Dressage Movements
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How to Ride a Forwards Downward Transition
Have your downward transitions been criticized on your dressage test sheets? Have you received comments such as ‘abrupt,’ ‘could be more forward,’ ‘needs to ... -
How to Ride a Good Halt
One movement that appears at least once in every dressage test is the halt. On the face of it, the halt should be an ... -
How to Ride a Good Circle
Every dressage test throughout the levels asks the rider to perform circles of various sizes. Circles are designed to test the horse’s balance, suppleness ... -
How to Ride a Half-Halt
The half-halt is an extremely important concept in dressage riding. You can use the half-halt to put your horse ‘on the bit’, to prepare ... -
How to Ride a 5-Meter Loop
A 5-meter loop is a shallow serpentine and is a very suitable figure to ride during warm up, and on young horses, as it ... -
How to Ride Shoulder-In
Shoulder-in is a very useful schooling exercise used to improve the horse’s balance, engagement, and lateral suppleness. The exercise also forms a useful introduction ... -
How to Ride a Simple Change
Simple changes are a precursor to the more advanced flying changes. Here’s a helpful guide on how to ride a good simple change. What ... -
How to Ride a Give and Retake of the Reins
Some dressage tests ask you to perform a give and retake (G&R) of the reins, in trot or canter. Have you attempted this, only ... -
How to Ride a 10-Meter Circle
When you reach novice level dressage, you will be required to perform 10-meter circles. Although this may sound straightforward, there’s more to executing this ... -
How to Rein Back
Rein-back is an exercise that is often problematic for riders, yet it’s a very useful one to teach your horse, especially if you encounter ...
