Here's simple exercise to help you communicate more clearly with your aids. You will need a large area to ride in and a horse that already has basic understanding of the rider's seat, leg, and hand aids.

Circles-Within-A-Circle Exercise

    The pattern for this exercise uses a large circle and two smaller ones done within the large circle. If you think of the large circle as a clock face, then the smaller circles we will do within it will be done at the three and nine o'clock positions. During the exercise, keep the horse's body positioned straight on these circles. This means that his body is slightly bent or arced to follow the circular track. (A diagram of this pattern is shown in my "Dressage Principles for the Western and English Horse and Rider, Aids Communications," available at my website listed at the end of this article.)

    Start by asking the horse to walk forward on a large circle to the right. Communicate your request by using the aids together in the proper sequence. The first aid used is the seat. The rider's shoulders are positioned slightly back so that her seat puts more weight in the saddle as her hips follow the horse's movement. The leg aids follow with a light pressure to ask the horse to move forward. Finally, the hands encourage forward movement as the fingers open slightly on the reins to allow the horse the freedom of movement. The sequence is: seat-legs-hands.