Dressage Glossary
A
Above the bit – Horse’s nose is up and outward to avoid acceptance of the bit contact.
Acceptance – Horse accepts steady bit contact and rider’s aids in a willing attitude.
Activity – Horse’s energy, especially of the hindlegs.
B
Balance – Horse and rider’s weight distribution on the horse’s front and hindquarters.
Behind the bit – Horse’s head is behind the vertical to prevent bit contact.
Bend – The curvature of the horse’s body from poll to tail.
Bobbing or Nodding – Horse moves his head abnormally up and down or side to side as he travels, indicating incorrect contact and acceptance.
C
Cadence – The rhythm of the horse’s gait relating to beats or footfalls.
Carriage – Horse’s posture.
Chew the bit – The horse’s mouth movement creating relaxation and saliva (foam).
Chomp the bit – The horse’s mouth movement of resistance and lack of acceptance.
Collection – A shorter but more active frame for the horse where weight is transferred to the haunch.
Contact or Connection – The flow of energy from the rider, to his hands, to the horse’s mouth, and then to the horse’s body and legs.
Crooked –
1. Direction of travel is not straight.
2. Horse’s body is not traveling equally on both sides.
Cross-canter or Cross-Fire – In the canter, the horse’s leading leg is followed by the hind leg on the same side, creating a disunited canter.
D
Deep
1. Refers to the seat of the rider which should be centered over the saddle and solid as possible without lifting upwards.
2. Refers to the line of travel in corners of the arena where the horse is ridden into the corner properly by not being shallow and cutting the corner, nor riding too deep into the corner so as to stop the forward flow of energy.
Disobedience – Disobedience is when the horse does not do what the rider asks.
E
Elasticity – The ability to stretch and contract musculature to create collected and extended frames.
Engagement – The movement of the horse’s hind legs forward and deeply underneath him, so as to flex the joints, lowering the hindquarters to bear more weight thus freeing the front and the shoulders to push himself forward from the haunch.
Evasion – The horse avoids performing correctly.
Expression – The horse’s overall appearance and performance.
Extended – A longer frame where weight is transferred to the haunch and the front legs are allowed to move more free and stretched to cover maximum amount of ground per stride.
F
Falling In or Collapsed – Refers to the horse’s shoulders where the lateral balance is deviated or tipped.
Figure – Geometric movement such as a circle or serpentine.
Flexion – Joint articulation to decrease angles. Most common reference is the angle of the poll.
Forward – Reference to the direction of travel but with free and rhythmic impulsion
Frame – The outline of the horse’s body.
Free – Refers to the horse’s range of motion of the limbs.
Free Walk – A walk that is relaxed where the horse’s head lowers to approximate knee level and the frame is stretched out so the horse can over-track.
G
Gait – The movement of the horse’s hooves, such as walk, trot or canter.
H
Half-Halt – A slight moment of collection and rebalancing to improve the horse’s attention and the balance of both the horse and rider.
Hollow – Contracted back muscles creating a depression of the horse’s spine impeding elasticity of the horse’s movement.
Hurried – Rushed footfall tempo due to rider error, horse resistance or disobedience.
I
Immobility – Not moving.
Impulsion – The thrust of the hindquarters of the horse and the desire to move forward.
Inside – Refers to the direction facing the horse’s bend.
Irregular – Refers to the uneven tempo creating gait impurity.
L
Late Behind – Refers to the hind legs changing incorrectly when performing a flying change.
Lateral
1. Direction of a movement
2. The horizontal or side bend or suppleness of the horse.
Lengthening – A longer frame where weight is transferred to the haunch and the front legs are allowed to move more free and stretched to cover more ground per stride.
Lift – The suspension or height that the legs are raised, especially in the piaffe or passage.
Lightness – Refers to the acceptance of the contact and the desire to move obediently.
Longitudinal – The lengthwise dimension such as the frame from the front to the back of the horse.
M
Medium – A pace that refers to the frame and stride of the horse where he is neither in a working frame nor collected or extended but in the middle, with an uphill top-line that is round, thrusting forward and tracking up or over.
O
On the Forehand – Refers to the balance of weight more so on the front quarters.
Outside – Refers to the direction away from the horse’s bend.
Overbent – Excessive lateral bend of the neck compared to the horse’s body.
Overflexed – Excessive flexion of the horse’s poll making the horse behind the vertical.
Overtrack – The hind hoof steps ahead of the front hoof prints.
P
Pace – Refers to the amount of ground cover in the horse’s strides. Also refers to the gait where the legs move in lateral pairs but is not practiced in dressage.
Pivot – When a foot gets “stuck” or is reluctant to move in proper footfall such is in pirouettes.
Poll – The highest point of the horse’s head referring to the occipital crest where the joint creates the flexion of the head.
Purity – The correct order and timing of the gait footfalls.
Q
Quality – Refers to the purity or correctness of a gait or movement.
R
Reach – Refers to the forward extension or length of the leg.
Regularity – Refers to the correctness of the gaits in purity.
Relaxation – The horse’s mental state as well as the physical state of no muscle tension.
Resistance – Refers to the horse’s opposition to the rider’s aids.
Rhythm – The horse’s footfall sequence in correct order creating a purity of gait.
Round – Refers to the convex curvature of the horse’s top-line. It also refers to the action of the legs where the steps are round and not flat.
S
Shuffle – Refers to a lack of clarity in the steps where the hooves appear to drag.
Speed – Refers to the ground cover in miles per hour.
Stiff – Refers to the decrease of bend flexion of the joints and muscles without resistance or disobedience.
Straight –
1. The direction of travel.
2. Horse’s body travels with symmetry or equality on both sides.
Stride – A cycle of one leg movement from start to end.
Strung Out – Refers to an elongated frame where the balance and connection our lost.
Stuck – A loss of rhythm due to a foot or feet remaining on the ground too long.
Submission – Equals compliance or the willing attention of the horse.
Supple – Equals the pliability, balance and flow of the horse’s movements.
Surge – Refers to an increase in the horse’s rhythm and tempo.
Suspension – Refers to the amount of time and to the height of which the hoof is not on the ground.
Swing – Refers to the horse’s trunk muscles creating a spring of energy as his hind legs carry him forward.
T
Tempo – The speed of the horse’s strides in beats per minute.
Tension – Is the mental state creating anxiety or the physical state increasing muscle contraction.
Thoroughness – Refers to the horse’s energy, elasticity, engagement and connection to create a free flowing forward movement.
Tilting – Refers to when the horse’s head tips to one side slightly to evade contact.
Top-line – The top outline of the horse, from ears to tail.
Tracks – 1. The inside or outside track of the arena.
2. Relates to a direction of travel either straight or to turn right or left.
3. Refers to the travelling lines of the feet either on 2, 3 or 4 tracks.
Tracking Up – When the hind feet step into the print of the front feet.
Trailing – Refers to the parallelism of the arena rail and the horse’s body, such as when the haunch fails to travel in the correct bend at the leg yield or the half pass.
Transitions – Refers to a change of gait, pace or movement.
Travelling – Refers to the amount of ground covered such as when restricted in the passage and the piaffe.
U
Uberstreichen – Is a brief release of contact with one or two reins to show that the horse will maintain the proper carriage, stay balanced and not lose pace or tempo.
Uneven – Refers to the length of steps being unequal.
Uphill – Refers to the horse’s longitudinal balance where more weight is carried on the haunch.
V
Vertical – Refers to the correct perpendicular position of the horse’s head to create contact.
W
Working – Refers to the horse’s natural pace that is energetic but is not pushed into a lengthened, medium or extended frame, nor is it collected into a more uphill frame.
Y
Yield – Refers to the movement away from the rider’s aids as to surrender without resistance, showing suppleness and compliancy.
Above the bit – Horse’s nose is up and outward to avoid acceptance of the bit contact.
Acceptance – Horse accepts steady bit contact and rider’s aids in a willing attitude.
Activity – Horse’s energy, especially of the hindlegs.
B
Balance – Horse and rider’s weight distribution on the horse’s front and hindquarters.
Behind the bit – Horse’s head is behind the vertical to prevent bit contact.
Bend – The curvature of the horse’s body from poll to tail.
Bobbing or Nodding – Horse moves his head abnormally up and down or side to side as he travels, indicating incorrect contact and acceptance.
C
Cadence – The rhythm of the horse’s gait relating to beats or footfalls.
Carriage – Horse’s posture.
Chew the bit – The horse’s mouth movement creating relaxation and saliva (foam).
Chomp the bit – The horse’s mouth movement of resistance and lack of acceptance.
Collection – A shorter but more active frame for the horse where weight is transferred to the haunch.
Contact or Connection – The flow of energy from the rider, to his hands, to the horse’s mouth, and then to the horse’s body and legs.
Crooked –
1. Direction of travel is not straight.
2. Horse’s body is not traveling equally on both sides.
Cross-canter or Cross-Fire – In the canter, the horse’s leading leg is followed by the hind leg on the same side, creating a disunited canter.
D
Deep
1. Refers to the seat of the rider which should be centered over the saddle and solid as possible without lifting upwards.
2. Refers to the line of travel in corners of the arena where the horse is ridden into the corner properly by not being shallow and cutting the corner, nor riding too deep into the corner so as to stop the forward flow of energy.
Disobedience – Disobedience is when the horse does not do what the rider asks.
E
Elasticity – The ability to stretch and contract musculature to create collected and extended frames.
Engagement – The movement of the horse’s hind legs forward and deeply underneath him, so as to flex the joints, lowering the hindquarters to bear more weight thus freeing the front and the shoulders to push himself forward from the haunch.
Evasion – The horse avoids performing correctly.
Expression – The horse’s overall appearance and performance.
Extended – A longer frame where weight is transferred to the haunch and the front legs are allowed to move more free and stretched to cover maximum amount of ground per stride.
F
Falling In or Collapsed – Refers to the horse’s shoulders where the lateral balance is deviated or tipped.
Figure – Geometric movement such as a circle or serpentine.
Flexion – Joint articulation to decrease angles. Most common reference is the angle of the poll.
Forward – Reference to the direction of travel but with free and rhythmic impulsion
Frame – The outline of the horse’s body.
Free – Refers to the horse’s range of motion of the limbs.
Free Walk – A walk that is relaxed where the horse’s head lowers to approximate knee level and the frame is stretched out so the horse can over-track.
G
Gait – The movement of the horse’s hooves, such as walk, trot or canter.
H
Half-Halt – A slight moment of collection and rebalancing to improve the horse’s attention and the balance of both the horse and rider.
Hollow – Contracted back muscles creating a depression of the horse’s spine impeding elasticity of the horse’s movement.
Hurried – Rushed footfall tempo due to rider error, horse resistance or disobedience.
I
Immobility – Not moving.
Impulsion – The thrust of the hindquarters of the horse and the desire to move forward.
Inside – Refers to the direction facing the horse’s bend.
Irregular – Refers to the uneven tempo creating gait impurity.
L
Late Behind – Refers to the hind legs changing incorrectly when performing a flying change.
Lateral
1. Direction of a movement
2. The horizontal or side bend or suppleness of the horse.
Lengthening – A longer frame where weight is transferred to the haunch and the front legs are allowed to move more free and stretched to cover more ground per stride.
Lift – The suspension or height that the legs are raised, especially in the piaffe or passage.
Lightness – Refers to the acceptance of the contact and the desire to move obediently.
Longitudinal – The lengthwise dimension such as the frame from the front to the back of the horse.
M
Medium – A pace that refers to the frame and stride of the horse where he is neither in a working frame nor collected or extended but in the middle, with an uphill top-line that is round, thrusting forward and tracking up or over.
O
On the Forehand – Refers to the balance of weight more so on the front quarters.
Outside – Refers to the direction away from the horse’s bend.
Overbent – Excessive lateral bend of the neck compared to the horse’s body.
Overflexed – Excessive flexion of the horse’s poll making the horse behind the vertical.
Overtrack – The hind hoof steps ahead of the front hoof prints.
P
Pace – Refers to the amount of ground cover in the horse’s strides. Also refers to the gait where the legs move in lateral pairs but is not practiced in dressage.
Pivot – When a foot gets “stuck” or is reluctant to move in proper footfall such is in pirouettes.
Poll – The highest point of the horse’s head referring to the occipital crest where the joint creates the flexion of the head.
Purity – The correct order and timing of the gait footfalls.
Q
Quality – Refers to the purity or correctness of a gait or movement.
R
Reach – Refers to the forward extension or length of the leg.
Regularity – Refers to the correctness of the gaits in purity.
Relaxation – The horse’s mental state as well as the physical state of no muscle tension.
Resistance – Refers to the horse’s opposition to the rider’s aids.
Rhythm – The horse’s footfall sequence in correct order creating a purity of gait.
Round – Refers to the convex curvature of the horse’s top-line. It also refers to the action of the legs where the steps are round and not flat.
S
Shuffle – Refers to a lack of clarity in the steps where the hooves appear to drag.
Speed – Refers to the ground cover in miles per hour.
Stiff – Refers to the decrease of bend flexion of the joints and muscles without resistance or disobedience.
Straight –
1. The direction of travel.
2. Horse’s body travels with symmetry or equality on both sides.
Stride – A cycle of one leg movement from start to end.
Strung Out – Refers to an elongated frame where the balance and connection our lost.
Stuck – A loss of rhythm due to a foot or feet remaining on the ground too long.
Submission – Equals compliance or the willing attention of the horse.
Supple – Equals the pliability, balance and flow of the horse’s movements.
Surge – Refers to an increase in the horse’s rhythm and tempo.
Suspension – Refers to the amount of time and to the height of which the hoof is not on the ground.
Swing – Refers to the horse’s trunk muscles creating a spring of energy as his hind legs carry him forward.
T
Tempo – The speed of the horse’s strides in beats per minute.
Tension – Is the mental state creating anxiety or the physical state increasing muscle contraction.
Thoroughness – Refers to the horse’s energy, elasticity, engagement and connection to create a free flowing forward movement.
Tilting – Refers to when the horse’s head tips to one side slightly to evade contact.
Top-line – The top outline of the horse, from ears to tail.
Tracks – 1. The inside or outside track of the arena.
2. Relates to a direction of travel either straight or to turn right or left.
3. Refers to the travelling lines of the feet either on 2, 3 or 4 tracks.
Tracking Up – When the hind feet step into the print of the front feet.
Trailing – Refers to the parallelism of the arena rail and the horse’s body, such as when the haunch fails to travel in the correct bend at the leg yield or the half pass.
Transitions – Refers to a change of gait, pace or movement.
Travelling – Refers to the amount of ground covered such as when restricted in the passage and the piaffe.
U
Uberstreichen – Is a brief release of contact with one or two reins to show that the horse will maintain the proper carriage, stay balanced and not lose pace or tempo.
Uneven – Refers to the length of steps being unequal.
Uphill – Refers to the horse’s longitudinal balance where more weight is carried on the haunch.
V
Vertical – Refers to the correct perpendicular position of the horse’s head to create contact.
W
Working – Refers to the horse’s natural pace that is energetic but is not pushed into a lengthened, medium or extended frame, nor is it collected into a more uphill frame.
Y
Yield – Refers to the movement away from the rider’s aids as to surrender without resistance, showing suppleness and compliancy.