The use of the wall (of the riding arena) is an environmental arrangement to help you and your horse with the exercise.
Backing in a square is best done in a corner because the corner helps your horse find the answer. As backing in a straight line along the fence is no longer possible when you reach the corner, she has to step sideways to continue backing as requested.
The wall in the wall exercise helps to \u201ccollect the horse\u2019s feet\u201d. But let me first explain the lesson.
\u200bAlexandra Kurland’s Wall exercise\u200b<\/strong><\/a> teaches stepping laterally in a small half-circle at the wall. We assume that our horse is relaxed working close at the wall. If that\u2019s not the case, you need a training progression to teach this, for example, use figure eights that approach and move away from the wall until she is comfortable.
To start the lesson, you stop your horse on the track parallel to the wall. You move to the outside, with your back to the wall, looking at your horse. Now pick up the lead rope, ask for a give. Next time you ask for a little bit more flexion, then a little more again until your horse lifts its inside hind leg (or the outside hind leg, depending on what you want to reinforce at that moment). You release, C\/T and ask again. You continue until you reach the wall on the other side. Ask your horse to back 2-3 steps. Then you can repeat to the other side.
As your horse gets more fluid with this exercise, you can ask for multiple steps before C\/T but remember to release the rope after each step. When you reach the wall, ask for an additional half step against the wall, this will really \u201ctuck in\u201d the hind legs.
Should your horse get a little too fluid and run away sideways, you can swap side and return her back to the wall.
You will notice that on the stiff side, it is easier to get the side step. On the hollow side you will get more “neck” before you get the “leg”. Once the horse understands what you’re after, you can be more specific about the level of flexion you want.
Depending on how much bend you ask, you can use this lesson as a preparation for Anja Beran\u2019s favourite lesson of \u00dcbertreten (overstepping) or, if you use more bend, as a preparation for lateral movement (e.g., into shoulder-in or haunches-in).
I like to use it for \u00dcbertreten, so I ask for a give but keep the neck straight. In that scenario, both hind legs open and close as the horse steps around you to reach the wall on the other side. And if you do it on a bigger circle, the shoulders also open and close. For Anja, this movement is a prerequisite for piaffe. In fact, with the wall exercise, piaffe steps may pop out.
It\u2019s a very useful exercise, but don\u2019t overdo it as it can be tiring. Blondie had lots of difficulties with this movement as she was so locked up in her body. Working on it consistently in small increment helped her to become more mobile and now she can do a full circle under saddle in a calm and (much more than before) balanced manner.
In the screenshots below, I capture Blondie in “\u00dcbertreten” on a circle from the right to left. You can see how both front and hind legs cross over in two subsequent strides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/clickertrainingpferde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-37-568x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/clickertrainingpferde.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-5-518x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAnja starts this lesson already with young horses, so I tried it with Malou<\/strong>. I believe, this was the second trial.<\/p>\n\n\n