Truly balancing your horse requires understanding both longitudinal balance (front-to-back) and lateral balance (side-to-side). This delicate balancing act becomes particularly critical when navigating turns and circles.

The Natural Banking Tendency

Picture your horse with imaginary airplane wings extending from his shoulders. Just as an airplane banks during turns, horses naturally lean into curves. This instinctive behavior causes them to drop the inside “wing,” shifting weight onto the inside shoulder and becoming heavy on the forehand.

This natural tendency makes perfect sense from the horse’s perspective. By leaning in, they’re attempting to counterbalance centrifugal forces and maintain stability. However, this compensation creates several riding challenges: compromised balance, reduced maneuverability and increased strain on the inside foreleg.

The Consequences Of Unbalanced Turns

When a horse habitually weights his inside shoulder through turns, several issues emerge:

• The inside foreleg bears excessive concussion, potentially leading to soundness issues.
• Stride length becomes uneven between the inside and outside legs.
• The horse’s ability to engage his hindquarters diminishes.
• Transitions become rougher and less responsive.
• The rein contact often become heavy and stiff feeling.
• The overall movement loses fluidity and elegance.

The Rider’s Role in Balance

The accomplished rider’s job is to help the horse maintain its imaginary wings parallel to the ground. This requires a combination of seat, leg and rein aids applied with precise timing and feel.

To achieve this balance, riders must first recognize the sensation of a horse dropping its inside shoulder. Then, they can employ several techniques to encourage proper weight distribution. They can apply inside leg at the girth to support the inside “wing,” outside rein to control the outside shoulder and prevent excessive bending, and use the inside rein judiciously to request bend without pulling down. While working on the horse’s balance, the rider should keep in mind their own proper weight distribution to avoid collapsing to the inside.

The Longitudinal Component

While addressing lateral balance, riders must simultaneously maintain longitudinal balance. A horse that’s heavy on the forehand—regardless of being straight or turning—cannot perform with optimal athleticism.

Proper longitudinal balance requires half-halts to shift weight to the hindquarters, engaged core muscles from the rider, appropriate impulsion from behind and progressive training to strengthen the horse’s carrying muscles.

The Balanced Result

When a horse learns to maintain both lateral and longitudinal balance through turns, the improvement is dramatic. Movements become fluid and seemingly effortless. The horse has greater self-carriage, transitions flow smoothly, and even complex maneuvers become more accessible.

This balanced state represents the holy grail: a horse who moves with equal weight distribution across all four legs, responsive to subtle aids and capable of true collection and extension.

The next time you ride a circle or turn, visualize those airplane wings extending from your horse’s shoulders. Are they level with the ground, or is one dipping down? Through consistent, thoughtful training, you can help your horse discover the joy and freedom that comes with balanced movement in all directions.

Eliza Sydnor Romm is an FEI rider and trainer from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is a USDF Certified Instructor and sought-after trainer and clinician. She teaches horses and riders of all levels, from starting under saddle to Grand Prix.

Susan DiFelice is a lifelong rider and award-winning equestrian illustrator. She founded Allpony, an educational platform offering courses, games, and printables on horsemanship, which was recently acquired by U.S. Pony Clubs. She is passionate about fostering creative partnerships and producing illustrations for professionals and brands seeking to make an impact in the equestrian world.