This pattern is just as it sounds, a four leaf clover. Great for improving your horse’s steering and will balance out a horse’s speed so he stays at a consistent pace. Fast horses will slow down and lazy horses will speed up. All around, the cloverleaf is a good pattern for every type of horse.
Straight and Focused
Before trying this exercise you need to be able to bend your horse to a stop, complete simple transitions, and be able to follow the rail at all three gaits. Place a cone or other marker in the center of the pattern to help you keep each leaf symmetrical. On a left hand pattern always pass the center marker on your left, and vice versa for a pattern to the right. This helps you remember which way you were going especially when changing directions on the pattern. Always look ahead where you want to go. Pick a spot on the fence or a tree in the distance to ride straight to. Make smooth turns instead of waiting until you are at the fence before turning. Start at a trot and work up to the canter. Although, this pattern is great for practicing a consistent pace and steering in the canter.
Ride the pattern each way a few times until your horse gets the idea. Before long he will start to anticipate the turns and lean in the direction he thinks you want him to go or toward where he wants to go, such as the gate or barn. When the horse does this, turn the opposite way that he is anticipating. When you feel him lean to the right look to your left, press your right leg at the girth, then pick up your left rein, making contact with the horse’s mouth and holding until he turns left. Release when he starts to make a left turn. It is very important to balance your horse out like this. Turning him the opposite direction then the one he wants to go teaches him that there is no use in turning without being asked, as you always turn him the other way. Eventually, your horse will stay straight and focused on you.
Stay Balanced
Even at a canter keep turning your horse the opposite way, it doesn’t matter if he is on the wrong lead you can be more specific later once your horse knows the pattern and listens to your direction. If he feels like he is going straight, go ahead and do the pattern until he leans again. Continue to steer your horse each time he tries to go toward the gate or the barn until those “magnets” go away. If the horse continues to go to one particular spot; stop doing the pattern and go to the gate or other magnet and make your horse work by making tight circles and tapping him with the whip if needed. Once the horse starts spiraling away from his magnet, let him circle one more time and when his nose is pointing toward the center of the arena let him move forward on a loose rein. Repeat until the horse no longer wants to go to that spot, then continue on the pattern. Rest your horse in the center of the pattern or on the side of the arena opposite of where your horse’s magnet is. Soon he will even out and stop leaning toward any certain area.
You don’t always have to complete a whole pattern in one direction and you may not be able to until your horse stops leaning. It is more important that your horse waits for your cues and stays straight than it is that you complete the entire pattern in one direction. Don’t micromanage the horse, if he turns when you don’t want him to just turn him the opposite way and release. He will soon figure out that he gets a release of pressure when he goes the speed and direction you want. Try not to worry about where the horse’s head is, only on his steering. His head will lower naturally as he relaxes.
Slow and Steady
Allow your horse to canter a little faster than the speed you would like at first as he will slow down as he spends more time on the pattern. But if he is gets too fast and out of control, stop the pattern and do a one rein stop until the horse disengages his hindquarters, bends his body, and relaxes. Continue to do the one rein stops until he slows down and relaxes. You may have to trot the pattern for awhile until he is trotting calmly before asking for the canter again. Don’t quit the pattern too soon; practice for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. Continue to canter him until he wants to slow down, then canter for five more minutes until he is begging to stop then he won’t want to rush off when he canters. This strategy works on most horses, unless you have a very hot type horse as these horses require you to make transitions to keep him thinking and under control. Try making the pattern smaller at first so he has to turn more often which keeps his mind engaged. The opposite is true for lazy, slow horses as they need bigger patterns with long, straight lines which encourages them to speed up.
Practice this pattern for three to seven days to completely ingrain it into your horse’s mind. Once you both are confident on the cloverleaf add difficulty by asking your horse to collect on the pattern, adding jumps on the straightaways, or riding it in a big field.