Turning & Spinning
Turning a horse properly is such a basic thing, but such an important one. A horse who can turn correctly ("spinning on a dime and giving back change," as the old cowboy saying goes) has a great athletic, not to mention speed, advantage over horses who haven't been taught to do so. It helps with many equine sports, in fact most of them. It's a fundamental skill that every well-trained horse should know. Plus it's a fantastic feeling to know that your horse has access to his full capabilities, turning and otherwise. I've said this before, but I truly believe that every single thing you teach your horse increases the bond between the two of you, and that's a wonderful benefit as well!
Probably the most important thing to remember when teaching your horse to turn is patience. Turning and spinning a horse can be one of the hardest things to teach him. Of course it all depends on the horse and his willingness to learn, but any horse will do much better when his trainer/rider is patient with him.
I like to warm up my horse before getting into things like turning that entail a lot of short movements and tight conditions. You can start by walking, trotting, and loping your horse in circles, or just in a general area, until he's warm but not at all tired and ready to work with you.
A good place to begin is against a wall or a high fence. I recommend a "high" fence, because if the top of the fence is below the horse's nose naturally, he can lift up his nose as he's turning. The purpose of turning him against the fence is to teach him to keep his nose down, and that he's not supposed to walk as he's turning--that you want him to turn in a tight circle, or in this case half-circle, by crossing one front leg over the other and pivoting on his rear legs.
Start by backing your horse up just a step or two--this results in him putting more of his weight on his back legs and in his hips, which will help him to pivot better. Use your hands to turn your horse's nose into the fence, and use your opposite leg to cue him; for example, if you're turning your horse to the right into the fence, use your left leg on his side to cue him. Teach him to move away from pressure. At first your horse may balk a little, or try to back up instead of turn; it's easier for a horse to walk as he's turning because that's what most of them have gotten used to before a rider teaches them differently. However, after you teach him how to turn properly, it becomes just as easy for him.
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