Pirouette In dance and gymnastics, a turn is a rotation of the body about the vertical axis. It is usually a complete rotation of the body, although quarter (90°) and half (180°) turns are possible for some types of turns. Multiple, consecutive turns are ...

is a French word for the Ballet reference, "to whirl about." A pirouette is a two-track

lateral movement Lateral movements or lateral flexions within equestrianism, have a specific meaning, used to refer to movements made by a horse where the animal is moving in a direction other than straight forward. They are used both in training and in competitio ...

asked of a horse in

dressage Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined by ...

, in which the animal makes a circle with its front end around a smaller circle made by the hind end. Specifically, the front legs and outside hind leg should travel around the inside hind leg, with the horse remaining slightly bent in the direction of travel. From the part of the rider it needs "much practice in collecting and balancing the horse and in using the aids correctly." The horse may perform the movement at the walk or

canter The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait p ...

, although the pirouette at the walk is more commonly called the turn on the haunches. It "can also be executed at

piaffe The piaffe () is a dressage movement where the horse is in a highly collected and cadenced trot, in place or nearly in place. The center of gravity of the horse should be more towards the hind end, with the hindquarters slightly lowered and great ...

." As in all dressage, the horse should remain relaxed, engaged, and responsive, with the poll as the highest point. Ideally, the pirouette will be almost in-place, although many horses perform a slightly larger pirouette. A pirouette may be performed either as a 360-degree turn (full pirouette), 270 degrees (¾-pirouette), or 180-degrees (half-pirouette). Some dressage tests call for two full pirouettes in a row (720 degrees).

Number of beats and strides

The walk stride has to consist of four beats. Pivoting around one hindleg without lifting it is not considered a correct movement: "The inside hind foot is raised and put down almost in the same place". When performed at the canter, the gait actually is meant to remain a three-beat action with a moment of suspension. However, the high level of collection, strength and discipline required means that it often degenerates into an incorrect four-beat motion. The correct half-pirouette in canter "should take three steps" or strides, the whole pirouette should take "six to eight" strides.Loriston-Clarke, p. 100

Faults

The canter pirouette is a very difficult exercise when performed correctly. * The horse should not throw his body around, fall inward, or let his hindquarters fall to the outside, but should remain balanced. * The horse should not plant one of his hind legs and move around it—as seen in the western spin—but should lift them up and place them down with each stride, maintaining the purity of the gait. * The horse should not lose the rhythm of the canter, or fall onto his

forehand The forehand in tennis and other racket sports such as table tennis, squash and badminton is a shot made by swinging the racket across one's body with the hand moving palm-first. In tennis, except in the context of the phrase ''forehand volle ...

. * The horse should not make an oval-shaped movement with his hindquarters, but should inscribe a perfect circle. * The horse should never step back. * Each bound should be equal. * It must not degenerate into a four-beat motion or lose its moment of suspension.

References

External links

To see a canter pirouette, se

an

To see a walk pirouette, se

Sources

''FEI Rules for Dressage Events 2011''

of the temporal kinematics of the canter pirouette and collected canter'' (study on the footfalls of the canter pirouette)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pirouette (Dressage) Dressage terminology Riding techniques and movements