Training tip Saturday? Why not. - Turn on the Haunch

I am sorry for missing my Tuesday training tip deadline- I have been on the mend this week and have had other priorities, but better late than never? Today I wanted to touch on one of the most disliked movements to ride and judge in dressage- The turn on the haunch (which becomes the walk pirouette as the horse develops). There are so many things that can go array in this movement, but it's actually super important in the development of body control of the horse. 
USDF defines the walking turn on the haunches to be when "The horse’s forehand moves in even, quiet and regular steps around the horse’s inner hind leg while maintaining the rhythm of the walk.  In the half turn on the haunches the horse is not required to step with its inside hind leg in the same spot each time it leaves the ground but may move slightly forward." You want the horse bent in the direction of the turn. 
In order to ride the turn on the haunch you want to have a solid, forward thinking half halt in the walk. You shorten the horse's stride before the turn then you ask for some inside bending using some inside (opening when the horse learns so they don't feel claustrophobic). The outside leg goes just behind the girth to ask the horse to turn, keeping the connection lightly in the outside rein as well. It is helpful to think of looking back toward the horse's haunch in the direction of the bend while in the turn to best position your upper body. 
Common mistakes: 
Why does my horse's haunch turn out when I ask for this movement and how to I fix this? 
Likely this is occurring because the horse is not getting clear enough outside aids. Sometimes the fix is as simple at taking more outside rein by bringing your outside elbow slightly back- this can be practiced by itself throw "square turns" which is where you walk the horse on a square and turn the horse only using the outside rein and outside aids. If you do this and the horse continues to swap the haunch out, then you need to ensure you have the outside hindleg under you. The best way to work on this is by either riding a haunch in(traver) on a small circle or doing that square exercise but with the haunches in in the corners- you want to make sure the horse will step its hindlegs under your inside seat bone without excessive pushing from your outside leg. You will then ask the horse to start a turn on the fore from a slight haunch in positioning (allowing it to be "too big") to maintain control over both the haunch and the shoulder. 
Why does my horse's walk become too slow? Or stop and pivot? 
This likely happens because the horse begins to feel too restricted and like there are not sufficient forward aids. Remember- this is still a forward movement. If this happens, try to make a walking turn on the haunch like a working pirouette- make it a bit (or a lot) too big and play with asking for smaller turns while maintaining that forward feeling. Think of every stride staying the same- if you have to straighten, make sure the walk quality is consistent, and then go back to a large walking pirouette and slowly make it smaller and then bigger and then smaller. 
Why are my turn on the haunch's way too big? 
This is likely because the horse needs greater collection. So first I recommend riding the walk on a straight line and ask the horse to make small walk strides- think "every. stride. is. yours." until you feel the horse wait in every step. Once you feel like the horse is really listening to your seat half halts then prepare for the turn on the haunch and think bending inside rein around the inside leg, put that outside driving leg on behind the girth and turn with a thought of the rein back. Don't be too restrictive, just play with it. You want to make subtle changes to keep the horse thinking but not confused. 
It is important for riders to be able to perform this movement accurately as it becomes an essential (and double coefficient) movement in developing the horse to learn the canter pirouette. Because how is a horse to turn well in the canter if he/she can't turn the walk turn on the haunch/pirouette well? 

TOH Training
TOH training 
Jeriah TOH Example
​Lumie TOH Example
​

---