How Do I Do Dressage Moves?

Mark out the arena. Dressage arenas are measured to European standards, meaning the the measurements are usually given in meters. A standard arena is 20 meters by 40 meters (66 feet by 131 feet) and has a set of letter markers around the sides to indicate to the rider where to make the movements. Marking out the arena in this way is not essential for practice purposes but is very useful to help measure the length of movements. Start at the top of one short side of the arena and put the letter "A" in the middle of the side. Working around clockwise, put "K" as the first quarter-marker (5 meters along from the corner of the long side), then "E" as the center marker of the long side. Continue to put the letters H, C, M, B and F in that sequence at equal points round the arena. You can use mnemonics to remember the order of school letters, all starting from the top and working clockwise. A popular one is All King Edward's Horses Carry Men (to) Battle Fast.

Mount your horse and ride it round the arena several times at a walk and trot to warm up. Ask it to "collect" (assume a correct and balanced position) and ride several circles of various sizes. Start by asking your horse for one of the simpler movements, the shoulder-in. Ride three small circles at points A, E and M. As you come off the circle at M, apply the aids for the shoulder-in by dropping your weights into your inside seat bone, feeling the inside rein and keeping your outside hand still. At the same time, squeeze the horse behind the girth with your inside leg and keep your outside leg still. The horse should step off the track with its forelegs so that its forelegs and hind legs are working on two different lines. Practice the exercise in a walk before progressing to a trot.

Progress to the rein-back. This is a movement in which your horse backs up in a rhythmic, balanced way moving its legs as two diagonal pairs. Young and inexperienced horses are often confused by the idea of moving backward and will try to resist. It can help to have an assistant place a hand on the horse's chest and press gently as the rider gives the aids. Ride your horse into the corner of the arena so that it has its head against the fence. Keep a firm, gentle pressure down both reins, shift your weight very slightly forward, and squeeze both legs against the horse's sides. When training, it may help to give a verbal command, "Back!," but this is not allowed in competitions. As soon as the horse takes a step back, release the rein pressure and praise it. Continue practicing until your horse takes three or four firm, confident steps backward on command.

Learn the half pass. This is a fairly advanced movement in which the horse progresses sideways across the arena, crossing one foreleg and hind leg over the other as it steps sideways. Your horse needs to be going energetically and have plenty of impulsion before attempting this movement. Walk down the long side of the arena, asking for inside bend by applying your inside leg behind the girth and feeling your inside rein. Turn off the track at the center marker, heading straight across the arena, and allow the horse to take a couple of steps before asking for half pass. Keep your inside leg in position, and bring your outside leg back behind the girth to push the horse's hindquarters over. Keep your reins parallel and shift your body weight into the inside seat bone. Practice the movement in a walk before progressing to a trot and eventually to a canter.