Stretching the Frame on a Circle

The most important part of this movement is that the horse releases his back and shows a forward and downward stretch into the contact.

We are to ask the horse on a 20-meter trot circle to be allowed to stretch forward and downward while the directive idea call for forward and downward stretches over the back into a light contact, maintaining balance and quality of trot: bend: shape and size of circle, smooth as well as balanced transitions.

It has been dubbed the stretchy. chewy circle"

All the other verbiage seemed to me to confuse the issue. However, I think it is still one of the most confusing movements for riders.

The most important part of this movement is that the horse releases his back and shows a forward-and-downward stretch into the contact (See images). How far down the horse stretches is a debate on its own. When the nose is at the same level as the shoulder, in my opinion, the horse is low enough. The rider should also keep an elastic contact to the horse's mouth. The horse should relax-not speed the tempo up-and show some bending on the circle

This movement must be trained like any other one and do not expect that on the first day your horse will show you the maximum stretch. You must be patient and allow him to get a bit lower and longer and lighter day by day. In perhaps a month, you might have the finished product.

"Throwing the reins away" will never work.

Adapted from Dressage for the Not-So-Perfect-Horse by Janet Foy

Image: A-F

A - The horse shows stretch both out and down with his nose in front of the vertical. The question would be does this represent the horse releasing his back, or is he stiff? That can't be answered without a moving horse.

B - The horse is definitely stiff in the back while showing an outward and upward stretch.

C - The horse has dropped his neck and curled up in C, showing no inclination to stretch outward toward the contact.

D - The horse shows some outward stretch but lacks the downward inclination.

E - Showing both an out ward and downward inclination, with his nose slightly behind the vertical. However, if the neck was elevated, the nose would come in front of the vertical, so this is still okay.

Compare it to D. In a moving horse, this type of stretch would most likely show suppleness in the back.

F - The horse is showing an incorrect contact, with the middle part of the neck being the highest point, the poll very low, and the nose behind the vertical. It is doubtful that, were this a live situation, the horse would show any suppleness over the back.