Ace Your Pivot

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF TRAINING, steering is important—it’s right up there with stopping in terms of being an essential element of control. The pivot maneuver builds on the concept of steering, because cueing your horse to pivot is asking him to move left or right by steering. In the show pen, a good pivot will line you up for the rest of your pattern. A bad pivot can set off a chain reaction for further mistakes—missed markers or crooked departures that take away from the rest of your pattern—resulting in a poor score.

Here I’ll explain what a correct pivot looks like, the steps to get there, and troubleshooting tips in case you encounter roadblocks in your pivot training.

What to Look For

A correct turn on the haunches starts with your horse stepping across with his front feet, while planting his rear foot on the inside of the turn. You want your horse to maintain a frame with