Riding a Perfect Pirouette

A pirouette is a turn around the horses inside hind leg. Horsemen devised the pirouette because it looks beautiful for display work and also because it gives excellent control of the forehand for quick turns such as getting away from a bull or an enemy. In dressage tests it is an advanced movement when requested at canter but walk pirouettes, developed from the turn on or about the haunches, are not that difficult for any rider.

Problems with Pirouettes

The reason some riders and horses have difficulty with pirouettes is often because of an effective use of the riders weight on the seatbone and/or stirrup. If you don't put your inside seatbone forward a little and weight it, or stretch your inside leg down which has the effect of weighting both the inside seatbone and the inside stirrup, you will get a turn of sorts but not a proper pirouette, in any gait.

When learning how to perform a pirouette, start by asking for just a step in the right direction. As you and your horse progress you will be able to build towards the complete movement. Start in walk until you and your horse are confident with the exercise; remember a canter pirouette is an advanced movement for the horse, both mentally and physically.

The aids, which are all part of the package, are:

Put your inside seatbone forward a little and weight it.
Put the whole of the outside leg back from the hip to stop the hindquarters swinging out, which they invariably will because the horse would rather perform his natural and easier turn on the centre.
Press intermittently with the outside rein on the neck just in front of the withers.
Keep gently asking for an inside flexion with the inside hand.

As with any new movement, or one with which you or your horse have been having problems, be delighted with even an indication that the horse is thinking of moving his forehand in the required direction. If, at your first attempt, you get a whole step, be over the moon and let your horse know it.

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