forehand, in walk. Use the same aids, but allow the front legs to move around the half circle, with the inside leg crossing in front of the outside leg. It is often easier to introduce turn about the forehand before teaching turn on the forehand. 

What the trainer says
British Dressage trainer Julie Hyslop says

Turn on the forehand should be taught by walking into the movement – it will prevent your horse from stepping backwards. A useful exercise is turn on the forehand, move on into canter, canter a half-circle, walk, halt, ride another turn on the forehand into canter and repeat. This will help develop suppleness and obedience to the aids.