How would you like to learn a no stress way to teach your horse to spin?  Even if you never plan to enter a reining competition, this is a fun exercise that is actually beneficial for your horse, no matter what kind of riding you do. It will teach your horse to swing his ribs from one side to the other, which will help him learn to be straight on the circle. Horses tend to carry their ribs to the same side most of the time, which causes all kinds of problems when we ride such as lack of straightness, difficulty with circles, leads and lead changes, etc. You will notice in the video that Annie is choosing to stretch her neck and top line. When you stretch one side of your horse, then the other, it feels good to the horse and helps them relax. Then they will choose to lower their head and stretch the neck, which causes them relax even further. So the exercise has mental and emotional benefits as well.

Pat Parelli believes in cross-training. Dressage is beneficial for western horses, and playing with cows is a fun way to give an English horse a purpose. Don’t be afraid to experiment with other disciplines. My horses love the variety.  Watch the video tutorial below…