1. Ride Centrelines
Incorporate centrelines into your daily work. Practice going down in trot or canter and shortening the strides as if preparing for halt but keep moving. It is important to vary where you halt on the centreline and to ride down the
centreline many times without halting at all. The horse must always think “forward” and not anticipate the downward transition.
2. Disciplined Transitions
Another thing that impresses our judges is clear and confident transitions, particularly downward transitions. Aeroplanes land on their rear wheels first. Think of the transitions as landing a plane. When training transitions in this way, the horse will become more horizontal in his outline. From there, he can learn how to bend behind the saddle in the loin and sink through the joints, allowing the hind legs to bear weight and not just cover the ground.
3. In a Dressage Test, The Directives Give You The Answers
Most riders know the required movements, but not the directives, and that is what judges pay attention to. They look to see how the horse is ridden in these required exercises. Is the horse ridden to the contact? Does he maintain rhythm and regularity in all gaits? Even for a simple circle the directives are explicit: ‘consistent bend around the rider’s inside leg, placement and control over the size of circle, reach to the bit and the quality of the gait.’ The directives mention these important details and more.
4. Go Back to Basics – Develop the Quality of The Gaits.
Probably the most difficult gait to improve is the walk, but do not be afraid of educating the walk in you training.
Practice lengthening the strides, shortening the strides, doing transitions involving walk, and educate! Walk over poles to train the horse to lift his legs.
5. Make Corners A Habit
Judges unanimously agree that corners are an underutilized part of every dressage test. Riding corners is a habit that must be made at home. Every corner is a quarter of a 10-meter circle. You are going to come is straight, bend
for about two steps, straighten and then you’re done. And if you do this in every corner it will become second nature. It is something that is done in a few seconds, but it gives you a huge advantage.
6. Refine Your Aids to Increase Responsiveness
One thing judges really like to see when people ride the test are subtle, refined aids. In dressage, you want suspension, and you can’t have a horse ready to respond at any moment and have suspension. You must teach him to respond within the tempo like a ballet dancer who must move in time to the music and rhythm.