Haunches-In Maneuver

Q: What is haunches-in?

Per Richard Winters: a lateral movement where the front feet stay on the rail and the hindquarters drift inward, with the horse traveling at an angle to the wall. Dressage calls it "travers." Both Western and English disciplines use it to develop hindquarter control and lateral suppleness.

Q: What does my horse need to know first?

Per Richard Winters: collection on the bridle (softens in the face, yields at the poll) and lateral leg yield (moves hindquarters away from leg pressure on both sides). Without those, haunches-in becomes a wrestling match instead of a refined exercise.

Q: How does haunches-in help canter departures?

Per Richard Winters: it teaches the horse to engage his inside hind under his body, which is exactly the engagement needed to step cleanly into the canter on the correct lead. Horses with good haunches-in tend to develop clean departures naturally.

Q: Can Western horses do this?

Per Richard Winters: absolutely—Western reining and cow horse training use the same exercise, sometimes called by different names. The Grand Prix dressage / Western reining demonstration that inspired the article emphasized how much foundation overlaps across disciplines.

Q: How long until my horse can perform haunches-in?

Per Richard Winters: weeks to months depending on the horse's foundation. Once collection and leg-yield are installed, haunches-in develops quickly. Skip those prerequisites and the exercise stays out of reach indefinitely.

Looking for honest, horse-owner perspective on Haunches-In Maneuver?

Find Supporting Products & Services

Horse Trainers Browse Horse Trainers →

Teaching Your Horse the Haunches-In Maneuver

With Richard Winters Horsemanship

I was recently performing at a Horse Expo and had a fun experience. I participated in a joint presentation with a Grand Prix Level - Dressage rider. We each performed maneuvers specific to our riding disciplines. She demonstrated the passage, piaffe, half pass and canter pirouette. I performed spins, sliding stops, large fast circles and flying lead changes. We talked about some of the differences in our training styles and also emphasized the many similarities. The demonstration reminded me of a training exercise that I use that has its roots in the discipline of dressage. Dressage aficionados know this as the “haunches-in” maneuver.

The haunches-in maneuver (known in dressage circles as "travers"), is important for the western horse to properly execute canter departures, flying lead changes and even turn-arounds. Without refined hindquarters control the advanced maneuvers become problematic.

Haunches-In with front feet tracking on rail and hind feet offset to the inside.

There are two pre-requisites to performing a proper "haunches-in. " First, you must have a certain degree of collection with your horse. When you pick up on the bridle reins, your horse should soften in the face, yield at the poll and give you a soft feel. Second, your horse must understand how to yield away from your leg, both to the left and to the right. With these conditioned responses in place, your horse is ready to perform the "haunches-in" maneuver.

Begin this exercise by walking along the long side of an arena fence rail. The goal is to keep your horse's feet tracking straight ahead, along the rail, and the hind end shifting away from the rail making a separate set of tracks off-set from the front feet. You want to keep your horse's front end parallel to the fence rail. You need to have just enough bend in your horse so that you can see your horse's inside eye. This will be the eye closest to the center of the arena.

You will cue your horse with your outside leg, slightly back and against your horse's side. (Closest to the fence. ) You will use your hands to keep your horse strait and tracking along the rail. Remember, you want to just barely be able to see the corner of your horse's inside eye. (Eye closest to the center of the arena. ) If you can see the outside eye, your horse is counter bent and out of position.

This body control exercise will not be easy for your horse at first. Make sure that you don't ask for too much too soon. When your horse makes any small attempt to yield correctly, reward his effort by releasing and allowing him to trot straight for a few strides. As his understanding increases, you can ask for more strides of the "trevers." You will be establishing better shoulder control as your horse learns to separate and move his body parts independent of each other.

My horse is reaching forward and in with his right hind ready to canter depart on his right lead.

As your horse gains confidence with haunches-in, it will be very easy to canter depart on any lead at any time. You will not be dependant on a circle to help you pick up a particular lead. If you can keep your horse's shoulder straight and push the hindquarters to the inside, your horse is very likely to pick up the lead in that same inside direction.

Perhaps very few western performance riders use the term "haunches-in." Even fewer would ever speak of "trevers." However, all of my mentors understand the importance of this body control maneuver as it relates to advanced performance and athleticism. Haunches -in is a building block in the foundation of your training program that will pay big dividends on your horsemanship journey!

Richard Winters Horsemanship wintersranch.com

Key Article Takeaways

Per Richard Winters: haunches-in (dressage "travers") refines canter departures, flying changes, and turn-arounds.
Front feet track on the rail; hind feet offset to the inside.
Prerequisite 1: collection on the bridle—horse softens in the face, yields at the poll.
Prerequisite 2: yields hindquarters away from leg pressure on both sides.
Western and dressage disciplines share more foundation than they often acknowledge.

Questions readers commonly ask:

What is haunches-in?

Per Richard Winters: a lateral movement where the front feet stay on the rail and the hindquarters drift inward, with the horse traveling at an angle to the wall. Dressage calls it "travers." Both Western and English disciplines use it to develop hindquarter control and lateral suppleness.

What does my horse need to know first?

Per Richard Winters: collection on the bridle (softens in the face, yields at the poll) and lateral leg yield (moves hindquarters away from leg pressure on both sides). Without those, haunches-in becomes a wrestling match instead of a refined exercise.

How does haunches-in help canter departures?

Per Richard Winters: it teaches the horse to engage his inside hind under his body, which is exactly the engagement needed to step cleanly into the canter on the correct lead. Horses with good haunches-in tend to develop clean departures naturally.

Can Western horses do this?

Per Richard Winters: absolutely—Western reining and cow horse training use the same exercise, sometimes called by different names. The Grand Prix dressage / Western reining demonstration that inspired the article emphasized how much foundation overlaps across disciplines.

How long until my horse can perform haunches-in?

Per Richard Winters: weeks to months depending on the horse's foundation. Once collection and leg-yield are installed, haunches-in develops quickly. Skip those prerequisites and the exercise stays out of reach indefinitely.