Spiral exercises for creating a supple pony

This fun exercise will test your pony’s balance and help improve his flexibility – why not give it a go next time you ride?

Why is suppleness important?

The more supple your fave pony is, the easier he’ll find it to use his body correctly, which helps keep him feeling happy and healthy and performing to the best of his ability. And as his flexibility improves, you’ll find it easier – and more enjoyable – to ride him, too. Bonus!

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If your pony is falling in or out of the spiral, pay close attention to your aids, as he might need extra support from you as he develops his balance and suppleness.

Shape up

The spiral exercise is a great one for improving suppleness because – with your support – it requires your pony to maintain the perfect amount of bend through his body to stay on the correct line.

As he moves around the circle, he has to step underneath his body with his inside hindleg, which really helps boost his balance, as well as his hindquarter and core strength.

Did you know?

Spirals can be used to teach your pony the concept of leg-yielding, too!

Pick your point

It’s best to practise your spirals at one end of the arena so you can use the fence as a guide for your circle size. Later, when you start to feel more confident, you can test your skills by riding a spiral in the middle of your arena or even in a field!

Start with a 20m circle, then decrease the size by 5m on each rotation until you’re riding a 10m circle, then spiral back out again and go large. Remember to praise your pony for his effort, rather than achievement.

As your pony gets stronger and more supple, you’ll be able to ride even smaller circles and really show off your skills!

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Place a block or wing in the middle of your circle to help you keep your shape consistent.

How to ride it

Begin by riding large to establish an active walk, then, when you reach the point where you’re going to start your spiral (for example, just before A or C), ask your pony to prepare by…

• pressing with your inside leg to encourage him to bend through his ribcage
• sponging on your inside rein to get him to look where he’s going
• turning your upper body and looking ahead around your circle
• keeping your outside leg engaged to support his body and your outside rein close to his wither

To spiral inwards, maintain the same amount of bend, but, as you complete the final quarter of each circle, press with your outside leg and lift your outside rein slightly to move your pony’s shoulders over and create a smaller circle.

To spiral outwards, soften your inside rein slightly and use your inside leg to move your pony’s body forwards and sideways. Keep a steady contact with your outside aids to prevent your pony from drifting out!

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Ask a friend to video you to check how awesome and accurate your spirals are!