1. Training Scale
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2. Overview

3. Rhythm
The regularity of stride or steps in a gait relates to rhythm (‘Takt’ in German). A good rhythm should have strides/steps that cover equal distance and duration. To be able to assess rhythm correctness you need to have a thorough understand of the sequence of legs and how the horse moves (see workbook R c). Incorrect training will result in a loss of rhythm.
Rhythm should be maintained through all transitions, lateral work and straight and curved lines and is a result of relaxation.

4. Looseness
Looseness (Losgelassenheit) can also be referred to as Suppleness and is a pre-requisite for further training.
Signs and indications of looseness include:-
a rhythmically swinging back
tail slightly carried and swinging in time with the movement
a happy, contented expression in ear and eye movements
a closed mouth which mouths the bit gently
snorting, which indicates a mentally relaxed horse
Only is a horse is mentally and physically free from tension can it work through its back and use itself to the full. The horse should convey that it is putting its whole mind and body into the work with the joints on both sides of the body bending and straightening to equal proportions.

5. Contact
If a horse is travelling forward rhythmically from the driving aids of the rider it should seek a contact (Anlehnung) with the rider’s hand, hence the term ‘going into’ or ‘onto’ the contact. The contact should be a steady, soft connection between the horse’s mouth and the rider’s hand. A contact like this should be even and will allow the horse to find rhythm and find its balance under the rider.
The poll, not the wither or neck, should be the highest point of the neck. The only exception to this is when working in a long and low outline. The contact shouldn’t be achieved through backwards action of the hands, it should come as a result of the pushing power of the horse and forward driving aids of the rider. This contact should advance to the horse being ‘on the bit’, this will mean the horse flexes at the poll. Having the horse on the bit is not purely the aim of schooling.

6. Impulsion
This is the forward thrust or pushing power of the horse. It is created from engagement and energy of the hind-legs. A horse with impulsion (Schwung) should push off energetically from the ground and bring the feet well forward. To be able to work with impulsion the horse must show looseness.
Because there is no moment of suspension in the walk, impulsion is only possible in trot or canter. Good quality impulsion will show the hocks coming forward and upwards instantly after the feet have left the ground.
Impulsion should not come from quickening the steps as this will shorten the phase of the moment of suspension resulting in the tempo quickening.
Correct impulsion is developed through:-
relaxation
effective and correct driving aids
throughness (Durchlässigkeit)

7. Straightness
Most horses are naturally crooked, simular to human being left or right handed. A horse’s shoulders are naturally narrower than the hind quarters with adds to crookedness. A crooked horse will often, when travelling along side the arena fence or fall, bring the hind quarters in or the shoulders out so that it travels parallel to the wall. However this horse is not straight because the hind legs and front legs will not travel along the same line.
Straightness (Geraderichtung) is when the horse’s forehand is in line with the hind end and is in line with the track being ridden (straight longitudinal axis). This means that a horse should be straight on curved lines as well.
A horse which is straight can:-
push equally and effectively from the hind-legs
have equal contact on both sides
be kept on the aids properly and develop suppleness
distribute weight evenly on both sides which will avoid excessive wear on limbs
obtain collection
Only a horse which is straight can carry weight evenly which is a precondition for collection, uneven weight will show up in a loss of rhythm.

8. Collection True Collection
For a horse to be able to carry out work and be willing to perform it must be able to carry its weight and that of the rider, equally and evenly over all 4 legs. The forelegs naturally carry more weight than the hind therefore the weight needs to be reduced on the front end and increased on the hind end.
The hock and stifle joints in the hind legs will bend more and step further up under the horse, towards the centre of gravity in collection (Versammlung), which means they will take a greater load of the weight. The horse should look, and feel more uphill in collected work. Steps will become shorter but do not loose energy and impulsion is upheld resulting in expressive steps and strides.
Because the hind legs have increased their bending and flexing in collected work the neck will become raised this is a result of the hind legs coming forward and taking more weight which lightens the forehand.
A horse in collection should more in balance and self carriage. Collection should be advanced upon slowly as it requires great muscular strength which will need to be developed.
True Collection:-
The horses in these images are flexing and bending the hind-legs, bringing them further towards the centre of gravity, which gives them the ‘uphill’ look where the hindquarters have become lower than the shoulders.
The poll is still the highest point and the length of the neck has been maintained
True Collection

9. Collection (cont.) False Collection False Collection:-
In these images you can see the necks have become high and short with the horse’s noses behind the vertical.
The hind legs are bending but not coming forward towards the centre of gravity, which leaves the hindquarters raised instead of lowered, this gives the horse a ‘hollowed’ back appearance.
False Collection

10. Preliminary Training
This is the first phase of training, it comprises rhythm, looseness/suppleness and contact. A horse first needs to establish rhythm, by riding it forward with a quiet low hand you will stimulate the hind legs to work actively forward. This does not mean that the horse is ‘rushed’ forward where it will quicken its steps and loose rhythm.
When riding your horse forward make sure you maintain the regularity in the sequence of steps for whatever pace/gait you’re working in.
A horse needs to be mentally relaxed before it can be physically relaxed. You can achieve this by regular handling and sufficient exercise. Loosening exercises are of great benefit when warming up (i.e. muscles, joints) they will stimulate the hind legs and encourage the horse to work ‘over the back’. A chapter on loosening exercises is located further in this workbook.
A lack of looseness may show up through rhythm faults/problems, lack of activity in the hind legs, crookedness, a dry mouth and tightness in the back.
At this level of training the horse should come into the contact in a fairly low position, with the poll only slightly higher than the wither. This position is good for encouraging a horse to stretch and relax through its neck and back.
This phase of training is relevant for jumping horses as a horse needs to be balanced and have correct rhythm in order to come into a fence correctly and at a steady pace. A loose jumping horse will also be able to use its back more effectively over fences.

11. Preliminary Video

12. Developing Forward Thrust
In order to develop pushing power the hind legs must engage and work more actively towards the horse’s centre of gravity. This phase involves looseness/suppleness, contact, impulsion and straightness. A horse which is not loose or supple is often crooked, a crooked horse is not straight and frequently has uneven contact, a horse which has uneven contact and is not straight wont transfer impulsion evenly from the hind quarters through the body which results in a loss of rhythm.
The contact should come as a result of the horse going forward into the bridle. If the horse is forced onto the bit, often this will show up in different faults. See below.
Good Contact:-
To determine whether a horse is correct in the contact you will need to look at the whole horse i.e. its position, carriage and the way it moves.
The horse in the image has the poll as the highest point, the neck is raised, lengthened and arched evenly in proportion to the rest of its body and the hind legs are stepping forward actively.
The red line in this image indicates the ‘vertical’, which can be used as a guide for the positioning of a horse’s head in the contact.
Good Contact

13. Developing the Carrying Capacity of the Hindquarters
Forward thrust must be well established before working on training which develops straightness and collection. This phase involves impulsion, straightness and collect but by this phase all the other sections should also be well established.
Impulsion is of utmost importance. Curved tracks, lateral work and circles are all beneficially exercises for improving straightness. Straightness needs to be achieved from aligning the forehand with the hindquarters.
Any exercise which encourages the horse to carry more weight with the hind legs is a collecting exercise. Examples of this are transitions to halt and correctly executed half-halts. Collection is only achieved through dedicated, structure and correct training, not to mention patience. What is important to remember is, during all collecting or straightening exercises that the purity of the gait is maintained and this can be determined by sending the horse into a medium pace (e.g. medium trot or canter) after a period of collect work to assess the rhythm and correctness of the gait.
Head carriage can be related to collection, the horse should move with the head and neck raised relevant to the degree of collection. But at the same time the hindquarters should come lower. A horse with high head carriage but inactive legs which don’t come further under the body is incorrect. This usually occurs from the riders hands raising the head. This means that the rider will be supporting the head and neck carriage resulting in the hind quarters being restricted because the horse will not be working through the back correctly.

14. Advanced Horse Video

15. Through-ness
Also referred to as ‘letting the aids through’ it means that the horse is accepting the aids obediently, without tension. A horse should respond to the driving aids with no hesitation so that the hind-legs swing actively forward whilst at the same time accepting the rein aids and allowing it to pass through the body from the mouth through the poll, neck and back then finally to the hindquarters without any blocking tension.
The highest level of through-ness is collection and is a result of correct, gymnastic training.
A horse which lets the aids through can be ridden accurately and be able to lengthen and shorted its stride as required, therefore it is also a valuable part of a jumping horse’s education.

16. Loosening and Suppling Exercises
Correct loosening exercises will have the end product of getting the horse to swing through the back and prepare the horse mentally and physically by warming up muscles, tendons and joints and removing tension.
Depending upon the level of training of the horse and rider, some exercises which can be used for loosening and warming up are:-
lunging
walk on a loose/long rein
rising trot on large curved tracks
canter on large curved tracks, this can be performed in a forward seat to encourage the use of back muscles
changing rein out of the circle
serpentines and shallow loops
lengthening strides in the trot and canter
transitions in and out of canter
lateral work, such as leg yielding and turns on the forehand
At the beginning of riding, as a general rule it is a good idea to walk the horse for a good period of time, approximately 10 minutes. This will get the blood circulating in preparation for the faster paces. The duration of the ‘riding in’ (warming up) period may take about 30 minutes depending on the horse and training level.
Loose jumping (this involves jumping the horse over fences which have been set up against the wall of the arena, and the horse is schooled over them by handlers on the ground, without the use of lunge reins) is another good exercise which is relevant for jumping horses but will also provide variety in training for the dressage horse.
Hacking out (trail ride) is also effective for removing mental tension. Asking the horse to take the rein forward and down (long and low frame) is a good way to check if the horse is loose and relaxed, however loosening exercises should never be performed and dragged on until the horse is tired.

17. Frame Lower level of training Higher level of training
Frame is sometimes also referred to as outline. A horse is ‘framed’ by the rein, weight and leg aids.
The frame of a young horse will be longer and lower to that of a horse which has reach levels of collection whose frame would be shorter and higher.
And as the young or green (uneducated) horse develops hind leg engagement and forward thrust power the frame will become shorter. From this engagement and thrust the horse will be able to raise and arch its neck more and flex at the poll.
This horse is at a lower level of training. The frame is long with the body and low with the poll.
This horse is at a higher level of training. The frame is shorter in the body and the poll is higher.
Lower level of training
Higher level of training

18. For more information see your course workbook

19. For more information see your course workbook

20. For more information see your course workbook