We talk so much about riding correct circles in dressage, but do you know how to ride a truly accurate square? U.S. Dressage Team member and grand prix competitor AnnA Buffini utilizes what she calls her Magic Square exercise (a square made up of four quarter pirouettes or 90-degree turns with four quarterlines in between) to improve her horse’s collection, straightness and responsiveness.

Buffini finds this exercise useful for both younger, lower-level horses, as well as more seasoned mounts, and says you can easily decrease or increase the difficulty depending on your level and your horse’s capabilities. With lower-level horses, however, she advises to introduce squares slowly.

“You don’t want to overface your horse by asking more than she’s ready for,” she said. “And keep in mind that you need to show her exactly what line she should be walking on. Your horse has no idea she’s going on a square; she only knows to listen to your aids.”

Especially with young horses, Buffini notes that it takes time for the exercise to click in their brains. “Be careful not to let them get frustrated if they’re not getting it at first. It might get a little messy. Maybe you wobble or drift a bit, but that’s exactly why we’re doing this,” she said. “So let the mistakes happen in order to correct them.”

In her video series on EQUESTRIAN+, Buffini explains the importance of practicing the Magic Square at the walk before introducing it at the trot or canter and demonstrates how to ride squares at the walk. Then, she shows you how to ride the exercise at the trot and canter for both lower- and upper-level horses and explains its benefits.

How to Walk the Magic Square

“I like to work the square at the walk before introducing it at the trot or canter. By walking it, everything will come slower, so you have more time to feel your horse’s movement and make the necessary adjustments. I ride this exactly the same at the walk as I would at the canter, because what the horse does in the canter is exaggerated at the walk.

“This exercise is all about straightness. Before introducing the turn, ensure your horse’s body is perfectly straight. Do not let her drift or shift or go from side to side. Think about using your legs and hands to ride your horse like she’s on rails so she doesn’t have an out to the left or right and remains connected to that track.

“Once I find that straight line, I half-halt a little bit before making the turn so my horse’s hind legs slow down. Then, as I turn her shoulders, I keep my outside leg on and ride it like a turn on the haunches to pivot on that 90-degree angle and then ride straight out of the corner.

“Through the corners, you’ll find that you have to turn way more than you might think. At first it seems like it will be super easy and no problem. But it’s not. Both you and your horse will be tempted to go onto a circle because it’s much easier. So, in the beginning it might feel like you’re screeching around a turn in a car doing a doughnut, but once you get the feel for it, it will get more comfortable for you and your horse.

The Magic Square for Lower-Level Horses

“After perfecting the square at the walk, you can start practicing it at the trot and canter. But with a lower-level horse, it can be more of just a turn where you focus on bringing her shoulders around. Then, as you practice you can use it as an opportunity to teach her how to collect, turn, move forward off both legs and most importantly to stay straight.

“Riding the square also teaches you how to use all of your aids. If you’re not paying attention to every stride and using your legs, seat and reins to ride through that 90-degree turn, your horse is just going to fall through it.

“As you’re turning, focus on bringing your horse’s shoulders around as soon as she starts to turn. Then, continue to ride from your leg and seat into your hand and get straight again. But you must maintain those few steps of straightness, before you start collecting to prepare for the next turn on the square.

“As you’ll see, the more my horse practices, the better she understands and collects. She learns to rock back on her hind legs a bit before the turn. This will teach your horse how to be more on your aids and will help you both be in better harmony. Plus, all of these skills will go a long way in bringing her up to the next level.”

The Magic Square for Upper-Level Horses

“Your goal with a more advanced horse is to work on smaller squares with tighter turns and being even more on the aids. With my grand prix mare, I’m doing quarter pirouettes. I typically put the square for these horses on a quarterline and make it about 15 meters long each way to challenge them to truly achieve that upper-level collection. As you sit your horse down on her hind end for the 90-degree turn think about keeping that hind leg in one spot and then the shoulders turn around the hind leg before they straighten out.

“With your advanced horse, you not only have to ride collection into it the turn, but you also maintain collection out of it by keeping both legs on and ride straight on the quarter line. Otherwise, your horse is going to fall behind your leg or lean in. This will also show you exactly how much you need to use your aids.

“This exercise is physically hard for you, too, because you don’t have a moment to relax as the turns come up so fast. You turn and have four or five steps and then have to turn again. My legs and core are burning after I do this.

“Be sure not to over-drill your horse on this by doing it 10 times in a row in the same direction. I maybe do one-and-a-half to two full squares with my upper-level horses and then give them a walk break. Even if you don’t end on a perfect note, never overface your horse. Always give them breaks to rest and think about what they’ve learned.

“If your horse tends move her haunches out, practice riding perfectly straight on the lines, so she remains on your aids between the turns. You can’t be willy-nilly all over the place, because you’ll lose that collection in an instant. So, be super on top of your aids and take the time to really find that corner. Collect before the corner and maintain the energy through the turn and back on to the next straight line. A big key to this is to keep the energy in between and during those pirouettes.

“Especially with upper-level horses, you have to ride every single stride of the square. So it requires both you and your horse to remain focused. You literally have to be doing something every single second, while always being accurate and precise.”

For More:

• To watch AnnA Buffini’s full video series on riding the Magic Square, click here.
• For additional training videos with the U.S. Dressage Team member on EQUESTRIAN+, click here.
• For Buffini’s top 3 tips for advancing through the levels, click here.

About AnnA Buffini

AnnA Buffini is a young dressage professional based in San Diego, California. She has been part of the U.S. Dressage Team, competing on five major international Nations Cup teams and in two FEI Dressage World Cup™ Finals, placing sixth in 2023 in Omaha, Nebraska. As a junior, she won the 2014 USEF Young Rider Dressage National Championship and the 2016 USEF U25 Dressage National Championship. She trains with Olympian Guenter Seidel.