4 Tips for Riding a Great Dressage Test

When it comes to riding a polished dressage test, preparation is the key to success.  So I want give you some competition tips to help you have the best experience possible.

Before I get started with the actual tests, I want to just talk in general about riding dressage tests because there’s a lot of things that they all have in common.

1. MEMORIZE YOUR TEST
The first thing is that you need to know your test. I mean REALLY know it. Even though from Training Level through 4th level, you can have some read your test out loud, it’s still important that you really know your test. This is critical so your test doesn’t look like a bunch of movements strung together.

That way you can use the reader if you occasionally blank out. But for the most part, you won’t even be listening to the reader because you’ll be paying attention to
your horse.

So you want to be able to do the dressage test on autopilot, so that you can reserve all of your focus for riding your horse. You want to be riding your horse not
concentrating on what comes next in the pattern.

To help you do this, start memorizing your test early on.

I have 3 different ways that I memorize tests. They include:

1. Visualization-I know that it takes approximately 21 days to develop a habit. So I start visualizing my dressage test every day at least 3 weeks before a show. I sit in an easy chair or lie down on my bed, close my eyes, and take 3 really deep breaths.

You want to do diaphragmatic breathing, so as you inhale, feel like your stomach is getting fat. That means you’re taking air way down into the bottom of your lungs. As you exhale, feel yourself sinking into the chair or bed.

Visualizing your dressage test is going to help you do two things. First, it’s going to help you memorize your test. Secondly, when you visualize the perfect ride, you program your subconscious mind to ride correctly. That’s because when you do “perfect practice” in your mind’s eye, your muscles will fire in the correct way.

As you visualize, go through your dressage test stride for stride. Fill in as much detail as you can.

What are you wearing? What does your horse look like? What does the arena look like? What color is your jacket? What color are your gloves?

Fill in as many details as you can AND include your senses. Hear the rhythm of the footfalls. Feel the contact with your horse’s mouth. See your horse’s head and neck out in front of you. Smell the fly spray. Also, add emotion to your mental movies.
Experience yourself feeling calm, relaxed, poised and the harmony of being at one with your horse.

2. Do your test on foot.
Another thing I do walk and trot, and canter the parts of the dressage test at home in my living room as if I were riding them.

Just mark off a rectangular  area and trot down the center line, do your halts, trot off, plan where you’re going to turn, walk where you’re supposed to walk, canter where you’re supposed to canter. So you actually have a chance to physically practice.

3. Know your dressage test “forwards and backwards”.
The third way that I memorize a test is to learn it the way it’s written from the first entry to the final salute. But then, to know that I “own” that test, I pick any movement and ask myself what comes after it.

And here’s the real thing that tells the story, I ask myself, “And what movement comes before this movement?”

So I might say, “What comes before the left canter depart?” or “What comes
before the free walk?” or “What comes after the trot lengthening?”

When you can pick any point within the dressage test and you can answer those two questions, you really own that test. Also, if you do happen to blank out in the
middle of the test, you’ll be able to remember where you are very easily.

2. THE ENTRY
Now let’s talk about the movements that all of the dressage tests have in common.

First, they all have an entry. You have to get into the arena. So I’m going to start while you’re going around the arena.

What you do as you go around the arena really depends on your horse. I find it helpful to just walk around the arena with tense horses. I know that things look
different to a horse from the left side and the right side. So, I’ll walk by the judge’s
stand then I’ll turn around and walk by so the horse can see the judge’s stand from
the other eye.

And then, I’ll actually turn and face the judge’s stand, halt, and pat my horse. I know that my horse is going to see two weird people in the judge’s booth when we
come down the centerline. I want him to have already seen them and know that he
doesn’t have to be worried.

For the horse that tends to be a little behind the leg, you might decide to do some rising trot lengthenings outside the arena. That way you can make sure that your horse is in front of the leg and that you really get his motor going.

Or let’s say you have a horse that is spooky or to tends to get a little on the forehand. Do a little shoulder-in when you’re still outside the arena.

The next thing that you have to think about is whether you’re going to enter
from the right rein or from the left rein? If your horse is fairly straight, enter from
the direction you’ll be turning at C. That will trigger your memory if you blank out
and forget which way to turn at C.

So, if I’m going to be turning right at C, I normally enter from the right rein. I enter from the left rein if I’m going to be turning left at C.

However, let’s say I have a horse that’s really hollow to the left (meaning he likes to bend his neck and carry his hind quarters to the left then); I’ll enter from the right. That’s because he’ll be straighter, and I don’t want the judge’s first impression to be that my horse is crooked.

Now, as you come down that centerline, look up, and make eye contact with the judge. This is part of showmanship. No matter how you’re really feeling, look confident, put a smile on your face, and come down that centerline like you own that arena.

Now, let’s talk about the halt. The way you approach the halt is different depending on the level of the test. If you’re doing a Training Level or Intro test, you can walk into your halt. You can also take a step or two of walk out of the halt into the trot.

From First Level and above, there are no walk steps. If you enter in the trot, go directly to the halt from the trot and then back to the trot after your salute. If you’re doing one of the higher level tests and you’re entering into the canter, go directly from canter to the halt.

Once you’re in the halt, you need to salute. The most common way to salute is to take all the reins in your left hand. Drop your right arm loosely behind your thigh. Nod your head keeping eye contact with the judge. Don’t make this big extravagant bow. You want to acknowledge the judge, but you want it to look crisp
and efficient.

A man can actually salute in the same way. He can take the reins in one hand, drop his hand loosely behind one thigh, and nod his head. Or he can take his hat off, put it behind his thigh, and nod his head. If you do take your hat off, make sure the top of the hat (not the inside of the hat) faces the judge.

Take your time in the halt so you can really show that your horse is on the aids. However, if he starts to move, go ahead and pick up the trot. You’ll get a better mark for a halt that’s too quick as compared to letting your horse move forward and then trying to halt again.

If you feel like your horse drops behind your leg in the halt, “breathe” your legs to help him react more quickly to your driving aids. To “breathe” your legs, take them ever so slightly off his sides. Bring them back an inch or two, and then place them on his sides lightly again.

As you finish your centerline, keep your horse straight. Pretend you’re going to lengthen toward the judge so you ride him between the channel of your legs and
hands.

Then warn him that he’s going either left or right by asking for flexion at the poll when you’re a couple of strides before C.

3. CORNERS AND DIAGONALS
Okay, you’re in the arena. No matter what level you’re doing, you have to ride corners. The general rule for riding corners is that you don’t have to go any deeper into the corners than the smallest circle done at each level.

So, the smallest circle you’re asked to do for First Level is a 10-meter circle. That means you need to get into the corner to the depth of one quarter of a 10-meter circle.

At Training Level, the smallest circle you’re required to do is a 20-meter circle. So you really don’t have to get into the corners any deeper than the arc of a 20-meter circle.

But if you can show a difference between the line that you follow when you’re going into a corner and the line that you follow when you’re on your 20-meter circle, you show the judge that you’re a savvy rider.

If that’s pretty simple for him, try to show a 3-meter difference between the line you’d follow if you were going into a corner and the line you’d follow if you were on a 20-meter circle. That shows a real clear difference between getting into the corner and being on a circle.

Your rule of thumb is to ride into the corner as deep as your horse can manage. That is, he can keep the same rhythm, tempo, balance and quality of his gait.

The next things that all the tests have in common are diagonal lines. Here’s what I’d suggest. First, ride deep into the corner before you turn onto the diagonal. Then look at a point about a half-meter before the final letter on the long side. Aim
for that spot when you go across the diagonal. By looking a little bit before the letter, you’ll have more time to really balance your horse for the next corner.

4. TRANSITIONS
Another thing that all the tests have in common is that you have transitions from gait to gait. And with the more advanced tests, you also have transitions within the gait.

First, let’s look at transitions from gait to gait. Always prepare for those transitions with half halts. However, the particular version of the half halt you give depends on the way your horse feels prior to the transition. This is because a transition can be no better than the stride just before the transition.

If your horse is well schooled, obedient, and is solidly on the bit, you can give what I call “Preparatory Half Halts”. That’s a momentary closure of seat, leg and hand–Take/give, take/give, take/give.

Direct those half halts to the inside hind leg. Give the half halts when the inside hind leg is on the ground just before it’s ready to push off. You need to time these half halts when the inside hind leg is on the ground because that’s really the only time you can influence a hind leg. Once it’s in the air, it’s already committed to its flight.

Your goal is to engage the inside hind leg prior to the transition. Give three Preparatory Half Halts prior to the down transition. Let’s say, for example, that you want to go from trot to walk. When you feel the inside hind leg on the ground,
say something like, “Engage, engage, engage, walk”. Or you can say, “Now, now, now, walk”.

So you might ask me at this point, “Well how do I know when a hind leg is on the ground?” When a particular hind leg is on the ground, your horse’s hip will feel higher. You’ll feel your inside seat bone either being pushed up or being pushed forward.

When I’m getting ready to do a downward transition, I tune into my seatbones. I feel which of my seat bones is being pushed up in the air or forward.

So I get into the timing of the inside hind leg being on the ground. Then, 3 strides before the letter, I give my half halts. I’ll say, “Now, now, now, walk,” or if I’m cantering, and I want to trot, I’ll say, “Now, now, now, trot.”

It’s pretty easy to feel the inside hind leg in the walk and in the trot. In the canter, feel the moment when your seat is deepest in the saddle. It’s also the moment when your horse’s mane flips up. So you can coordinate what you see with what you feel.

That’s how I prepare for transitions so that I ride a very accurate dressage test. I know how much ground my horse covers with each stride. So, when I’m 3 strides away from where I’ll be doing a down transition, I give my 3 Preparatory Half Halts–a momentary closure of seat, leg and hand directed to the inside hind leg being on the ground.

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How To Teach Your Dressage Horse to Do Free Walk at Training Level

It’s just as important to do a good free walk with your dressage horse at Training Level as it is to develop your trot and canter work. Many riders lose sight of the fact that they should pay as much attention to the  medium walk and free walk as they do to the other two gaits.

First, let me define the free walk. It’s a gait of relaxation. Your dressage horse should lengthen his frame and lower his head and neck so he looks like he’s going to graze. His poll is lower than his withers. He should open the angle at his throatlatch so his nose points a bit forward, and he looks like he’s stretching toward the bit. Also, his strides become longer so his hind feet step more inches beyond the tracks made by his front feet.

PREPARATION is the key to getting a good free walk at Training Level. You should prepare for the transition at the beginning of the free walk the same way you prepare for the “stretchy” circle in the trot

To do this, use “connecting aids” for 3-4 seconds on the short side while you’re still in medium walk. To give “connecting aids”, create energy by closing both calves as if you’re asking for a lengthening. But don’t let your horse lengthen. Instead, close your outside hand in a fist to capture, contain, and recycle that energy back to the
hind legs. Keep your legs and outside hand closed for 3-4 seconds. While closing your legs and outside hand, vibrate or squeeze and release on your inside rein so your horse doesn’t bend his neck to the outside.

Then, as you turn onto the diagonal, relax your legs, and open your fingers so your horse can chew the reins out of your hands.

Your next challenge will be to do the transition back to the medium walk. Use the same “connecting aids” you used to prepare for the free walk. While the reins are still long, press lightly with your calves. As you shorten the reins, keep your new outside hand closed in a fist and squeeze and release with your new inside hand.

Horses should march in both the medium walk and the free walk. If your horse gets lazy, “breathe” your legs during the free walk. To “breathe” your legs:
* Take your legs off of his sides.
* Move them an inch or two back, and place them on lightly again.
“Breathing” your legs does two things. If you’ve been gripping, your horse is probably numb to your legs. Taking your legs off allows you to put them on again lightly so he feels them. Also, moving your legs back puts them closer to your horse’s “engine” and reminds him to use his hind legs actively.

On the other hand, some horses get nervous in the free walk and want to jig. If your horse wants to jig, do several
transitions to the halt, and praise him after each halt. Soon he’ll learn to anticipate stopping or slowing down.

Then when you’re doing a Training level dressage test, you can use just a little bit of your “stopping aids” several times to remind him to stay in a four-beat, flat-footed walk as you make your way across the diagonal.

If he wants to jig when you pick up the reins at the end of the diagonal, do some homework between shows. Practice your free walk at home and BEFORE you pick up the reins at the end of the diagonal, halt. Then, pick up the reins in the halt. Doing so will train him to stay slow when you do the transition for real at a dressage show.

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Use the Dressage Tests and Dressage Competition As A Guide For Moving Up through the Levels

I want to talk about using dressage competition and the dressage tests themselves to help you decide when it’s time to move your horse up to a higher level.

One thing to consider is your scores. If you’re consistently getting scores in the mid 60% to 70% range in your dressage tests, you’re probably ready to move up.

If your scores are consistently in the 50% range or lower, then you know you still have homework to do at that level. I’m not talking about the occasional bad show or class. We all have those. But if your scores are consistently in the 50% range or lower, you need to get some outside help.

Another thing to consider is the differences between the levels. For example, let’s talk about moving up from the Training Level to First Level at dressage competitions.

For me, there are two big differences between Training Level and First Level. The first major difference is that you need to be able to ride your horse consistently on the bit.

At Training Level your horse just has to accept the bit. By that I mean he has to accept a contact from your hand to the bit, and you can direct, turn, and guide him with the reins. But he doesn’t have to be “on the bit”. That is, he doesn’t have to be “round”.

At First Level dressage, he must be on the bit. Ask yourself if you can use your connecting aids to put your horse on the bit. Also, does he stay on the bit consistently?

If you want your horse to stay on the bit consistently, you can’t just give one set of connecting aids and expect him to stay there. You need to layer those connecting aids one on top of another, like coats of paint.

Throughout your dressage test or ride, you’ll give many connecting aids. The first one puts your horse on the bit and the succeeding ones say to him, “Now stay there; stay on the bit.”

So give “connecting aids” by lightly closing your legs and outside hand for three seconds. (Your driving aids create power and your closed outside hand recycles that power back to the hind legs.) Then soften for a few strides. Then repeat.

Another big difference between Training and First Level dressage tests is that you need to be able to sit the trot. At Training Level, you have a choice. You can either sit the trot or post. In the First Level dressage tests, you must sit the trot except in some of the lengthenings.

Then start to look at some of the new movements and exercises you’re asked to do at First Level. Here are three new things you’ll need to show at First Level:

1. To begin, you’ll need to be able to show lengthenings in both trot and canter. As I said in a previous article, if you can maintain the rhythm and tempo of the gait, start incorporating rubber band exercises into your work. Go more forward for a few strides, and then come back for a few strides. Then gradually increase the number of strides so that you can eventually do a trot lengthening across a whole diagonal or a canter lengthening down the whole long side.

2. Also, in the First Level dressage tests, your horse needs to leg yield. One of the questions you should ask yourself is “Can my horse do a turn on the forehand?” In other words does he understand to move away from the leg that is placed behind the girth?

For leg yields, he needs to understand the difference between a leg that is placed on the girth that says, “go forward” as opposed to a leg that is placed behind the girth that says, “go sideways”.

3. You’ll also need to be able to show a few counter canter strides. Can your horse maintain the balance and the quality of his canter as he arcs off of and back onto the long side?

To sum up, use your scores at dressage competitions and the dressage tests themselves as guidelines to help you decide if it’s time to move up. If your scores are consistently good and your horse is adept and confident at doing the work at the next level, you’re probably ready. Give it a shot!

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When is My Dressage Horse Ready to Move Up to Second or Third Level?

How will you know when your dressage horse is ready to move up to Second Level or Third Level. Let’s look at some of the required dressage movements as well as the required changes in balance.

Let’s say your horse is solid at First Level. Look ahead to the Second Level movements. Check out the dressage tests. You’ll see that you need to work on shoulder-in, haunches-in, renvers, simple changes of lead, reinback, and turns on the haunches.

You’ll also notice that the big difference between First Level and Second Level is rather than schooling at the working gaits like you do at the Training Level and First Level, you’re now asked to show modest collection. That means the balance of your horse is more uphill. And from that modest collection, you’re asked to show medium gaits. Medium gaits are basically the lengthenings that you showed at First Level but in a more uphill balance.

By doing the lateral work with bend like shoulder-in, haunches-in and renvers, you automatically develop that slight shift of center of gravity back toward the hind legs. The shift in the center of gravity creates the degree of modest collection that you need at Second Level.

Then if you’re schooling your horse at Second Level, look ahead to Third Level. You see that you need to learn the aids and the preparation for movements like half passes and flying changes. But now, the big difference between Second Level and Third Level is that your dressage horse needs to show the difference between collected, medium and extended gaits. In other words, he needs to show three gears within each gait.

Keep in mind that medium and extended gears grow out of collection. That is, the degree to which your horse bends the joints of the hind legs and lowers his croup is the degree that his forehand comes up. His outline begins to look like a see-saw or an airplane taking off. That degree of collection determines just how good your medium extended gaits are.

So what should you work on to develop the degree of collection that you need at Third Level in order to also be able to show medium and extended gaits?

I’d suggest work in four areas to increase collection and, therefore, be able to show a clear difference between collected, medium and extended gates. Those four areas are lateral work with a bend, frequent transitions skipping a gait, decreasing size circles, and half halts.

You’ve already stared lateral work with a bend when you moved from First Level to Second level. Just remember this equation. Bend plus sideways equals engagement. Engagement refers to the bending of the joints of the hind legs. And as the joints of the hind legs bend or “fold”, the croup goes down. As a result of the croup going down, the forehand comes up.

If you bend your horse and go sideways, you’re going to shift the center of gravity back. That will create a certain degree of collection.

But there are other things that you can do to develop collection such as frequent transitions skipping a gait. For example, if you want to collect the trot, trot for 5 or 6 strides, and then halt. Then trot again for only 5 or 6 strides, and halt again. The main thing that you want to strive for during frequent transitions is that there are no dribbly walk steps in between the transitions from trot to halt and back again.

You can do the same type of transitions to collect the canter. Ride five strides of canter and then five strides of walk. Repeat this several times with no dribbly trot steps in between. As you do the down transition to the walk with your back and outside rein, visualize your horse lowering his haunches the way a dog sits down. Use this mental image to support your aids so that the croup lowers as your horse steps into the down transition.

Another very simple thing that you can do is ride smaller circles. As the arc of the circle becomes tighter, the joints of the inside hind leg bend more. Obviously, there’s more bend in the joints of the inside hind leg at 10-meters than there is at 12-meters. And there’s more bend of the joints at 8-meters than there is at 10-meters. So by decreasing the size of your circles while making sure your horses spine directly overlaps that arc, your horse shifts his center of gravity back.

The final thing you can do to collect your horse is half halts. Collection is the sixth and final ingredient in the training scale.

I like to give three half halts (a hardly visible, almost simultaneous co-ordinated action of the seat, the legs and the hands) in a row–take/give, take/give, take/give.

Be sure to time the half halts when the hind leg you want to influence is on the ground. That’s because the only time you can influence a hind leg is when it’s on the ground just before it pushes off. You can feel when a hind leg is on the ground because your corresponding seatbone feels like it’s pushed “up” or “forward”.

When you give the half halts, focus on two things.
1.With each half halt, decrease the amount of ground that you cover per stride.
2. Keep the same rhythm and tempo as you shorten the strides.

The half halts shift the horse’s center of gravity back. When you trot or canter forward, be sure to maintain the same balance you achieved during your half halts. You don’t want to collect your horse with half halts, and then charge forward. If you do, your horse will unload his hind legs and shift his balance to the forehand.

To sum up, following the tests gives you a good general program to decide if your dressage horse is ready to move up to Second Level or Third Level. Check out what’s coming up next, and start to add in little bits of what’s in the next level. In that way, you’ll systematically and progressively add new work. Your horse won’t even realize that he’s being asked to do anything more difficult.

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Learn How to Ride Dressage Movements-The 20 meter Circle at Training Level

A 20 meter circle at Training Level is the first dressage movement that you’ll do to make your dressage horse more athletic. The goal of riding a round 20 meter circle is to create flexibility.

Flexibility refers to your dressage horse’s ability to bend laterally through his side. Here’s what you should know about lateral bend:

1. The bend through your horse’s side should be equal from poll to tail.

2.  Your goal is to help your horse become ambidextrous. In other words, he can bend as easily to the right as he does to the left.

3.  As a dressage movement, correctly ridden circles teach baby engagement (the bending of the joints of the hind legs).

4. Circles also develop straightness. By definition, a straight horse is straight on lines and bent along the arc of a circle.

As a “Dressage Movement“, why is it so Important to Ride 20 meter Circles Accurately?

1. Physically, accurate circles help develop lateral flexibility and engagement of the inside hind leg.
2. Mentally, riding accurate circles develops obedience.
Always keep in mind that horses are herd animals. When you ride, you’re part of a two animal herd. Your horse is happy to be a follower if you’re a leader, but he’ll take over if you aren’t the leader.

If you don’t ride accurate circles, you’re letting your horse take over and make decisions. Once your horse learns to take over on a circle, eventually he’ll make more and more decisions on his own. Letting him make his own decisions can escalate into disobedience.

So, you always need to be the leader of the herd. It’s up to you to tell your horse where to go, how to go, and when to go there.

What Do You Need to Know to Ride an Accurate 20 meter Circle at Training Level?

To make an accurate 20 meter circle, do two things:
1. Bend your horse.
2. Ride to specific reference points.

If you’re circling to the left, the bending aids are as follows:
•    Weight your inside seat bone (left) to encourage your horse to engage his inside hind leg.
•    Place your inside leg (left) on the girth. It acts both as a pole for your horse to bend around and also to maintain the activity of his inside hind leg.
•    Put your outside leg (right) behind the girth to help bend your horse’s body around your inside leg and prevent his hindquarters from swinging out. For a  20-meter circle, place your outside leg 1-2 inches behind the girth.
•    Ask for flexion to the inside with your left rein. You should just see your horse’s left inside eye and nostril.
•    Keep your outside rein (right) steady and supporting. Think of it as a side rein that limits the degree of bend in his neck. It also functions as your turning rein to bring your horse’s shoulders around the curve.
Create  a marriage between your inside and outside aids. You need both sets of aids to bend your horse while you turn him along a prescribed line. Your inside aids bend your horse, and your outside aids turn him.

What Are the Reference Points for a 20-meter Circle in a large arena?

To make an accurate circle in a large arena at Training Level, you need four reference points.
•    Start your circle at A or C. This is your first reference point.
•    Your second reference point is 4 meters past the corner letter (this is 10 meters from the corner). The biggest mistake riders make when starting a circle, is that they aim for the corner letter. If you do this, you’ll end up with an oval. So aim for 4 meters beyond the corner letter.
•    Your third reference point is the spot where you cross the centerline. If you drew a line between M and H (or F and K), that line is 6 meters from the short side. The imaginary line between the next set of letters (R and S or P and V) is an additional 12 meters. When you add 6 meters and 12 meters, you get 18 meters. So in order to make a round 20-meter circle, cross the centerline 2 meters above the line that runs between R and S or P and V.
•    Your fourth reference point is on the other long side. Touch the long side 4 meters before the corner letter (10 meters from the corner).

Important: The key to learning how to ride a round 20 meter circle is to look TWO POINTS AHEAD and “connect the dots”.

Remember that all of the dressage movements are not an end in themselves. They’re a means to an end. And “the end” for a 20-meter circle at Training Level is developing flexibility in your dressage horse.

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Use Visualization When Riding Your Training Level Dressage Horse

Here’s a fun training tip that uses visualization to help you ride your Training Level Dressage horse better. I call it RIDES WITH FRUIT.

I’m sure you remember Kevin Costner’s movie, Dances with Wolves. Well, I call this training tip, Rides with Fruit. I thought it was appropriate since it’s summer, and many of us start to eat more fruits and vegetables.

So let’s use visualization and bring some fruity images to your dressage horse! When you’re on a circle, your horse’s body should curve like a banana. Feel the weight of a grapefruit in your outside hand and the weight of an orange in your inside hand. Sit deep and relax your gluts by saying, “My butt is a marshmallow.” (Oh? You mean marshmallows aren’t a fruit?)

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When Is My First Level Dressage Horse Ready to Move up to Second Level and Beyond?

Are you confused about whether or not your First Level Dressage Horse is ready to move up to Second Level? Here are some guidelines.

Let’s say your dressage horse is solid at First Level. Look ahead to the Second Level movements. Check out the dressage tests. You’ll see that you need to work on shoulder-in, haunches-in, renvers, simple changes of lead, reinback, and turns on the haunches.

You’ll also notice that the big difference between First and Second Level is rather than schooling at the working gaits like you do at the Training Level and First Level, you’re now asked to show modest collection. That means the balance of your horse is more uphill. And from that modest collection, you’re asked to show medium gaits. Medium gaits are basically the lengthenings that you showed at First Level but in a more uphill balance.

By doing the lateral work with bend like shoulder-in, haunches-in and renvers, you automatically develop that slight shift of center of gravity back toward the hind legs. The shift in the center of gravity creates the degree of modest collection that you need at Second Level.

Then if you’re schooling your horse at Second Level, look ahead to Third Level. You see that you need to learn the aids and the preparation for movements like half passes and flying changes. But now, the big difference between Second Level and Third Level is that your horse needs to show the difference between collected, medium and extended gaits. In other words, he needs to show three gears within each gait.

Keep in mind that medium and extended gears grow out of collection. That is, the degree to which your horse bends the joints of the hind legs and lowers his croup is the degree that his forehand comes up. His outline begins to look like a see-saw or an airplane taking off. That degree of collection determines just how good your medium extended gaits are.

So what should you work on to develop the degree of collection that you need at Third Level in order to also be able to show medium and extended gaits?

I’d suggest work in four areas to increase collection and, therefore, be able to show a clear difference between collected, medium and extended gates. Those four areas are lateral work with a bend, frequent transitions skipping a gait, decreasing size circles, and collecting half halts.

You’ve already stared lateral work with a bend when you moved from First Level to Second level. Just remember this equation. Bend plus sideways equals engagement. Engagement refers to the bending of the joints of the hind legs. And as the joints of the hind legs bend or “fold”, the croup goes down. As a result of the croup going down, the forehand comes up.

If you bend your horse and go sideways, you’re going to shift the center of gravity back. That will create a certain degree of collection.

But there are other things that you can do to develop collection such as frequent transitions skipping a gait. For example, if you want to collect the trot, trot for 5 or 6 strides, and then halt. Then trot again for only 5 or 6 strides, and halt again. The main thing that you want to strive for during frequent transitions is that there are no dribbly walk steps in between the transitions from trot to halt and back again.

You can do the same type of transitions to collect the canter. Ride five strides of canter and then five strides of walk. Repeat this several times with no dribbly trot steps in between. As you do the down transition to the walk with your back and outside rein, visualize your horse lowering his haunches the way a dog sits down. Use this mental image to support your aids so that the croup lowers as your horse steps into the down transition.

Another very simple thing that you can do is ride smaller circles. As the arc of the circle becomes tighter, the joints of the inside hind leg bend more. Obviously, there’s more bend in the joints of the inside hind leg at 10-meters than there is at 12-meters. And there’s more bend of the joints at 8-meters than there is at 10-meters. So by decreasing the size of your circles while making sure your horses spine directly overlaps that arc, your horse shifts his center of gravity back.

The final thing you can do is “collecting half halts”. I’ve talked a lot about “connecting half halts”, or the connecting aids, which is the third ingredient of the training scale, but collection is the sixth and final ingredient in the training scale.

With collecting half halts, I like to give three half halts (a hardly visible, almost simultaneous co-ordinated action of the seat, the legs and the hands) in a row–take/give, take/give, take/give.

Be sure to time the half halts when the hind leg you want to influence is on the ground. That’s because the only time you can influence a hind leg is when it’s on the ground just before it pushes off. You can feel when a hind leg is on the ground because your corresponding seatbone feels like it’s pushed “up” or “forward”.

When you give those collecting half halts, focus on two things.
1.With each collecting half halt, decrease the amount of ground that you cover per stride.
2. Keep the same rhythm and tempo as you shorten the strides.

The “collecting half halts” shift the horse’s center of gravity back. When you trot or canter forward, be sure to maintain the same balance you achieved during your collecting half halts. You don’t want to collect your horse with half halts, and then charge forward. If you do, your horse will unload his hind legs and shift his balance to the forehand.

To sum up, following the dressage tests gives you a good general program for advancing from First Level to Second Level to Third Level and even higher. Check out what’s coming up next, and start to add in little bits of what’s in the next level. In that way, you’ll systematically and progressively add new work. Your horse won’t even realize that he’s being asked to do anything more difficult.

Click here for more help with First Second Level Dressage.

When Should You Move Your Dressage Horse From Training Level to First Level?

Riders often ask me, “How do I know it’s the right time to move my Training Level dressage horse up to First Level?”

In this article, I’ll give you a way to come up with a logical plan for introducing new work at Training Level.

First, I just want to make a general comment. All training should be a systematic progression toward a desired end result. So you need to be able to see the big picture.

For example, even at Training Level the quality of your 20-meter circles is going to make it possible to collect later down the road. Circles show your horse’s ability to bend equally to the left and to the right. So his ability to
bend on a large circle makes it easier for him to progressively increase his bend from 20 meters to 18, to 15, to 12, to 10. As he becomes flexible enough to bend along a tighter arc, you’re laying a foundation for advanced
lateral work such as shoulder-in, haunches-in, and half pass.

A lot of times people say to me, “Oh well, I am ONLY working at Training Level.” You need to understand that the work that is done at Training Level, such as correctly bending on a 20-meter circle, is essential for your horse’s systematic progression to the more advanced work.

So let’s look at one way you can plan your program. Here’s what I did. Back in the early 70’s, I had to work a lot on my own. So I used the USDF tests as my guideline. I knew those tests were designed with the systematic
progression of the dressage horse in mind.  I thought, “Well, this is a good place to start since I don’t have anybody around to tell me what to do.”

I’d work on whatever was at Training Level. And even if my horse wasn’t ready for the next level, I’d always look ahead and read what was in the First Level tests. That way I’d have an idea of what was coming up next.

Let’s say my dressage horse is at Training Level. I polish my 20-meter circles, my basic transitions from gait to gait, and the stretchy circle. That’s all great, but I also look ahead. I see that I’ll need to do serpentines, where I have the complication of changing the bend from left to right.

I’d also begin to add smaller circles because eventually, at First Level, I need to do 10-meter circles in the trot and 15-meter circles in the canter. Now that doesn’t mean I’m suddenly going to go from 20-meter circles in the trot to 10-meters.

Instead, knowing that my dressage horse will have to do 10-meter circles down the road, when he can comfortably do 20-meter circles, I’d do some 18-meter circles. And then in a few weeks or months, when he could comfortably do
18-meter circles, I’d do 16-meter circles.

Because I look ahead, and I know what is required at First Level, I plan a program where I progressively make the arc of my circle tighter and tighter until eventually I can do 10-meter circles easily in the trot.

And what I mean by “easily” is that my horse can handle the arc of that curve without having to find an evasion such as swinging the hindquarters in or out from his line of travel.

I’d also see that there are leg yields in the First Level tests. So I think, “My horse has to learn how to move away from a leg that’s behind the girth”. Maybe I should incorporate some turns on the forehand into my work at
Training Level so that I’ll be ready to do some leg yields when the time comes.

At First Level, I also have to show lengthenings in the trot and in the canter. So I work on developing elasticity by lengthening and shortening. Even at Training Level, I start to do rubber band exercises. I go a little more forward for three or four strides and then come back for three or four strides. And I repeat that– three or four strides a little more forward and three or four strides a little bit back. While doing that I really focus on maintaining the same rhythm and the same tempo in both “gears”.

I also notice that at First Level there is a little counter canter. So I think about incorporating some counter canter into my work. I come 1-meter off the rail by the time I’m across from B or E. Then by the end of the long side, I’m back onto the track. I do this pattern so gradually that my horse doesn’t even know that I’m asking for a couple of counter canter steps.

Little by little I come off the rail a bit more. My next step is to come one and a half meters off the rail. We’re one and a half meters off the rail when we’re across from B or E, and then we arc back to the last letter.

So, I keep polishing the movements at Training Level with my dressage horse, but I always have an eye on what’s at First Level and start to incorporate a little bit of that work as well.

Click here for more help with Training First Level Dressage.