Ranch Riding Square Corners

Executing a square corner in a ranch riding pattern requires a different kind of finesse than a regular horsemanship pattern. Learn the nuances here.

You probably won’t see a horse execute a square corner when doing ranch work in a pasture, but it is an element that judges can call for in a ranch riding pattern. A defi ned, 90-degree angle completed by a willing, soft horse is a showy maneuver that can earn credit. I see a lot of rounded corners that are functional and correct, but lack that crisp angle required to boost your score.

Here, I’ll go over steps to practice a square corner at home. You’ll see a cone in these images—this is only for practice and to reference where the 90-degree angle is made in the photos. Ranch riding patterns don’t use cones; instead, you must lay out the pattern to best show your horse. →

slowing down for a turn. But I maintain my horse’s impulsion to keep his hind end engaged. Without this impulsion, my horse could fishtail out of the corner or make too round a corner, two problems I’ll discuss later.

3To make the turn, I ride my horse just past the cone and then begin to guide him through the corner. As we start around the 90-degree angle, you can see that my horse is steering well. His nose leads his directional path, his head and neck demonstrate collection, and his hindquarters are engaged to propel him forward with impulsion. You’ll notice I don’t have a long drape in my reins; I keep contact with my horse’s mouth to facilitate his collection and propulsion and for better control. As we come around the corner, I use strong outside-leg pressure to keep his hindquarters engaged; I use less pressure from my inside leg to keep his body upright through the turn. I’m beginning to look through my turn, which slightly rotates my torso and helps guide my horse to the right.

4We’ve come through the turn, and my horse is straight from his nose to his tail. Now that we’re back on the straight line, I’ve released most of my leg pressure to keep him from veering to the left or right. My hands are relaxed, but in a working position—not too high or too low. My horse’s straightness and my body position set us up to execute whatever the pattern calls for next. If it’s another square corner, I’ll set my horse up like I did for the fi rst one. No matter what’s next, we’re prepared for it.

5Here’s an example of the first mistake I mentioned: fishtailing out of the corner. Th is means my horse loses his hind-end propulsion, and thus his straightness as he fi nishes the corner. In this example, I rode my horse too deep into the turn without enough impulsion or collection, so I have to push his shoulders over to the right into the turn. My horse is stiff and has to lean to compensate for my rigid body position. He’s resisting me and leaning to the outside of the turn. You can see a distinct difference in his stride between Photo 5 and Photo 3. Th is all could’ve been avoided if I’d approached the corner with collection and impulsion.

6The roundness of this corner is brought on by too much inside-leg pressure. My hand is centered, so I’m not steering him on the rounded-corner path, but my leg is pushing him on that track. Th is isn’t necessarily a bad maneuver overall; it’s just not right for square corners. In a square corner, a horse’s body must be more upright. Th is horse is on more of an arc. He’s reaching underneath himself nicely; he’s just not completing a 90-degree turn.