Haunches in is an excellent exercise for gaited horses―especially the pacey ones. It diagonalize the horse’s steps, breaks up pace to begin smooth gait. 

Since 2007, I have learned so much in my application of dressage since I began this journey with my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse, Makana. If I could turn back time with the knowledge I have today, I would have started lateral exercises in hand before saddle training. It wasn’t until 2014 that I began to learn the value of in hand work.

Hindsight is 20/20.

In any case, Makana and I began haunches in exercises from the saddle after she had a good grasp of the leg yield exercises. As with any introduction, the haunches in was clumsy at first. We began with a couple consecutive steps at first, and I added more steps as she was ready for it.

Haunches in vs leg yield

Three ways the haunches in is different from the leg yield:

1. In the haunches in, the horse travels into the bend where the horse steps away from the bend in a leg yield.
2. Another difference is that the haunches in is a bending exercise on three tracks while the horse is a fairly straight from poll to tail in a leg yield and the horse steps forward and sideways at the same time.
3. Finally, the haunches in helps the horse engage from the hindquarters and collect where the leg yield does not. The leg yield is an introductory exercise to lateral movement for horse and rider.

Rider aids for the haunches in

1. While maintaining a light and even contact with both reins, the rider softens the horse’s lower jaw by squeezing and releasing the inside rein.
2. At the end of the arena, the rider directs the horse into a volte (small circle) at a slow walk.
3. Just before the horse reaches the fence, the rider helps the horse’s shoulders, head and neck to remain straight along the fence while encouraging the horse to continue the bend of the circle with the back half of the horse. The rider does this by applying the inside leg at the girth and the outside leg slightly behind the girth.
4. The rider sits slightly on the outside seat bone and encourages the horse to step its outside hind foot under its belly and towards the inside fore foot.

Viewing the haunches in from the front or back, the horse travels on three tracks. The horse’s front legs are fairly perpendicular to the fence, while the outside hind leg steps under the belly.

Benefits of lateral exercises for gaited horses

Lateral exercises, like haunches in are excellent for the naturally gaited horse―especially for those the pace. Why? Because lateral exercises actually diagonalize the horse’s steps. This breaks up pace. Since lateral exercises diagonalize the horse’s steps, why are they called lateral?

Great minds want to know.

Haunches in is one of several lateral exercises. Others are shoulder in, shoulder out, and haunches out. These lateral exercises offer other wonderful benefits to the naturally gaited horse. Lateral exercises supple and strengthen the horse as well as help the horse become more flexible, balanced and engaged. All of these qualities improve the quality of natural smooth gaits.

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