How to ride travers & renvers

By Julie Hyslop

Riding advice

13 August 2008 09:25

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.

When riding travers and renvers you ask the horse to work on three tracks (defined earlier). In travers, the horse’s quarters move in to the inside track. The opposite happens in renvers (or ‘croup to the wall’), and his forehand moves onto the inner tracks. In both movements, the horse’s head faces toward the movement with slight flexion in the direction of the bend. Both travers and renvers help coordinate horse and rider, increasing suppleness and obedience in the horse.

In travers, the horse’s outside legs cross in front of the inside legs.

In renvers, the movement is mirrored.

Ride travers before renvers as the horse finds it more natural to put his hindquarters in.

How to ride it
Ride a regular and forward-moving walk down the long side or centre of the school. You may need to ride a half-halt to collect and rebalance your horse.

To ride travers, ask your horse to bend around your inside leg – you may need to put a little more weight on the inside seat bone.  Bring your horse’s quarters onto the inside track. Your outside leg and seat bone can be moved fractionally back, to hold the quarters in position.

Keep your shoulders square to the horse so you don’t twist as you ask for travers. Use your inside hand softly and the outside rein to control the degree of collection. In a good travers, the horse’s outside leg will step across and in front of the inside leg.

For renvers, ride the forehand from the straight line on to the inside track. Then ask the horse to bend slightly to the outside, around your outside leg.