Charlotte Dujardin on how to develop top pirouettes

Charlotte works with Queenslander, Nicole Tough, riding Borsato, a Dutch import. They are working on training pirouettes. Charlotte confiscates Nicole’s whip:

“I want to see the true Nicole, I won’t let her cheat.”

“Now canter, shorten the reins, don’t rock – belly button forward. Start with travers, and ask yourself, is he on my leg? Is he round and supple?”

Charlotte was quick to correct the rider’s position:

“The rider must have her weight in the direction she is going not hanging out behind. Ask for more bend but don’t cross your hand over the horse’s shoulder to get that bend.”

“Go forward and back in travers along the long side, keep the horse’s shoulders to the wall. Now do a leg yield all the way over the arena, leg yield rather than half pass, leg yield gets them more sideways and looser in your hand. Now travers on a ten metre circle, the horse’s front legs should be on a ten metre circle, the hind legs on an eight metre circle.”

“He took over. Keep him out with your inside leg, canter bigger and faster.”

“It’s a problem, horses taking over. Valegro has been doing Grand Prix for four years, he knows where every movement goes, so how to stop him taking over? Don’t ride those movements at home, only at the show, and then he never learns to take over.”

Time to try the pirouette on the centre line:

“Come down the centre line, a tiny bit shoulder fore, now turn, six steps – okay, not too bad, a little big. The first two strides have to be short, now think bigger and ride out. So many riders look down, and they don’t finish the pirouette.”