Riding Level 3: Rhythm and Forward Movement
At level 3 we want you to ride with
7. Rhythm and forward movement at all three gaits. Walk on loose rein.
Rhythm is the foundation of the Training Pyramid for dressage. First go and review this post on rhythm as it fits within the pyramid. As suggested, begin to work on rhythm simply by being aware of it, and then move to correcting any issues.
The Walk
The walk has a rolling, syncopated, four-beat rhythm. Hum 'Happy Trails' by Dale Evans & Roy Rogers. That 'bom-ba-dee-dah' is the walk rhythm. It's even easier to hear in the Van Halen version.
In the walk your horse should be at least tracking up, with the hind hooves falling in the prints of the forehooves, or overtracking, with the hind feet reaching past the last place of the forefeet. The head should move rhythmically and your elbow needs to bend and relax to follow and maintain the rein contact. The movement in your horse's back should cause your hips to roll alternately forward and back in a figure-8 motion.
In the walk on a loose rein, the horse's head should be reaching forward and downward, but not dropping straight down or 'peanut-rolling' with the muzzle near the ground. You should feel even more movement in your horse's back and the walk will feel relaxed.
If your horse is sluggish and not tracking up in the walk try alternating leg pressure in the rhythm you'd like him to be walking in. If that doesn't help, periodic tickles with a dressage whip can help him pick up the pace. Make sure you are not indavertently holding him back with stiff hands or hips. Your hand must follow his head to keep the walk forward and rhythmic.
If your horse jigs or rushes, use half-halts with immediate releases. A soft rein is a reward, so horses soon figure out that the consequence of rushing is nagging hands, while the reward for a calm walk is being left alone. Make sure your seat is deep and your legs calm. If you tense, lighten your seat, or grip with your legs, your horse will pick up on the tension and continue to speed up.
The Trot
Unlike the walk, the trot has a straightforward two-beat rhythm. It should feel like a metronome. The beauty of the rising trot is that you can aid your horse with your own posting rhythm. If your horse is rushing, let yourself fall slightly behind her rhythm to encourage her to slow down. Likewise, you can encourage a pokey horse to be more forward by rising slighty ahead of her rhythm. If you make yourself the metronome your horse will find it more comfortable to fall into your rhythm than to resist it.
You can also use your seat in the sitting trot. Drive a doddler foward from your legs into your soft hands, and resist a too-quick trot by stiffening your pelvis slightly while you half-halt and regain a pleasant rhythm.
The Canter
To be rhythmic and balanced in the canter, the horse must shift his weight off his forehand and onto his hind-legs. A canter that is on the forehand will make the horse feel heavy, like he's leaning on your hands and running downhill. A horse that is downhill will be hard to regulate and turn.
An uphill canter feels light and springy, with a lovely rocking sensation. To get the best canter use the tips from this post for a good depart. Once you have achieved the canter use firm, supporting seat and legs to maintain it. Think of hugging your horse with your legs, and almost lifting his body up underneath you.
Leg support is particularly important in turns and corners. Just as you need to bicycle harder when you turn, your legs need to support your horse a bit more to maintain the same rhythm. Counterintuitively, even a horse that tends to rush will actually give a better regulated canter with good leg support, especially when backed up with suppling half-halts.
Upcoming Classes
Beginner Riding & Horsemanship
This six-class course is designed to help the beginning rider achieve Horsemanship and Riding Level 1.
Sundays 12 Apr – 17 May, 10am – noon
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$300 + gst
Level 2 Riding & Horsemanship
This six-class course is designed to help the riders achieve Horsemanship and Riding Level 2. The curriculum includes:
Sundays 12 Apr – 17 May, 10am – noon
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$300 + gst
Prerequisites: Riding and Horsemanship Level 1
Horsemanship Level 3
This series has already started, but students wishing to make up classes from last year are welcome to register.
Sundays 8 & 15 March, 12 Apr – 3 May 10:30 – 11:30am
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$130 + gst
Horsemanship Level 5
This class will cover all the curriculum material for Level 5 Horsemanship in ten 1-hour sessions.
Sundays 12 April – 14 June
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
cost: $220 + gst
Riding Level 3+
A six-class series for riders working on Level 3 and up. Group lessons consist of up to four riders. Additional time slots are added as needed, and riders grouped by level as much as possible. Riders are expected to arrive at least half an hour before class and have their horses groomed, tacked up, and partially warmed up before the lesson starts.
Sundays 12 Apr – 17 May, noon – 1pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$200 + gst
Prerequisites: Riding level 2 or permission from instructor.
Mounted Combat
Using the plays you have developed in the Mounted Combat Skills workshop you will practise partner and solo drills and sparring from horseback, as well as mounted games and drill team work.
Sundays 8 & 15 March, 12 & 19 April, 1:00 – 2:30pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$200 + gst
Prerequisite: Green Spur or Riding Level 1 + permission of instructor
Beginner Horseback Archery
We are happy to welcome back Robert Borsos and the Borsos Torzs Horse Archery Club for our ever-popular Horseback Archery workshops. In this three-hour workshop for beginners you will spend an hour and a half on the ground learning the fundamentals and body mechanics of Hungarian-style horse archery. You will then have an opportunity to shoot from both the falsemount (wooden horse) and real horses led by experienced handlers. This workshop is appropriate for beginner archers and riders, experienced archers who would like to learn to shoot from horseback, and experienced riders who would like to add archery to their repertoire of mounted skills.
Saturday 18 April, 10am – 1pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$149 +gst
Intermediate Horseback Archery
This workshop is intended for those who have already taken Beginner Horseback Archery. We will spend about an hour on the ground refreshing our shooting skills, then move to horseback for the remainder of the workshop.
Saturday 18 April, 2pm – 5pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$75 + gst
prerequisites: Beginner Horseback Archery + Riding Level 1
Cavaliere Assessments
Sunday 3 May, 1:30 – 4:30pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$50 for partial assessment (Horsemanship, Riding OR Mounted Combat)
$80 for full assessment (2 or 3 of the above elements)
Intro to Mounted Combat
Here’s the place to get started in the Mounted Combat Program, whether you’re an experienced swordsman new to horses, a proficient rider new to swordplay, or a complete beginner!
Saturday 6 June, 10am – 1pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$149 + gst
Mounted Combat Playday
An opportunity to put your skills to work. Come out for friendly practice and competition with mounted games, combat and archery. Assistants on the ground are needed for these sessions. If you are unable to participate as a rider, come out and be a squire for us to earn credits for future playdays. Spectators welcome!
Saturday 6 June 1pm – 4pm
Red Colt Equestrian Farm Co-op, 12320 No 2 Road, Richmond
$15 + $15 for use of school horse
Prerequisites:
Mounted Games: Riding Level 1
Mounted Sparring: Green Spur
Horseback Archery: Beginner Horseback Archery + Riding Level 1
Jennifer Landels heads up Academie Duello's Cavaliere Program. She has been swordfighting since 2008, and riding since before she could walk. She started the program as an excuse to combine those passions. Read more from Jennifer Landels.