Pirouette (dressage)

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. ==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 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==