In training, most riders work toward getting control of their horse's body and feet. Turning and bending helps riders to achieve this. It's important to note that these maneuvers are actually different. Turning your horse is not the same thing as bending them. They each have a different purpose! Ideally, you'll teach you horse how to do both through various exercises.

Turning & Bending Exercises

Zacharias Horsemanship offers a great video on the difference between the two. He also shows riders how to work on each maneuver. He specializes in ranch riding, reining, and colt starting. You'll find lots of useful training tips on his YouTube channel.

Turning comes from the shoulders. The horse will be moving on a straight line and their front legs will cross in order to change directions. On the other hand, bending is when the horse bends their body around the rider's leg pressure. They will have an arch in their body as they travel around a circle, through a corner, or straight line.

Hopefully, this video offered some clarification for you. As you can imagine, both of these maneuvers are valuable in training both green and experienced horses. They can take quite a bit of work to master, but are worth the effort and time.

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