The Circle of Death

I’m not sure what other people call this, but we call it the Wheel/Circle of Death. This exercise is great for beginners as it teaches them to bend, use their aids effectively, and react quicker. For more experienced riders, use this exercise for the horses benefit. You can see a big difference in their canter in vs out of the circle. It teaches them a more developed canter which is good for horses looking to move up the levels in dressage. Always work your horses (and riders!) up to the whole circle or multiple circles. Start with just two poles then progress as you see fit. Start with four poles in about a 20 meter circle, then slowly bring the poles into a smaller circle to increase the difficulty. In the photo, you can see part of the exercise and a beginner rider cantering only two poles as she isn’t ready for the whole circle. Happy riding and I hope this helps you!