Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend or Learning How to Turn Correctly

An exercise that has helped me tremendously lately is doing a diamond figure at the walk.  Seriously.  I prefer to do this exercise on the 20 meter circle but you can also do it on the larger format as shown.  Anyway, get on a 20 meter circle at the walk.  Make sure all your ducks are in a row as far as position with frontline engaged, following seat, breathing, and etc..  Whatever checklist you use.  Then, instead of circling, make a diamond figure instead of a circle.  Use very little or no inside rein and instead initiate the turn at each corner of the diamond by slightly weighting your inside seatbone and using your outside aids including your outside rein against the neck to turn.  Repeat several times then track the other direction and do the same.  Then make a 20 meter circle using the same aids.  Can you feel that elusive beast inside leg to outside rein?  Can you now make more accurate and smaller circles because you are turning mostly from your seat and weight aids and the reins are just a finishing touch?  Yeah, me too and only took me 25 years to figure it out!