IMPROVING SPINS

JENNIFER WRITES: "Hi, I hope you can help me. My horse does real nice correct spins in both directions but I can't seem to get any speed. He starts the spins in both direction pretty smooth and easy and then just gets into a rather slow and
steady rhythm. I try clucking and he really doesn't pick up much speed. If
I bump him with my leg, he jumps into a really high gear and gets real hoppy
like he is lunging into the spins. I generally score zeros in both directions but would like to try for better. I would appreciate any advise that you can give me. Thank you very much for listening". Jennifer

WARWICK'S RESPONSE

Jennifer
It sounds like your horse has the basics of the spin down pat. Now we need to work on adding speed, which is usually done by exercises outside of the spin. From the sounds of what your horse does, there are a number of exercises you can try that will add speed without getting the hopping motion you are referring to.
Before we try anything from the spin, I would suggest perfecting the following exercises.

1. Trotting small circles. Act like you are trotting around an imaginary 44 gallon drum, or use a real one. Make sure you horse is driving from behind and not trotting larger circles with the hind feet than with the front feet. Here you are trying to teach your horse to step the outside front foot across the inside one while leaving one foot on the ground at all times. The "hopping" you get is when your horse starts to jump with both feet at the same time. Make sure you are steering in a manner consistent with the way you ask your horse to spin, in other words don't be mauling your horse around with the inside rein.

2. Trotting small counter-bent circles. Same as the last exercise but with the nose and hip on the outside of the circle. In both these exercises you would like your horse to keep their shoulders up and level.

3.Sidepassing both directions with some authority. I'm not saying they have to trot but definately be stepping without laying on your leg. Ensure that the outside front foot is stepping over the inside, and that the body is straight or with the hip slightly leading.If your horse wants to back up too much, practise sidepassing with their but to a fence. If they want to go forward too much, practise with their nose to the fence.

Once your horse can do all those exercises proficiently, now we can work on the turns. I'm going to refer to everything as if we are working on a left turn, just reverse the directions for the right turn.

Not having seen your horse I can't recommend which of these exercises will be THE one, but I'm sure if you try them you'll feel which one helps your horse the most.

EXERCISE 1. Ask your horse to spin. Then ask for more speed. When your horse starts to hop, push your horse up into the bridle and into a trotting left circle.Once your horse establishes cadence, wind the circle back down into a spin. If he hops again, that's fine, push him back into the circle. Repeat.Again and again.

EXERCISE 2. Ask your horse to spin. then ask for more speed. When your horse starts to hop, push your horse out into a counter-bent trotting circle, so his nose and hip are on the right side and he's trotting to the left. Once he establishes cadence and forward movement, let him stop but keep his body in the same position and let him start a right spin. When he starts to hop, push his shoulders around as you did on the other side, only this time his nose and hips will be on the left. Once he established cadence and forward movement there, stop and let him fall back into the left spin.Repeat. again and again.

EXERCISE 3. Sidepass left with his nose to the fence. Start a left turn, and when he hops or you'd like more speed, sidepass down the fence to the left again. Turn again, sidepass again.

EXERCISE 4. Sidepassing squares.Much like exercise 3 except not on the fence. Start out sidepassing for about 10 feet to the left, do 1 1/4 turns left and immediately sidepass 10 feet left again, do 1 1/4 turns left again, sidepass left agian 10 feet, 1 1/4 turns left, sidepass 10 feet, 1 1/4 turns left. You'll be back where you started. Keep doing it.

Note: Exercise 1 and 2 will help with the problem you have, which is hopping in the turn, as well as adding sped to the turn. Exercise 3 and 4 will be good for your horse after the hopping is gone, and will help to add speed.

I hope this helps.
Till next time

Warwick

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