Riding Level 3: Safety, Confidence, and Control of Pace This is the final checklist item on your Riding Level 3 test. In some ways 'safety, confidence and control' seem like nebulous criteria, and it is true that the final mark in the this category is based on an overall impression generated from your whole ride. …
Riding Level 3: Jumping position and small courses For Level 3 Riding you will need to: 13. Trot poles to a small jump showing good position and mane or crest release. and 14. Jump a small cross-rail course (18” high) of 2 jumps and 1 or 2 sets of poles. When we are looking at…
Riding Level 3: Trot Poles and Cross Rails I have been asked why, in the Cavaliere program, we require our riders learn to jump. After all, it's not a skill you need for mounted sparring or knightly games within our modern, arena-bound context. However, we believe jumping has value and deserves a place in the…
Riding Level 3: Riding without Reins and Stirrups Our curriculum is liberally dosed with tests of your independent seat, as you can see from these previous blog posts on dropping the reins and stirrups (which in turn link to other blog posts on related topics). This is because a secure independent seat from which you…
Riding Level 3: Cantering Single-handed For Riding Levels 1 and 2 you have already been asked to demonstrate single-handed reining at walk and trot respectively, so the next logical step at Level 3 is 11. Single hand reining: walk, trot and canter. The mechanics are the same, so first go and review these posts on…
Riding Level 3: Drill Manoeuvres From Roman cavalry, to mediaeval heavy lance, to early modern light horse, mounted warriors have needed the ability to ride in organized formations, and exercises for training groups of riders have existed since Xenophon. You can still see the modern equivalent in drill team exhibitions and our own RCMP Musical…
Riding Level 3: Dismount at the Walk There are times when it's neither convenient nor possible to wait till your horse has come to full halt before departing the saddle. Sometimes your horse or your opponent forces the situation; in other cases you may make the decision to get to the ground ahead of time. …
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,…
Riding Level 3: Canter Leads At level 2 we asked you to be able to canter in both directions 'without emphasis on position or lead.' At level 3 you will need to: 6. Canter circles with correct leads First, go and review these Level 2 posts on the Canter, and Identifying Canter Leads. In the…
Riding Level 3: Circles and Turns The fifth item on the Riding Level 3 checklist is: 5. Circles and turns at trot with correct diagonal changes. You have already demonstrated circles and half-circles at walk and trot for Level 2, and before you test Level 3 you should review that material, making sure you know…
Riding Level 3: Effective Transitions As a beginning rider you drove with an automatic transmission. You knew 'go' and 'whoa', and, if you were lucky, somewhere in there was 'slow'. As your riding has improved you have gained the ability to use at least three different gaits and make accurate transitions between them. At level…
Riding Level 3: Riding without Stirrups At all levels of riding we ask you to drop your stirrups periodically. There are two main reasons for this: You never know when you might lose your stirrups when riding. It's good to be able to keep your seat without them, and regain them on the fly. Riding…
Riding Level 3: Position It's one of the first things we teach you when you start riding, and something your instructors will continue to adjust throughout your riding career. Your position in the saddle is far more than just a matter of aesthetics. Good position is the foundation of effective riding. At level three we…
Riding Level 3: Tack Check The first item in the Riding 3 assessment is: 1. Mount independently. Adjust girth while mounted. We assume you learned to mount in Riding 1, and improved on it for Riding 2. At this level we expect you to be smoother and more organized. It doesn't matter whether you use…
Over the next few months this blog will cover the Riding Level 3 curriculum. A Level 3 rider is one who rides safely and with confidence, is comfortable at walk, trot and canter with good position in all three, is beginning to jump cross rails and small vertical jumps, and can ride with precision in…