Circle Drill

When I'm working with a young horse, there are several fundamentals that I like to work on before I ever attempt working a cow.

- JADE KELLER, NICHOLE CHIRICO

Jade Keller, Scottsdale, Arizona, operates Jade Keller Performance Horses out of Morning Vista Ranch with his wife, Tessa, and their three boys Kole, Tucker, and Klayton. He has ridden and coached riders to multiple cutting horse world and reserve world championships, and is also the president of the Cave Creek Club Cutting Association. Learn more at jadekeller.net.

One of those things is making sure that my horse is following his nose and freed up in his shoulder when I ask him to turn. To work on that, I like to incorporate a circle drill into my routine that teaches my horse to listen to my hand, leg, and body cues, while also teaching him to follow his nose and move his feet.

While the focus of this drill is on the turn, it also gives me a chance to check in with my horse to see how he guides in a circle. I can see where he wants to lean on me, and it also gives me a chance to evaluate how soft he's staying in his body or if he's bracing.

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I find a spot in my arena where I can do a circle next to a fence and walk a circle. Before I get to the fence, I check in with my horse to see how he's responding to my cues. He shouldn't want to brace against my hands, and he should be moving forward at a steady rhythm with his head just slightly to the inside, as it shows in this photo.

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