Haunches in, or, more formally, travers, is when the horse is asked to move his hindquarters to the inside line on which he is travelling, while keeping his shoulders on an outside line. Throughout the movement, he needs to maintain an inside bend through his poll, neck and body.
Haunches in is an excellent exercise to introduce the half-pass and improve the communication between the horse’s and rider’s legs; it helps solidify the idea of the outside leg being a turning aid while maintaining bend and impulsion through the inside leg and seat bone. This knowledge is important not only for the half-pass but also for pirouettes.
It is a good idea for you and your horse to be able to execute the shoulder-in before teaching the haunches-in. When you first teach the haunches-in, do not worry about the bend – this can come later; you want to ask your horse to step his hind legs to the inside track and move from your outside leg. As your horse’s balance improves, you can ask for more steps. Then you can add the correct bend, and once he has grasped this, you can try the exercise in the trot and canter.
The haunches-in or travers can be tricky to teach your horse, and mistakes can quickly happen, so remember to start slowly, reward anything in the right direction and always end on a good note.
TROUBLESHOOTING TIP
If your horse is falling in, you want to use less outside leg, add inside leg and ensure your horse is ‘on’ your outside rein.