Dressage Terminology

2017 is the year that HPC have been chosen to host the Dressage at the Western Cape Interbranch competition. Our Branch is still very young with a lot of our riders only tackling dressage for the first time this year.

Having done dressage up to Medium Grades and have been competing mainly in dressage in the last 15years I somehow loose track that the terminology used in a dressage arena might not make sense to all. I have therefore tried to compile a list to assist the riders and parents to understand the comments on the scoresheets easier:

To explain the top terminology:

Above the bit When a horse avoids accepting contact by pushing their muzzle forward and upward.

Behind the bit / behind the aids / behind the leg When a horse avoids accepting contact by shrinking back from the bit and avoiding stepping forward into contact. Animal may or may not be behind the vertical.

Crookedness 1. An off-center line of travel or line of reference. 2. When the horses body from tail to poll is misaligned 3. A lack of directness in line of travel

Behind the vertical When a horse avoids accepting contact by keeping their head tucked in a position behind a vertical line dropped down from their eye.

Bend An arced position in which the horse creates an even curve with their body from poll to tail.

Contact Tautness of the reins between the riders hands and the horses mouth.

Disobedience When a horse does not do or willfully avoids doing what it is asked of it.

Dragging When a horse drags their hind feet or their hind legs become inactive.

Elasticity The natural ability to stretch and contract muscles smoothly giving an impression of springy movement.

Engagement Increased flexion of the hind leg joints during the weight-bearing phase of a stride which lowers the croup relative to the forehand. *It does not refer to the flexion of hock action (like that of gaited horses).

Evasion A horses way of avoiding direct and workable contact with the bit.

Figure A geometrical component of a dressage test like a circle or a figure eight.

Flexibility The suppleness and pliability which allows joints to move freely.

Forward Movement that is higher energy, ground covering, and lively.

Frame The outline of the horse dictated by the relative degree of collection or extension.

Freedom Refers to the scope, reach and elasticity in the movement of the fore and hind limbs.

Free walk A relaxed walking pace in which the horse is given their head and allowed to stretch out their neck.GaitA walk, trot, pace, canter or gallop are all gaits.For dressage purposes there are three gaits, walk, trot and canter.

Giving the rein

Allowing the rein to droop by pushing hands towards the horses mouth.

Hollow back A depressed and sagging back caused by slackness of muscle or back muscles lacking elasticity.

Hurried / hasty / quick / rushed / rapid Refer to quickness of tempo.

Impulsion A thrusting release of the energy stored by engagement. In dressage impulsion is only in the trot and canter gaits.

Inside 1. The lateral positioning of the horse 2. The side of the horse that faces the center of the ring.

Irregular An impureness in stride, can be a momentary or pervasive and could possibly be caused by unsoundness. *Does not mean unsteady in tempo.

Late Delayed execution of flying changes and transitions after the aids are given.

Late behind When the hind legs change lead after the forelegs in flying changes.

Lateral 1. Flexion, bend, suppleness or direction of movements to the side. 2. Lack of clarity at the canter.

Length bend A uniform bend of the horses body around the inside leg of the rider.

Lift Addresses the height the horses legs are raised while executing a piaffe or a passage.

Lightness 1. The lightness of a horse on its feet 2. The lightness in the reins

Long and low When a horse lowers its head and stretches out its neck reaching forward and downward on a long rein.

Mobility The nimble maneuverability of a horses shoulders, forehand and / or forelegs made possible by shortening the horses base of support.

Movement 1. The manner of a horses movement over the ground. 2. Test movement – a section of a dressage which is evaluated with a score sheet. 3. Dressage movement – leg-yielding, rein-back, shoulder-in, travers, renvers, half-pass at the trot and canter, flying changes, pirouettes, turn on the haunches, piaffe and passage.

Obedience

Willingness to follow instruction and perform movements asked by the rider.On the aids Responsive, alert and on the bit.

On the bit

Quiet acceptance of contact with rounded back, engaged hindquarters and arched neck.

On the forehand

When the weight of the rider and the horse are balance incorrectly on the front legs.

Outline

The sillouette and confirmation of a horse.

Outside.

The opposite direction from which the horse should be positioned.2. The side of the horse away from the center of the arena.

Overbent

Excessive lateral displacement of the neck in relation to the body in the neck or the base of the neck which causes a lack of uniformity in the curve of the horse.

Overflexed

Behind the vertical from excessive longitudinal flexion of the upper joints of the neck and / or poll.

Overstep / overstride / overtrack

When the hind foot steps in front of the forefoot it replaces in a stride.

Pace 1. All variation of a gait – collected, working, medium and lengthened. 2. A gait in which the ipsilateral pairs of legs move in unison with each other – not a pure or acceptable dressage gait.

Quality The fluidity, elasticity and freedom of a gait. *Not the same as purity or correctness.

Reach The forward extension of the forelegs, hind legs and / or neck of a horse.

Regularity The purity, evenness, levelness and correctness of a gait. Regularity is used only to address purity and soundness.

Relative straightness When a horse is going straight on the inside hind leg follows the track of the inside foreleg.

Relaxation 1. The calmness of a horses mental state. 2. The calm nature of a horses physical state.

Resistance When a horse physically opposes the riders direction. *Not the same as disobedience or evasion.

Rhythm The characteristic sequence of footfalls and phases of a given gait. In dressage correct rhythms are pure gaits.

Rocking / rocking horse canter When a horses neck / forehand is forced into an unnatural up and down motion due to lack of ground coverage, lack of engagement or rider interference.

Roundness 1. The convexity of a horses topline profile. 2. Characterizing the circular movements of a horses limbs.

Self carriage When a horse carries themselves unconstrained and well-balanced without taking support by balancing on the rider’s hand.

Slack 1. Used to refer to a sagging topline. 2. Lacking contact in the rein.

Snatching 1. Jerking the reins from a rider’s hands. 2. Jerky and unnaturally hight hind leg movement.

Soft rein A soft feeling contact in the rein.

Speed How fast the ground is covered, increase in speed could be from increasing stride length, tempo or both.

Swinging head An indication of acceptance of contact or constraint when the horses muzzle moves left to right or in circles at the trot and canter.

Take the rein To close fingers on the rein and take a stronger contact.

Tempo Rate of rhythm repetition measured in beats per minute. *Not necessarily connected to the length of stride or speed.

Tense 1. An anxious or nervous mental state of a horse. 2. A strained physical state of a horse. 3. Contraction or shortening of muscles.

Throughness The elastic and connected state of a horses musculature which permits an unrestricted flow of energy from end to end and allows the rider’s aids and influence to be freely accepted.

Tilting Evading contact by lowering one ear by tipping or cocking the head.

Topline The horses silhouette from the top of the poll to the base of the tail.

Track / tracks 1. The line or path each foot (or pair of feet) travels. 2. Direction of travel. 3. Lateral movements on “tracks”. 4. A path next to the rail in an arena.

Tracking up When the hind foot steps into the tracks of the forefeet they replace.

Uphill When a horse is high in the forehand relative to the croup.

Working At the walk, trot and canter at an energetic, but calm pace. The length of stride is between that of collected and medium paces.