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Understanding Dressage Terminology: Section Two (I-Z)

Often called equine ballet, dressage can be just as intricate to understand as its human counterpart. The purpose of this article is to provide a quick glossary to some of the more frequently used and heard terms around the barn, training arena, and show ring.

Impulsion: The releasing of a horse’s energy as it carries itself forward in a seemingly eager and desirous manner.

Lightness: Simply stated, the horse’s lightness on its feet in relation to movement, carriage and gaits – a sign of willingness, eagerness, and obedience.

Medium: The pace between collected and extended in a horse’s trot and canter, and in a walk it is a pace wherein the horse lengthens its frame (or stride) while oscillating its neck.

Obedience: The visually evident willingness of the horse to perform movements, transitions, or figures when asked by the rider.

Poll: The point of the horse’s skull (the occipital crest) that requires flexion of the two joints for lateral or longitudinal movement.

Reach: The forward extension of the horse’s front legs, hind legs and neck (this term can be used collectively for all three body parts or singularly in describing movement).

Tilting: The act of a horse cocking or tipping either its head or one ear – an act viewed as a sign of evasion (disobedience).

Working: The act of a horse going forward in an energetic yet obedient and calm way with the length of strides being between that of a collected pace and a medium pace.

Please see Section One of this blog to access additional glossary terms.

Understanding Dressage Terminology: Section One (A-H)

Often called equine ballet, dressage can be just as intricate to understand as its human counterpart. The purpose of this article is to provide a quick glossary to some of the more frequently used and heard terms around the barn, training arena, and show ring.

Activity: Refers to energy and liveliness of the horse’s movement with special emphasis placed on the hind legs.

Alignment: How straight the horse carries itself from poll to tail.

Balance: A horse is considered in “good balance” when the distribution of weight between the fore and hind legs (longitudinal balance) and the left and right legs (lateral balance) is equal in all gaits and strides.

Bend: The curvature position of horse’s body during certain movements that is even in curvature from poll to tail.

Cadence: The tempo or “beat” of a horse’s gait that can be described as elastic in its expression.

Collection: In short, this is the state when a horse is gathered in relation to his different gaits and it is particularly noticeable at the trot and canter when strides are shorter than when uncollected.

Free Walk: Contrary to collection (see above) this is the state wherein the horse is allowed complete freedom and relaxation while stretching its neck and head.

Gait: Any one of the horse’s foot movements classified as walk, trot, pace, canter, and gallop; however, in dressage there are only three gates – walk, trot, and canter.

Half Halt: A seamless and momentary increase in a horse’s collection intended to improve its balance.

Please see Section Two of this blog to access additional glossary terms.

The Diversity of the Mustang and the Mule: Who Would Have Thought?

A previous article stated that one of the beauties of dressage (apart from the agility and grace of the equine athlete) is that horses of any breed, sex, age, color or size can compete respectably within the dressage court – and yes, that even includes the mustang and the mule.

The American Mustang and Bureau Association writes that the American Mustang is “athletic and durable;” two traits that rank pretty high on the wish list for any dressage prospect.

In fact, a visit to the association’s website show cases a stunning bay gelding named Leviticus (Levi) who was captured in the wilds of the Black Rock Desert, adopted out in late 1996 to his current owner, and is now competing at Prix St. George.

Obviously this talented mustang has the often referred to “holy trinity” of dressage prospects: excellent conformation, open and fluid gaits, and a willing attitude.

Likewise, sports/dressage mules are increasing in popularity ever since the USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) permitted them to compete not only in dressage, but in endurance and driving, as well.

However, unlike a lot of horse breeds, mules can be a little more difficult to train since they have that famous stubborn streak. Nope, “stubborn as a mule” was not coined lightly.

With that said, patience and persistence go a long way in the training arena which will ultimately translate to some winning ways as evidenced by Meredith Hodges and her mule Lucky Three Sundowner (Sunny)who she trained from foaling to ultimately compete at Fourth Level dressage (with breaks in between for Western Pleasure and Reining competitions)!

So there you have it — two very real successful stories about two very distinct breeds that many dressage “purists” might never consider.

But what these two athletes have in common is the theme of this site: ANY breed can be a dressage champion – it boils down to conformation, gaits and attitude more than anything else.