Horsemen often undervalue or discard circencic exercises as far as their use and gymnastic effect. Contrary to some people's beliefs, circencic exercises have nothing to do with circus tricks! Rather, we cue natural movements and behavior patterns. Since this is possible with any horse, it is a great way to have fun and add welcome changes into your work routine.

Observing, recognizing, feeling and reacting properly create a basis to work with your horse. Circencic exercises allow us to improve balance and enhance the gymnastic abilities of the horse.

Circencic Groundwork means:
- Natural behavior   
- Creating trust between horse and rider
- Establishing the "ranking" order
- Playing with foals or young horses
- Arguing about the rank within the herd
- Gymnasticizing the horse's back
- Improving flexibility, strength and balance
- Willing obedience
- Body language of the rider vs. horse
- Improving concentration
- Changing balance
- Change of pace

As you can see this work is serious and important. This is not about teaching circus movements or tricks! Let us show you a few examples of our circencic work:

The bow: This is the basis for all other exercises. This movement flexes and strengthens exactly those parts of your horse’s body that you need most during riding.

For the bow the horse stands on one knee and pushes the other leg straight out in front.

  

Kneeling
Here you see the horse kneeling on both front legs. A more challenging movement which

   

Laying upright
The horse is lying down; all legs are under its body. Head and neck are raised.

     

Laying down
In nature you will find that horses will lie down completely only within the herd and if they are feeling totally safe. They sleep that way. To lie down completely is the horse's biggest expression of trust towards its trainer.

   

Sitting
Sitting is the moment between lying down and getting up. The horse should sit as steeply as possible, pushing itself up on its front legs as much as possible and positioning the front legs exactly in front of its hind legs.

Spanish Walk
A horse will use this walk in the wild to impress his opponent; therefore it improves the horse's self-confidence. The breast and shoulder are both flexed and strengthened with this movement

Podium
The podium is a very interesting tool that offers a lot of variation and therefore should not be missing in the Work of Circensic. Horses like the podium and exhibit pride and grace as they either stand with their forelegs on the podium or with all four legs at one time. This is a valuable addition to gymnastizing the horse. It is also an excellent way to introduce a stretch of the topline in a playful manner with many different versions of exercises. In addition the ability of the horse to balance is being improved tremendeously. So overall working with a podium is a very valuble complementation on several levels.