If your horse is new to voice commands, you will need to back up your requests with the whip. Read the next section to learn how to use the whip correctly.

Ask your horse to trot. Let him maintain a steady trot for a few circles then ask for a transition to walk. From walk, trot again, then canter. Change the rein and repeat the process. You will not have attached the side-reins at this stage. The goal is to loosen and relax the horse before serious work begins.

Halt your horse. Walk up to him and reward him with a pat and a ‘good boy/girl’. Attach the side reins and ask him to walk on. Give your horse a couple of minutes to become accustomed to the contact on the bit before asking him to trot on. From now on, focus on transitions and include plenty of walk in the exercise. Change the rein only once with the side-reins attached.

Try to keep the circles big when the horse is cantering. You can also vary the size of the circle when the horse is trotting. I am assuming that your horse has reached a fair level of training already; if he is still green, keep the circles big. At all times, ensure that he is going actively forwards; falling on the forehand on the lunge can cause stiffness in the horse’s back. A swinging back and over-tracking foot falls are signs that the horse is working properly.

Finish by removing the side-reins and allowing the horse to walk freely on a large circle. For a better cool down, take your horse out of the arena and lead him around in a leisurely walk for 5 or 10 minutes.