Often considered the most difficult element, the 360 turn packs a number of technical components into one element. In addition to requiring mechanical correctness, the 360 turn calls for the horse and handler to find a cadence that is efficient and precise, while allowing the horse to maintain a straight line from his head to his tail without shifting or lifting his pivot foot.

Mastering the maneuver begins with improving each piece of the turn. Three Showmanship experts share their tips for improving the 360 to enhance your final score.

The Pivot Foot

Establishing a pivot foot is critical to maximizing plus points in the 360 turn. Association rules vary; some allow for a pivot on either hind foot, while others specify which foot is the pivot foot.

“Ideally most judges want to see a right-hand pivot,” explains Tina Langness of Tina Langness Performance Horses in New Richmond, Wisconsin.

“At Paint shows either is allowed and the exhibitor is not supposed to incur any penalties if the horse pivots on the left hind foot,” she adds.

American Quarter Horse Association rules state a similar preference.

“On turns of greater than 90 degrees, the ideal turn consists of the horse pivoting on the right hind leg while stepping across and in front of the right front leg with the left front leg. An exhibitor should not be penalized if their horse performs a pivot on the left hind leg, but an exhibitor whose horse performs the pivot correctly should receive more credit,” (AQHA Rule 473 Showmanship at Halter)

In either situation, the pivot foot should remain fixed as the rest of the horse’s body moves around that foot. The horse is expected to pivot without stepping out of the turn, switching feet or picking the pivot foot up and placing it back down.

Step 1

Instinctively, exhibitors think that to establish a pivot foot, it is the pivot foot that must be controlled and watched during the turn. However, managing the non-pivot foot is as important.

“The non-pivot foot will give you an indication that something is going to happen,” says Chad Evans of Evans Performance Horses in Elizabeth, Colorado.

Sensing or observing when the non-pivot foot is too far forward and anticipating the horse to step forward out of the pivot gives the exhibitor time to make a correction such as walking a circle that is closer to the horse’s head to encourage the horse to shift his weight back onto the pivot foot. If the non-pivot foot is too far back midway through the maneuver, walking a slightly larger circle helps keep the pivot foot solidly planted. Developing “feel” allows an exhibitor time to make minor adjustments that can have a major impact on the final score.

Teaching a horse to plant a pivot foot begins with moving the horse’s shoulder.

“The horse has to be able to move its front end over its hind end. That means he has to move his shoulder,” Langness says.

Moving the shoulders teaches the horse that in a pivot on the right hind leg, he is expected to step across and in front of the right front leg with the left front leg. Green horses may need a helping hand to understand the concept.

“You might have to use your hands to push the horse’s shoulder away from you at first,” says Whitney Walquist-Vicars, World Champion and multiple Top 5 World Show finisher in Showmanship, based in Cleburne, Texas. “Tapping the horse on the shoulder ultimately teaches him to respect your space and step away from you with their shoulders anytime you step toward him.”

While pull turns to the left are limited to 90 or fewer degrees in patterns at Quarter Horse shows, Walquist-Vickers uses the maneuver to help improve her horse’s 360 turn.

“Training the horses do a pull turn gives me control of their shoulders,” she explains. Pulling the horse’s head towards the handler forces the horse to shift his weight back over his hind end, freeing up his shoulders to move as needed.

Championship showmanship horses have to have superior ground manners. “The horse has to come to you when you step away from him and go away from you when you step towards him,” Langness emphasizes.

Step 2

Body Straightness

The horse’s head and neck should remain straight and in line with his body throughout the entire turn. “The horse’s body position has to stay as straight as it can,” Evans adds. Not only does a straight line accumulate additional points, it prepares horse and handler for the next maneuver in the pattern.

Improving straightness in a turn can be achieved through practice on a direct line. Evans suggests a cone drill for refining straightness.

“Set up four cones in a square and have the horse and handler work on the outside of the perimeter,” he says, “it gives handlers a focus point and a path to follow.”

Getting to know the horse’s tendencies for moving in a straight line outside of the turn prepares handlers for any adjustments that may be needed while executing a turn. Developing an intuition or “feel” for the horse’s next move is as important on the ground as it is in the saddle.

“It’s important to pay attention to the straightness of the horse’s body so you can make an advanced judgement about what’s about to happen,” Walquist-Vicars says.

When a horse curls his neck onto an arc partway through the turn, it’s a good indication that something else is about to go off track. Not only does a less than perfectly straight body alignment look unpolished it affects the horse’s ability to maintain its pivot foot. When the horse bends its neck into an arc, either towards or away from the handler the higher risk the horse will step out of the pivot leading to minus points on the scorecard.

Spending time working with the horse is the only sure way to cultivate a sense of feel.

“It can be difficult for people who send their horses away for training,” Walquist Vicars says, “but when they are with their horse it’s important to spend as much time together as possible.”

Step 3

Finding a Rhythm

A crisp, steady rhythm through the 360 adds a degree of difficulty and demonstrates a level of confidence. Finding the proper cadence can be challenging. A handler’s step that is too small gives the impression that they are chasing after the horse to keep up. A step that is too large is distracting.

“Sometimes the exhibitor’s feet get moving faster than the horse and they get tangled up and can trip or fall,” Langness says. Conversely, a turn can be too slow or performed with too much hesitation.

Ideally, the size of the exhibitor’s step should match the rhythm of the horse’s step. Theoretically, the step size should stay the same through the entire 360. “Exhibitors have a tendency to take a big step right before they say whoa and shut the horse down,” Evans explains, “instead the size of their step should remain the same until they ask the horse to stop.” Consistent step size limits the chances of ending the turn too early (less than 360) or too late (more than 360).

“The simplest thing is to teach people to count. One. Two. One. Two,” Langness says. It’s also helpful to “ask someone to watch while you practice and give you feedback on how it looks. Ask them to count out loud for you so you can adjust your speed.”

If you’re struggling to find an appropriate tempo, “find a song with a good one, two beat and practice the turn to the music,” she suggests. The human body naturally wants to follow the beat. In this day and age nearly everyone owns a smartphone with an option to record video.

“Use a smartphone or other digital device to record a practice session. Watch yourself work through the turn and observe what it looks like,” she adds.

The handler sets the pace, but horses can rush or saunter through a turn at their own pace. To remind the horse that the turn is a team effort, Walquist-Vicars asks the horse to only move partially through the turn.

“I may go one quarter of the way around, stop and make the horse wait,” she explains. “Then I’ll ask for a few more steps and say ‘whoa’ again.”

Breaking the maneuver down into smaller components throughout the turn reminds the horse it’s a team effort.

A horse that strolls casually through the turn needs a reminder that the handler determines the speed of the turn.

“If the horse isn’t quick enough I will shove its head away from me a time or two to remind him that when I walk toward him, he better move away,” she adds. Some horses may even require a tap on the shoulder with the handler’s off hand to get the hint.

Ultimately, there is no substitute for practice.

“That doesn’t mean any type of practice. It has to be good practice. It’s not practice makes perfect, it’s perfect practice makes perfect,” she adds.

Step 4

Exhibitor Body Position

The exhibitor’s body position influences the horse’s body position and his ability to accurately complete a 360. The handler should remain around the horse’s throatlatch area. “If the exhibitor is too far forward, the horse will lean forward and step forward out of the turn,” Langness notes. Similarly, if the exhibitor is too far back, the horse will shift its weight back increasing its likelihood of stepping out of the turn.

“You want to find a position next to the horse’s head so you’re balanced and not pushing his head or neck through the turn,” Evans says.

The proper position for an exhibitor’s gaze is up for debate. Young handlers can look anywhere and not affect their balance, but that’s not the case for older exhibitors. Physiological changes in the body during the aging process modify an individual’s equilibrium impacting balance.

“I tell my clients to look out in front of them and where they are going. It’s safer when you’re looking up and knowing what’s going on in the surrounding environment,” Langness says.

Glancing back at the horse’s pivot foot a time or two to ensure the horse isn’t too stretched out or too bunched up is important, but it’s even more important that the exhibitor focus their eyes on what’s next to come in the pattern. “Stylistically, I don’t like seeing an exhibitor stare at their horse’s pivot foot. I’d rather they are looking up and ahead,” Evans says.

Start Practicing

Watching classes at a show is the best way to learn the finer points of any Showmanship maneuver. Pay attention to the winning exhibitors and observe their horse’s head and neck position and where they are located next to the horse’s head.

If it’s unclear what distinguishes a winning go from others, don’t hesitate to ask. “Thanks to the AQHA Professional Horseman’s Association trainers are more than happy to talk to exhibitors who have questions,” Walquist-Vicars concludes. “Someone once told me the only stupid question is the one that’s not asked.”