The dressage terms that follow are used throughout the book, and were those used in the 1960s.
Balance. A horse is balanced when his own weight and that of his rider is evenly distributed over all four legs, and he can adjust himself to use and control this weight to the best advantage in all circumstances and at all paces. Until a young horse is properly balanced he will have little success in any work that he is asked to carry out.
Canter, collected. Slow canter with great impulsion, horse’s head carried high and flexed, quarters low, body appears shortened.
Canter, extended. Fast, free canter, but well under control, neck and body appear slightly lengthened.
Cavalettis. Low wooden jumps similar in appearance to trestles, usually used four to six at a time, one following another with no room for a stride between. Invaluable for teaching a young horse or novice rider balance.
Cavesson head-collar. Type of head-collar used for lunging. Has a heavy noseband with three rings attached; lunge-rein can be clipped to any one of these.
Change of rein, changing the rein. Turning across the school from quarter marker to the quarter marker diagonally opposite, and therefore starting to ride in the opposite direction round the school, or on the other rein, as it is called.
Collected, collection. A horse is collected when he is ridden well up to the bit with his neck flexed, lower jaw relaxed, and hocks well under him. He is ready and eager to respond to any signal from his rider, and yet calm and light in hand. To collect a horse keep a light feel on the reins while driving him forward into his bridle with the legs so that his body becomes shortened, and he feels full of energy and yet easy to control. It should never be attempted until the young horse will go forward freely and easily at any pace in a calm, balanced manner.
Flexion. Flexing means that the horse yields his jaw to the pressure of the bit and bends his head at the poll.
Flying change. The horse changes his leading leg at the canter during the moment when all four legs are ‘in the air’. He must change legs behind as well as in front at the same moment, otherwise he will be ‘disunited’, a very uncomfortable feeling for both horse and rider.
Impulsion. Controlled energy manufactured by use of the rider’s legs coupled with control of the forward impulse from the horse’s hocks. The horse should feel and appear light and gay, eager to go forward, and yet calm and obedient.
Lunging. First, lunging is an important part of a young horse’s early schooling, when he is taught to circle to left or right at varying paces without a rider on the end of a long webbing rein, and to obey words of command. Also a useful means of exercise when time is short, or a horse very fresh. Lunging is also a very useful exercise for teaching the rider to acquire a deep, firm seat and good position, and for this stirrups are removed from the saddle and reins are knotted.
On the bit. The horse is said to be ‘on the bit’ when he takes a light and calm, but definite feel on the reins without either leaning and pulling, or putting his nose in the air and fretting at the reins.
Overbent. The horse goes with his neck exaggeratedly arched, his head overbent at the poll, and his chin tucked right in to his chest—usually the result of too much rein and too little leg, or an attempt to over-collect.
Passage. A very cadenced, high-stepping trot, with the moment of suspension at the top of each stride clearly marked by a second’s hesitation. A High-School movement.
Pass, half. The horse moves diagonally forward and sideways with his fore and hind legs making two separate tracks, the forehand slightly leading, and the head flexed in the direction of the movement.
Pass, full. The horse moves sideways across the school on two tracks. Both these movements should be performed with plenty of energy and impulsion.
Piaffe. The Passage performed ‘on the spot’ without forward movement. It should be performed slowly and rhythmically with great elevation. Again a High-School movement.
Pirouette. This is a very difficult High-School movement. The horse turns ‘on the haunches’ from the canter, pivoting round on the hind legs, which continue the movements of the canter on the spot. It should be performed slowly, with great balance, and no appearance of a half rear.
Prix St. George. A very advanced Olympic standard dressage test. A Prix St. George horse is one schooled to, or capable of being schooled to this standard. He must be sensitive and keen, but obedient, with a calm, unexcitable temperament, and a long, free stride.
Renvers. The horse’s head, neck, and shoulders follow a straight track about a yard from the side of the school, while his loins and quarters are bent outwards around the rider’s outside leg. Another movement on two tracks with the head flexed in the direction of the movement.
School Figures. Circles, figures of eight, serpentines, any movements of this kind used to school a horse to answer the signals, or aids, of his rider and to teach him balance and obedience, and later, collection.
Shoulder in. Again on two tracks. The quarters follow a straight track along the side of the school, while the shoulders, head, and neck are bent inwards around the rider’s inside leg, and are bent, or flexed away from the direction of the movement.
Shoulder-out. Another movement on two tracks. The quarters follow a track about one yard from the side of the school, while shoulders, head, and neck are bent outwards around the rider’s outside leg, again flexed away from the direction of movement.
Transitions. The act of changing from one pace to another and back again, e.g. from walk to trot, or canter back to trot. They should be smooth and easy, with no resistance from the horse, and no sudden jerk or lurch. One of the most difficult things to do properly.
Travers. The head, neck, and shoulders follow a straight track along the wall, while loins and quarters are bent inwards around the rider’s inside leg. Another movement on two tracks. The chief use of these, apart from the passes, which are a school movement used in tests, are to supple the horse’s neck and spine and teach him to obey the rider’s legs.
Trot, collected. A slow, shortened trot full of impulsion and rhythm performed with a high head carriage. The horse should be calm and light in hand.
Trot, extended. A fast trot, with long, extended strides which must not be hurried. The horse’s body should be lengthened and the head and neck longer than in the collected position. The strides should never be allowed to become short and fast, so that the horse seems to ‘run’ or the entire value of the movement is lost.
Turn on the forehand. The horse’s hind quarters move around his front feet, which remain on the same spot, without moving forward or backwards.
Turn on the haunches. The horse pivots around the hind feet, which remain on one spot without moving forwards or backwards. He must turn slowly, step by step, and must on no account be swung round by the reins in a half rear, or all value in the movement is lost.
These are just a few of the movements in dressage and High School (Haute École) which are used in this book. There are, of course, many more which are not mentioned, some representing even more advanced work than that performed by Tamara Blake and White Lion, for dressage and High School are a never-ending subject. High School is, of course, a very specialized form of riding, but any riding horse, whatever his job—be it hack, hunter, show jumper, or gymkhana pony—will benefit from a course of simple ‘field dressage’ to make him more supple, light, and obedient, and altogether a better ride.