When schooling, whether in preparation for a dressage competition or merely to improve the way your horse goes, it is worth spending time practicing how to keep your horse nice and straight. “Crooked down the centre line” is one of the most commonly written comments made by any dressage judge, and by paying a little extra care and attention to this exercise you can prevent yourself dropping marks and creating a good first impression.
If you are not sure whether your horse is going straight and don’t have arena mirrors to check, ask a knowledgeable friend or an instructor to watch you ride. They will be able to see whether the horse’s hind legs are tracking into the prints that have been left by his front legs. They can also check your position in the saddle, as it is important to ensure that your weight is evenly distributed in the saddle and that you are sitting in the centre rather than favouring one side more than the other. By doing this you may inadvertently be applying uneven leg or rein pressure, which is encouraging your horse to move off the centre line.
The key to going straight is practice. It may sound simple, but get into the habit of riding straight lines away from the outside track, so that you and the horse do not always rely on the arena wall or fence to help keep you straight. In addition, remember that the slower the pace the more chance your horse has of going crooked. Imagine yourself trying to ride a bicycle very slowly in a straight line – the less speed you have the more you wobble about, but pedaling faster helps to correct this. The same applies to riding a horse; the more impulsion you have the less likely he will be to wander off or go crooked.
When you turn up the centre line make sure that you don’t cut the corner or overshoot the centre line. Practice making quarter turns of 10 metres at first, and gradually reduce the size of the turns to about five or six metres. Applying a half halt just prior to the turn will help to engage the horse’s hindquarters and keep him balanced.
When you are preparing to ride a dressage test, it’s a good tip to stay on the rein that you will follow once the actual test commences. So if a test requires you to turn right at C, stay on the right rein until are ready to enter the arena at A. First impressions count and a judge is more likely to notice that your horse is going crooked than whether or not he is in a perfect outline so don’t be tempted to fiddle excessively with the reins to try and pull him straight. Once in the arena, look up and straight ahead, in the general direction that you are going. Remember that riding is a fun activity, so try and stay relaxed throughout, breathe regularly and smile so that your horse does not pick up on any tension that you are feeling. With luck you will both stay on the straight and narrow!
Author: Andrea McHugh
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