How To Dressage

Main Menu

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Article Categories
    • The Scales of Training
    • Dressage Theory
    • For The Rider
    • The Horse’s Paces
    • Dressage Movements
    • Dressage Competition
    • Horse Care
    • Dressage Troubleshooting
    • Interviews with GP Riders
  • Training Forum
    • Recent Posts
    • Register
    • Login
  • Our Book Range
  • Our Podcast
  • FREE STUFF!

logo

Header Banner

How To Dressage

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Article Categories
    • The Scales of Training
    • Dressage Theory
    • For The Rider
    • The Horse’s Paces
    • Dressage Movements
    • Dressage Competition
    • Horse Care
    • Dressage Troubleshooting
    • Interviews with GP Riders
  • Training Forum
    • Recent Posts
    • Register
    • Login
  • Our Book Range
  • Our Podcast
  • FREE STUFF!
Dressage Theory
Home›Dressage Theory›How to Develop Self-Carriage

How to Develop Self-Carriage

By How To Dressage
April 15, 2019
5268
2
How to Develop Self-Carriage dressage

Every dressage rider’s ultimate goal is to have their horse working in self-carriage in collection. However, at every stage of your horse’s training, the horse should be in some degree of self-carriage.

So, what is self-carriage and how can you encourage your horse to work in this way?

What is self-carriage?

Self-carriage means that the horse should be able to maintain his frame, rhythm, and balance without the rider having to use the aids every stride in order to support the horse.

For self-carriage to be possible, the rider must be able to ride using passive aids, allowing the horse to move independently from the rider’s hand or leg. Only then can the rider use the aids to change the horse and/or make it better.

In a nutshell, self-carriage enables you to leave the horse alone for a few strides so he can carry himself, rather than you having to micro-manage each stride.

Developing self-carriage

It’s important to mention that there is no ‘push here for self-carriage’ and that true self-carriage is only achieved through systematic training and strength building.

Young and novice horses will find working in self-carriage very difficult and may only achieve it for a few strides.

As you both move up the levels, the degree of self-carriage that your horse will be able to achieve should improve as he develops his strength, balance, and ability to carry more of his weight on his hind legs.

Therefore, don’t expect instant self-carriage in the early stages of your horse’s training.

Bascule and balance

For true self-carriage to occur, the horse must first learn to use his neck and body to form a connection.

The horse must stretch forward through an arched, basculing neck and connect to the bit.

Simultaneously, the horse must remain in balance, carrying himself by engaging his hindquarters and taking more weight behind.

This lifts and lightens the horse’s forehand, improving his balance and allowing him to work in self-carriage.

How to establish the stretch

The best way to develop stretch is to work on a large circle.

Gradually lengthen your reins and see if the horse will extend his neck forward and downward. You will notice that the neck fills out and becomes wider as you look down.

But how do you know if the horse is genuinely stretching?

If the horse’s neck appears to be flattened, he will be leaning on your hands and falling onto his forehand. Also, the horse probably was not bending and lifting his rib cage properly before the stretch.

Correct this fault by spiraling in and out again on the circle so that you establish more suppleness and bend through the horse’s rib cage.

Be sure to keep your outside leg on to prevent the quarters from slipping out. Your aim is to ask the horse to bend and stay on one track.

If the horse is on his forehand, make sure he is not losing his balance and increasing the tempo of the rhythm. You may have to help the horse by using half-halts to re-balance him.

Try to allow the neck to grow longer and then down at the end of the stretch. That way, the horse will have to hold his neck in front of his withers.

When the horse begins to bascule, shorten your reins, and ride the horse forward and up to your hand.

Use plenty of half-halts with a small “give” afterward as the horse gets rounder progressively and lighter but still stretches for the bit.

Mission accomplished!

When you have achieved this positive tension over the horse’s topline, his back will swing underneath you, and you will be able to sit comfortably to the trot.

That means that the stretch you’re looking for is genuine and goes through the horse’s whole body, allowing the suppleness and engagement required for self-carriage to develop.

Establishing engagement

Once the horse is working correctly through his back to the bit, you can begin to work on engaging the hindquarters.

To create the carrying power you need to allow self-carriage, the horse must step under himself more, lower his croup, and raise his withers.

Here’s how to develop the engagement you need for self-carriage.

  1. Work on changing the horse’s stride length in trot, using the half-halt. Vary the stride length on straight lines and circles too.
  2. Ride the same exercise in the canter.
  3. Ride plenty of transitions, especially canter-trot-canter and canter-walk-canter. That will help to strengthen the horse, improving cadence and developing the topline.
  4. Ride transitions through lateral exercises, i.e., in shoulder-in or half-pass.
  5. Use rein-back to correct a horse that tends to trail his hind legs. A good rein-back will raise the horse’s withers, chest, and rib cage, engaging both hind legs and lifting the pelvis.

Testing self-carriage

Throughout your schooling sessions, you should check that your horse is working in self-carriage.

If you compete in dressage classes from novice level upward, you’ll be familiar with the give and retake of reins exercise, as it’s included in many dressage tests.

The give and retake of reins is asked for in dressage tests specifically to allow the judge to see if the horse is working in self-carriage.

Ride a circle in working trot, and when you’re confident that your horse is working through his back and has his hocks well underneath himself, release your contact on the reins for a stride or two. The horse’s outline, rhythm, and balance should not change.

Repeat the exercise in the canter.

In conclusion

True self-carriage is achieved through the development of the horse’s ability to work over his topline without tension to the bit.

Once you have established that, you can use the half-halt to bring the horse’s hindquarters more underneath his body to lighten the forehand.

A horse that is working in true self-carriage will quickly progress through the levels and will gain excellent marks in dressage tests.

If you have any tips, questions, or experiences that you’d like to share with us, please pop them in the comments below.

Related Reads: 

  • How to Ride a Half-Halt
  • How Much Contact Should You Have?
  • How to Keep Your Horse Engaged in the Canter
  • How to Get Your Horse off His Forehand

Previous Article

How to Get Your Equestrian Stable Yard ...

Next Article

How to Ride in a Small Dressage ...

How To Dressage

We are an information blog breaking down the How To's of dressage. All of our articles are put together by British Dressage judges to help you train your horse correctly, get higher scores and win your next dressage competition.

Related articles More from author

  • How to Turn Your Horse Without Pulling on the Inside Rein Dressage
    Dressage Theory

    How to Turn Your Horse Without Pulling on the Inside Rein

    September 1, 2020
    By How To Dressage
  • What is the Point of Dressage how ot dressage
    Dressage Theory

    What is the Point of Dressage?

    February 10, 2018
    By How To Dressage
  • how to introduce your horse to a double bridle dressage
    Dressage Theory

    How to Introduce Your Horse to a Double Bridle

    March 3, 2019
    By How To Dressage
  • How to Improve Your Transitions Dressage
    Dressage Theory

    How to Improve Your Transitions

    June 16, 2020
    By How To Dressage
  • Why do Horse's Mouths Foam How to Dressage
    Dressage Theory

    Why do Horse’s Mouths Foam?

    March 2, 2018
    By How To Dressage
  • How to Correctly Time Your Aids dressage
    Dressage Theory

    How to Correctly Time Your Aids

    June 5, 2020
    By How To Dressage

2 comments

  1. Maureen Wilson 24 January, 2020 at 13:33 Reply

    My new horse is an ex hunter jumper, and was ridden continually on the forehand. She is very low in the poll, and can only obtain a higher poll for a very short length of time, then she falls back on her forehand, and lowers her poll again. She is currently training level, and we get good scores, but with comments, “too low in poll, on forehand – once rider achieve a higher poll horse will progress up the levels.” I feel horrible having to give her quick, but sharp tugs on the rein, with quick release – what would you recommend? She is a very patient horse, and very willing.

    • How To Dressage 24 January, 2020 at 13:48 Reply

      Hello,

      Thank you very much for visiting our website and commenting.

      We wouldn’t recommend giving her sharp tugs on the rein as this won’t help correct the issue and may lead to contact issues in the future. Instead focus on engaging her hind legs and encouraging her to step further underneath her body with them, without increasing in speed. This will help to take the weight off her forehand and will help her to maintain her head carriage.

      It’s not going to be a quick fix (nothing in dressage is) but instead of thinking that you need to ‘raise her head’ focus on ‘lowering and engaging her hindquarters’.

      Also, check out this post of ours – How to Stop Your Horse’s Poll From Coming Too Low – https://howtodressage.com/troubleshooting/poll-too-low/

      We hope that helps 🙂
      HTD x

Leave a reply Cancel reply

0

WANT MORE?

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • How to Have Patience With Your Dressage Training

    How to Have Patience With Your Dressage Training

    By How To Dressage
    January 19, 2021
  • How to Keep Your Horse up Through the Corners Dressage

    How to Keep Your Horse “up” Through the Corners

    By How To Dressage
    January 12, 2021
  • How to Understand a British Dressage Test Sheet

    How to Understand a British Dressage Test Sheet

    By How To Dressage
    January 5, 2021
  • How to Stop Your Horse From Coming Too Short in the Neck Dressage

    How to Stop Your Horse From Coming Too Short in the Neck

    By How To Dressage
    December 29, 2020
  • how to piaffe dressage

    How to Piaffe

    By How To Dressage
    December 22, 2020
  • How to Passage Dressage

    How to Passage

    By How To Dressage
    December 15, 2020
  • how to sit up straight dressage

    How to Sit Up Straight

    By How To Dressage
    December 8, 2020
  • Dressage Training Plan

    How to Structure a Dressage Training Plan for Your Horse

    By How To Dressage
    February 13, 2019
  • how to create the ideal arena surface footing for dressage

    How to Create the Ideal Arena Surface Footing for Dressage

    By How To Dressage
    October 31, 2019
  • How to Import a Dressage Horse

    How to Import a Dressage Horse (from Europe to the U.S.)

    By How To Dressage
    October 19, 2019
  • How to Fit Horse's Noseband

    How to Fit Your Horse’s Noseband

    By How To Dressage
    October 5, 2019
  • How to Safely Ride and Lead horses

    How to Safely Ride and Lead

    By How To Dressage
    March 13, 2019
  • How to use Poles to Improve Your Horse's Way of Going how to dressage

    How to use Poles to Improve Your Horse’s Way of Going

    By How To Dressage
    September 5, 2018
  • What is the Difference Between Bend and Flexion dressage

    What is the Difference Between Bend and Flexion?

    By How To Dressage
    June 25, 2018
  • How To Dressage
    on
    January 25, 2021

    How to Get an Independent Seat

    Hello Sandi, Thank you ...
  • Sandi walters
    on
    January 23, 2021

    How to Get an Independent Seat

    Please explain 'open your ...
  • How To Dressage
    on
    January 20, 2021

    How to Stop Your Horse From Jogging When They Should be Walking

    Hi Claire, Thank you ...
  • Claire
    on
    January 20, 2021

    How to Stop Your Horse From Jogging When They Should be Walking

    I ride a VERY ...
  • How To Dressage
    on
    January 20, 2021

    How to Stop Your Horse’s Poll From Getting Too Low

    Hello Marion, Thank you ...
  • Marion Boyle
    on
    January 20, 2021

    How to Stop Your Horse’s Poll From Getting Too Low

    A topic that might ...
  • How To Dressage
    on
    January 7, 2021

    How to Safely Ride and Lead

    Hi from the UK! ...

Article Categories

  • Dressage Competition (28)
  • Dressage Movements (44)
  • Dressage Theory (45)
  • Dressage Troubleshooting (45)
  • For The Rider (30)
  • Horse Care (39)
  • Interviews with Grand Prix Riders (8)
  • The Horse's Paces (22)
  • The Scales of Training (8)

Free Email Courses

how to dressage paypal dressage newbie email course

how to dressage competition email course

WANT MORE?

Useful Pages

Home
About us
View Our Book Range
Join Our Facebook Group
Forum
FREE STUFF!
Contact Us

See our social side

Our Podcast

how to dressage podcast
Copyright © 2018-2020 How To Dressage
Privacy Policy
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links that are included on this website are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we earn a commission if you make a purchase. If you would like to support this website in some way, using these links will help you do exactly that. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.