Q: What is the difference between the turn on the haunches required at 2nd & 3rd level and the walk pirouette required at 4th level? Sincerely, Looking Ahead

A: In essence, the half turn on the haunches and the half pirouette are the same exercise. The half turn on the haunches is allowed to be larger and is a “warm up” or preparatory exercise for the more advanced, “tighter” half pirouette. At the 2nd & 3rd levels the horse is not asked to collect the walk so the degree of engagement, sitting and activity are less than that at 4th level and above where the horse is in collected walk.

But to further answer the question of the difference, we should refer to the USEF rulebook. This states, “The half pirouette is a half circle executed on 2 tracks with a radius the length of the horse. The forehand moves around the haunches with the forefeet and outside hind foot moving round the inside hind foot which forms a pivot. The inside hind foot is required to pick up an put down in the same place (or slightly in front of it) each time it leaves the ground. The horse should be slightly bent in the direction in which he is turning and the turn should be in the same sequence of footfalls as the walk, remaining on the bit and turning smoothly around.” The horse should maintain the energy in the walk and never move backwards or deviate sideways.

The half turn on the haunches required at 2nd & 3rd level is a schooling exercise in preparation for the half pirouette. The horse’s forehand moves in even, quiet and regular steps around the horses inner hind leg, while maintaining the rhythm of the walk. At the half turn on the haunches the horse is allowed to move slightly forward.

So, technically they are the same movement but the biggest difference is that the half pirouette is judged on the qualities involved with collected walk and the half turn on the haunches is not. The frame for the collected walk should be different with the neck higher and with more arch and the nose coming toward the vertical with much greater activity in the hind legs. The medium walk is a much less demanding walk with a longer and less arched top line and longer strides. It is asked that the rider “shorten the strides” right before the turn to help balance and prepare the horse to be able to carry more weight on the hind legs throughout the turn.

In either turn, when the basic qualities are performed well, with smoothness, balance, correct bend and activity of the hind legs, scrutinizing over the size is most often just a modifier for a higher score. Hope this helps. Happy turning.

Tami Batts from Fellowship Farm, Greensboro, NC, is an "S" dressage judge and has her USDF bronze, silver and gold medals. To learn more, go to www.fellowshipfarm.net.