Training idea # 4: Clover-leaf exercise for a round arena

I owe the inspiration for the clover-leaf exercise for a round arena to my boyfriend. He does this with all of his horses, so regularly and precisely that a clear path is beaten in the ploughed arena. I love to ride when only he has been riding, because I can then follow his tracks. This helps maintain symmetry. Last year, when I was refreshing Fantazia’s basic training, I would “ride all over the place,” as he complained. Now, if I ride in the round indoor arena, I follow his footsteps, but his daughter doesn’t. When she’s been riding, it’s chaos!

See my next training post: Four spiral exercises to do at the walk

Why do the clover-leaf exercise for a round arena?

The best thing about this exercise is that it can be more or less challenging, depending on how wide you make the loops, or “leaves.” Narrower leaves mean tighter and more changeable bends, which make it much more difficult for the horse to maintain rhythm. Two of the most important parts of basic training are rhythm and bend.

Rhythm

No matter what discipline you ride, rhythm, or regularity of gait, is essential. Rhythm is not speed (tempo), but rather the beat pattern of the four feet. (Walk = 4; Trot = 2; Canter = 3.) It can only be achieved through repetition. (Even then, it may be nearly impossible, according to Eitan Beth-Halachmy.) Going round and round on the rail would serve the purpose, but it is more entertaining to follow a regular pattern (see also my training idea # 1). The clover-leaf pattern adds varying bends, which makes maintaining rhythm more difficult. The tighter the bend/leaf/loop, the more difficult, so start with broad leaves/loops.

Bend

Bend refers to the way the horse’s body bends to follow the curve of the circle/arc it is following. To achieve bend, the horse (with rider aides) must move its barrel and bend its neck. To complete the clover-leaf exercise, the horse must vary its bend according to the place on the clover leaf. Depending on how wide you make the “leaves”, the horse will have to bend more or less tightly around the “tips” and then open up the bend as it moves into the next leaf.

Clover-leaf exercise for a round arena: narrow leaves = advanced. — To do the clover-leaf pattern, the horse must vary its bend. Ideally, it will maintain the same rhythm throughout the exercise. These are very narrow leaves, the horse would need to be collected.

My boyfriend does this pattern at the trot/jog and canter/lope. I’ve done it at the trot many times; today was the first time I attempted it at a lope. Fantazia did very well!

Clover-leaf exercise for a round arena, step-by-step

In my last post about the round arena warm-up exercise, I shared a recorded Power Point presentation. this one is simpler, so I will just upload the images. It is very difficult to make the pattern using the power point insert shapes tool! So please overlook the messy lines.

Warm-up

I always being with at least ten minutes at the walk. It could be simply a few turns around the rail, or my more advanced warm-up exercise. Alternatively, you could just start the clover-leaf pattern at a walk.

The clover-leaf pattern

It helps to have something in the center of your arena to loop around. My boyfriend’s arena has a sprinkler in the middle. Loop inward and around the middle; it’s best to start with wide loops. If you are starting on the rail, you will do half of one leaf and move onto the second.

Clover-leaf exercise for a round arena: begin by looping around the center and into the next "leaf" — From the rail, loop around the center of the arena and out into the second leaf.

You will progress from one loop to another in a clockwise or counter-clockwise (this example) direction.

Close up the last loop, and then continue to repeat the pattern at different gaits and tempos. You will want to reverse and go the other way, trying to repeat the same distance at each gait and tempo that you did the first direction.