The basics of Dressage terminology A-E

[♘امیرحسین♞]

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

Activity
Liveliness and energy - generally referring to the hind legs.

Against the bit
When a horse avoids accepting contact by becoming unyielding in the neck, poll and/or jaw.

Airs / airs above the ground
Performed by horses specially trained in classical high school dressage, and includes pasade /levade and school jumps such as the courbette and capriole

Alignment
One of the three aspects of straightness, alignment is the lining up of the horses body from poll to tail.

Ask with the rein
A slight give and take on the rein to cue bend of flexion.

Balance
Distribution of weight of both horse and rider, the horse is to carry the bulk of both their own and the riders weight on the hindquarters not the forehand.
-Longitudinal balance - balance between fore and hind legs
-Lateral balance - balance between the left and right legs

Basics
The foundation of progressive dressage training and correctness is indicated by improvement.
The basics are:
1. Quality of paces and gaits
2. The physical and gymnastic abilities of the horse
3. The horses ride-ability and attitude

Beat
The patterned footfall of a gait when one or two hooves strike the ground almost simultaneously.

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.

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.

Blocked
Muscle contractions can create rigidity in horses which impairs function and elasticity.

Broken neckline
A neck position in which the topline does not form an even arc due to excessive flexion between either the 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae.

Cadence
An accentuation of tempo and beat which arises from extreme springiness and elasticity.

Camped
When the hind legs are placed behind the horses body and not engaged underneath.

Carriage
The horses posture, best viewedi in a confirmation shot, or from one side of the horse.

Chewing the bit
When a horse mouths or plays with their bit, creating a steady stream of foamy saliva.

Clarity
Strong distinction between the footfalls of a gait.

Closed halt
A halted posture in which the horse is well balanced with it’s hind legs engaged under the body.

Collected / collection
A horse can be collected at the walk, trot and canter. It is a moving state in which a horses stride is gathered and powerful. Strides are shorter, and springier and front legs tend to reach higher with each step.

Confidence
The level of a horses confidence in themselves and their partnership with their rider.

Connection
The unrestricted flow of energy, trust and respect between horse and rider as partners.

Constrained
When a horse is forced into an action against its will.

Constricted
When a horse is forcefully constrained, restrained or contracted.

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

Correctness
The straightness of limb action
*This is not the same as purity and is only dealt with by dressage judges if it directly affects the purity of a gait.
Breeding class judges do judge correctness.

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

Cross-canter
When a horse canters with one lead in front and the other lead behind.

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.

Elevation
1. The free raising of the head and neck from lifted withers
2. The height which the forelegs are raised in passage and piaffe

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.

Expression cadence / extended / extension
A horse can be extended at the walk, trot or canter, and it refers to a lengthening and stretching of the stride (and an increased suspended phase at the trot and canter).

Stay tuned for the next two installments, F - O and P - W.​

دوستانی که درساژ کار میکنند درباره این کلمات توضیحات بدهند لطفا

 

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The basics of Dressage terminology F-O

Falling in / falling on inside shoulder / falling out / falling over outside shoulder
Inappropriate lateral deviation of the shoulders which involve loss of balance.

Feel the rein
Soft and giving contact in the reins.

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.

Flexion
Articulation of joints such that the angle between bones is decreased.
-Longitudinal flexion - refers to the flexion of the head-neck joint.
-Lateral flexion - refers to the flexion of the second cervical joint.

Flipping
Artificial and exaggerated action of the forelegs.

Flying change
Changing the canter lead in the air during an unbroken canter stride when signaled by the rider.

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.

Full-pass
A sideways movement in which the horse is bent in the direction of the movement.

Gait
A 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.

Goosestepping
Artificial and exaggerated action of the forelegs at the walk.

Half-halt
A momentary collection which increases the horses attention and improves its balance.

Half-pass
When a horse is moving forwards and sideways at the same time at the walk, trot or canter. The horse should be bent in the direction of the movement.

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.

Magpie (Magpie Hop)
Usually applied to the canter, pirouettes and flying changes when the hind feet come down at the same time.

Marching
Purposefulness of the walking steps

Manege
A rectangle or oblong area measuring 20 meters by 40 meters used for training dressage horses.

Medium
In walk, trot and canter gaits a balance between collected and extended movement.

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.

Nodding / bobbing
An rhythmic right and left or up and down movement of a horses head and neck that is not normally part of a gaits mechanics. Can be caused by constraint or lameness.

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
1. 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.

Over-turned
More than 180 degrees in half-pirouette or 360 degrees in full pirouette.​

 

[♘امیرحسین♞]

The basics of Dressage terminology P - W

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.

Parked
When a horses legs are placed behind the horses body and not engaged under their body.

Passage-like or passagey trot
The support phase of this trot is prolonged which creates a floating impression in the gait.

Piaffe
A rhythmic almost standing trotting movement.

Pivoting
Turning around on a grounded foot in pirouettes or turns on the forehand.

Poll
The highest point of a horses skull.

Position
1. The lateral flexion at the atlanto-axial joint so that the horse “looks” to the
2. Posture of the rider.

Pull the rein
Taking the rein towards the riders body, not a legal hand position in classical dressage.

Punching
An artificial and exaggerated action of the forelegs at a trot.

Purity
The correctness of the phases and footfalls of a gait with regards to order and timing.

Pushing out
When a horses hind legs are operating too far behind themselves.

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.

Renvers
Work on three tracks. The horse’s quarters are to the track with the forehand away from the track. The outside hind leg creates one track. The outside foreleg and inside hind leg (diagonal pair) create the second track and the inside foreleg creates the third track. The horse must have length bend in the direction of movement.

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.

Schwung
When the energy created by a horses hind legs is manifested in an elastic whole body movement.

Scope
Reach and roundness of movement.

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

Shoulder-in
Work on three tracks. The horse’s forehand is brought in off the track so that the outside hind leg creates one track, the outside foreleg and inside hind leg (diagonal pair) create the second track and the inside foreleg creates the third track.

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.

Swing
An uninterrupted sequence of rein-backs interspersed with
forward steps in walk. The number of steps is prescribed, and the whole procedure may be repeated several times, followed by an onward transition.

Swinging back
The function of a horses trunk muscles which effectively transmits the energy produced by the hind legs through to the horse.

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.

Tempi changes
Multiple flying changes strung together to form a movement.

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.

Trailing
1. Describes the lack of parallelism to the long axis of the arena in the trailing haunches in half-pass and leg-yielding.
2. When a horses hind legs are too far behind the horse.

Uberstreichen
A brief release of contact in the rein used to demonstrate that a horse will maintain carriage, balance, pace and tempo with a loose rein.

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

Volte
A circle, six meters in diameter.

Whipping up
An upward evasion of the croup which is often repeated at the canter or in piaffe.

Wide behind
When a horse travels with its hind feet further apart than its forefeet.

Work in hand
When a horse is exercised or trained from the ground.

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.​