Advanced Level 

1. Jump combinations  

2. Gird work  

3. Knowledge of strides & Jumping Strides 

4. 15m circles in trot

5. 10m circles in trot  

6. Shallow loops (including more loops 3,4,5)

7. Poles in canter  

Gait 

Feet 

Boot Lengths 

Steps 

Walk 

2.5′ – 3′ 

3 – 4 

1 normal 

Trot 

3.5′ – 4′ 

4.5 – 5 

1 large 

Canter 

9′ – 12′ 

12 – 16 

3 normal steps 
(9′ stride) 

or 

4 normal steps 
(12′ stride) 

8. Rein Back  

ESTABLISH HALT – SEAT REMAIN IMMOBILE – LEGS ASK HORSE TO KEEP CONTACT WITH BIT – KEEP REIN CONTACT SOFT – MOVE BOTH LEGS BACK FROM HIP – KEEP WEIGH DOWN THROUGH BACK AND SEAT – ASK TO MOVE BACK, LEG, SEAT & REIN – WITH SEAT PRESS BACKWARDS, UPPER BODY STAYS TALL THIS ASKS THE HORSE TO LOWER HIS CROUP AND MOVE BACK – LEG AND REIN WORK IN ALTERNATE PAIRS, LEG REIN 1 SIDE ASK THEN THE OTHER SIDE, HORSE WILL MOVE BACK IN DIAGONAL PAIRS – RELEASE PRESSURE AND THEN ASK THEM TO MOVE FORWARDS AGAIN 

9. Aids of a circle 

  • INSIDE LEG — ON GIRTH — KEEPS IMPULSION – ENGAGES INSIDE HIND LEG – ASKS FOR BEND  
  • OUTSIDE LEG – SLIGHTLY BEHIND THE GIRTH – CONTROLS HINDQUARTERS STOPS THEM FALLING OUT – GENERATES FORWARD MOVEMENT  
  • INSIDE HAND – BEND THROUGH HORSES NECK  
  • OUTSIDE HAND – CONTROLS PACE – PREVENTS NECK OVER BENDING – PREVENTS HORSE FALLING OUT THROUGH SHOULDERS 
  • HIPS & SHOULDERS PARALLEL WITH HORSES SHOULDERS – BODY UPRIGHT – LOOK AHEAD ROUND THE CIRCLE

10. Canter without Stirrups 

11. Continue Perfecting Jumping Position 

12. Continue Perfecting Lighten Seat 

13. Leg Yield

EASIEST WAY FROM ¾ LINE BACK TO THE TRACK – HELPS DEVELOP FEEL & COORDINAITON — FORWARD & SIDEWAYS – BODY REMAINS STRAIGHT –INSIDE FEET STEP REGULARLY & EVENLY INFRONT & ACROSS THE OUTSIDE FEET— RIDING ON 2 TRACKS 

  • TURN ON TO ¾ LINE – FEW STEPS STRAIGHT 
  • MOVE WEIGHT IN TO INSIDE SEAT BONE  
  • INSIDE LEG SLIGHTLY BEHIND THE GIRTH –PUSH THE HORSES QAURTERS FORWARDS & SIDWAYS TOWARDS THE TRACK  
  • OUTSIDE LEG ON THE GIRTH BUT IF THE HORSE STARTS TO LEAD WITH ITS QUARTERS MOVE THE OUTSIDE LEG BACK A LITTLE ALSO HELPS KEEP MOVING FORWARDS  
  • INSIDE REIN – SLIGHT FLEXION TO INSIDE  
  • OUTSIDE REIN KEEPS HORSE STRAIGHT – PREVENTS TOO MUCH NECK BEND – CONTROL OUTSIDE SHOULDER 
  • AS HIT THE TRACK – REMOVE FLEXION AND MAKE HORSE STRAIGHT   

14. Shoulder In  

HIND LEGS ON LINE OF TRAVEL, SHOULDERS DISPLACED INSIDE — 3 TRACKS – OUTSIDE HIND LEG TRACKS ALONG WALL, INSIDE HIND LEG & OUTSIDE FORELEG ON SAME TRACK PARALLEL TO WALL, INSIDE FORELEG ON INNER TRACK PARALLEL TO WALL — BENDING BODY AROUND RIDERS INSIDE LEG WITH POLL FLEXED TO THE INSIDE – AWAY FROM THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL) KEEP RHYTHMIC, RELAXED, CONNECTED & WITH SOME IMPULSION – UNDERSTANDE AIDS FOR LEG YEILDING — HORSE MUST BEND CORRECTLY ON A 10M CIRCLE ASWELL  

  1. Start with a 10-meter circle
  2. Inside rein leads the shoulders (and neck) off the wall while the inside leg pushes the rib cage and inside hind into the outside rein, which catches the shoulder and produces the half halt. The outside leg behind the girth keeps the haunches from falling out. 
  3. Weight equal on both sides,Horse follows your weight. If you sit to the inside too much, the horse might move in that direction and off the wall. 
  4. Your shoulders and hips should be turned inside slightly parallel to the horse’s shoulders so the outside hip and shoulder move forward 
  5. Horses shoulders should be on the wall at the end of the movement from the inside leg. Don’t stay in the shoulder-in for too long. There is no test that has the exercise ridden for more than half the long side (30 meters). 

15. Dressage tests  

16. Course work

17. More Work on Strides 

 

12hh 

15hh 

17hh 

Trot to Bounce 

7-8ft 

9-10ft 

11-12ft 

Canter to Bounce 

8-9ft 

10-11ft 

12-13ft 

Trot Double 1 stride 

14-16ft 

17-19ft 

20-22ft 

Canter Double 1 stride 

17-19ft 

20-22ft 

23-25ft 

Trot Double 2 stride  

23-25ft 

27-29ft  

31-33ft 

Canter Double 2 stride 

26-28ft 

30-32ft 

34-36ft  

Treble – usually 1st part 1 stride, 2nd part 2 strides  

18. More work on Grids  

19. More work on Combinations  

20. Flying Changes  

ASKING FOR LEFT FLYING CHANGE  

  1. SEAT – RIGHT SEAT BONE FORWARDS TOWARDS HORSES RIGHT EAR  
  2. RIGHT LEG – CLOSE RIGHT LEG ON GIRTH ASK HORSE TO GO FORWARDS DURING CHANGE  
  3. LEFT LEG – MOVE LEFT LEG BEHIND THE GIRTH SIGNAL NEW OUTSIDE HIND LEG TO STRIKE OFF INTO NEW LEAD – QUICK AID  
  4. LEFT REIN – CLOSE LEFT HAND IN A FIST TO KEEP LEFT HIND LEG ON GROUND AND MAINTAIN UPHILL BALANCE  
  5. RIGHT REIN – SOFTEN RIGHT REIN SO NOT TO BLOCK NEW INSIDE FRONT LEG FROM COMING FORWARD 

21. Turn on the Forehand 

  1. HALT, TO STOP FORWARD MOVEMENT APPLY STEADY PRESSURE ON REINS – SIT UP STRAIGHT  
  2. PRESSURE PLACED 3-4 INCHS BEHIND THE GIRTH WITH YOUR OUTSIDE LEG – HORSE WILL MOVE AWAY FROM THE PRESSURE, HORSES HIND LEGS WILL MOVE IN FRONT & ACROSS THE OTHER HIND LEG, THE OPPOSITE FRONT LEG TO YOUR PRESSURE LEG WILL ALSO MOVE AROUND THE OTHER FRONT LEG WILL STAY STILL  
  3. YOUR OTHER LEG (INSIDE) SHOULD BE KEPT STEADY SO TO KEEP YOUR BALANCE AND STOP THE HORSE TRYING TO TURN TOO QUICKLY  
  4. REINS TO CONTROL FRONT OF HORSE – GOOD CONTROL PREVENTS YOUR HORSE MOVING FORWARDS – OUTSIDE HAND LIFT UP AND BACK TO FLEX HORSES NECK SLIGHTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF TURN, FLEX UNTIL YOU CAN SEE CORNER OF EYE – USE OTHER REIN FOR SUPPORT TO KEEP HORSE FROM MOVING FORWARDS, OUTSIDE REIN CLOSE TO NECK    
  5. HALF HALT EACH STEP UNTIL COMPLETE TURN 180 DEGREES – POSITVIE PRAISE AFTER  
    1. TURNING RIGHT RIGHT LEG BACK – RIGHT REIN FLEX  
    2. TURNING LEFT LEFT LEG BACK – LEFT REIN FLEX  

    22. Outline 

    CORRECT OUTLINE IS OUTCOME OF BUILD UP OF CORRECT MUSCLE – BENEFITS OF BEING RIDDEN IN THIS FRAME, NEEDS TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY, MOVE FREELY IN CONTACT, BACK RAISED & SUPPLE, NECK EXTEND IN LIGHT ARCH FROM WITHER TO POLL WITH NOSE JUST IN FRONT OF THE VERTICAL. 

    Balance 

    • Aim to maintain a light rein contact to encourage the horse to stay in balance. Horse who is unbalanced and in particular heavy on their forehand will lean on the bit and the reins pulling the rider’s arms forward. 

    Stretching 

    • When the rider moves their hands in a forward direction combined with the use of their leg and seat pushing, the horse to remain engaged through their hindquarters and light on the bit thereby allowing the rider to open out the horses neck and frame. 
    • Stretching can be used when asking for free walk on a long rein or when opening the horses stride out, for example when riding lengthened strides. 

    23. Turn on the Haunches 

    PREPARE FOR COLLECTION – DONE AT MEDIUM WALK – FOREHAND DECRIBES A SMALL HALF CIRCLE AROUND THE HIND LEGS  

    HIND LEGS STEP UP & DOWN – OUTSIDE HIND LEF MAKES A SMALL ½ CIRCLE AROUND THE INNER HIND SHOULD NOT CROSS 

    FORELEGS MOVE FORWARDS & SIDEWAYS AND CROSS 1 IN FRONT OF THE OTHER  

    HORSE BENT/FLEXED IN DIRECTION OF TURN – SIT INWARD  

    INSIDE LEG CLOSE TO GIRTH IN DRIVING POSTION, MAINTAING BEND & ACTIVITY, PREVENTS INSIDE HIND STEPPING SIDEWAYS  

    OUSIDE LEG BEHIND THE GIRTH – GUARDING POSITION, KEEP ACTIVITY & PREVENT HAUNCHES FALLING OUT 

    INSIDE REIN – TURN  

    OUTSIDE REIN – PREVENTS TOO MUCH BEND – ALLOWS OUTSIDE SHOULDER TO TURN 

    INSIDE FORELEG COMES FORWARDS RIDERS INSIDE REIN AND OUTSIDE LEG START THE TURN, NEXT THE INSIDE LEG AND OUTSIDE REIN APPLIED THE SEQUENCE IS CONTINUED UNTIL COMPLETED  

              24. Footfall 

              25. Balance   

              26. Position