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What do you mean?
We translate your instructor’s fave phrases

Ever wondered what your instructor’s talking about when they tell you to ride large or let the fence come to you? Well, we’ve decoded some common phrases you might hear in your lessons to help you feel super-prepared for your next one – and impress your instructor at the same time!
“More leg!”
We’ve all heard this one! It means you need to use stronger leg aids to encourage your pony forwards. Remember – if he doesn’t move off a squeeze with your leg, a gentle tap with a schooling whip or stronger kick with your legs might be needed to get him a bit sharper off your aids.
Top tip
Don’t forget that you can use your voice to encourage your pony to go forwards.
“Ride large!”
This is a super-common instruction during a lesson, and it means you need to ride all the way around the outside of the arena, following
the track alongside the fence or wall.
“Let the fence come to you!”
This can be a tricky one to figure out – the fence isn’t moving, you are! What your instructor means is that you shouldn’t throw the reins at your pony and kick like mad to get him to the fence sooner. Sit tall, squeeze his sides with your legs and keep a soft, consistent contact as you approach. Then let your pony figure out what to do – by the time you’re on the straight line towards it, it’s too late to change your canter anyway!
“Change your diagonal”
In trot, rise out of the saddle as your pony’s outside foreleg goes forward, or as his inside foreleg goes back – whichever’s easiest for you to see. When changing the rein, you also need to swap your diagonal to make sure you’re still rising when his outside leg moves forward.
“Give and retake the rein”
Giving and retaking the rein is a great way to test whether your pony’s carrying himself, but it also helps you work out if you’re overusing your reins to turn and hold him together.
To do it, push both your hands towards your pony’s ears together until there’s a clear loop in the reins, hold your position for a few strides, then smoothly bring your hands back to their usual position and retake the contact.
Top tip
If you’re ever confused about a movement your instructor tells you to do, ask them to walk the pattern for you so you can follow along.
“Ride two half 20m circles”
To do this, ride the first half of a 20m circle at A or C, then change the rein over X, riding another half a circle towards A or C, whichever one’s at the opposite end. Think of it like a half figure-of-eight or a big ‘S’.
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