What is a rollback turn and how do you ride it?

A rollback turn in jumper competition is a tight turn in which the horse and rider must reverse direction after landing from one fence — essentially turning back the way they came — to approach a second fence that is located behind and to one side of the first fence, requiring a rapid change of direction in a small space. Rollback turns are among the most challenging elements in jumper course design because they demand that the horse maintain its balance while decelerating rapidly, turning sharply, and then reaccelerating to meet the second fence with enough pace and impulsion to jump cleanly. Riding a rollback correctly begins on the approach to the first fence: the rider must have a clear plan for which direction the rollback will go — left or right — and must position the horse appropriately on the approach so that the turn can begin immediately on landing. Landing from the first fence in the incorrect lead for the direction of the rollback creates an additional challenge — either a lead change is needed immediately after landing, or the turn must be ridden on the counter-canter, which is possible at lower heights but becomes increasingly difficult and risky as fence heights increase. After landing, the rider uses the outside rein and outside leg to begin the turn immediately — the classic instruction is to look at the next fence the moment you land from the first — while allowing the horse to slow naturally through the turn rather than pulling dramatically on the inside rein, which typically causes the horse to fall inward and lose balance. The turn radius should be as small as the horse's balance allows — the tightest possible rollback saves the most time in a jump-off — but must be large enough that the horse maintains its balance and arrives at the second fence with appropriate pace and a correct angle.