Dressage-ArenaGlossary of Dressage Terms A-CWhile reading through the Dressage-Arena ( your practical guide to riding) you might encounter unfamiliar words. These words are part of the technical jargon or language used by instructors, trainers and riders when discussing riding and training.While reading through the Dressage-Arena ( your practical guide to riding) you might encounter unfamiliar words. These words are part of the technical jargon or language used by instructors, trainers and riders when discussing riding and training. 
The United State Dressage Federation
has compiled a long list of these words and phrases in order to “improve understanding of, and standardize the usage of, terminology used in dressage judging. It is not intended to be a comprehensive lexicon of general dressage terminology. It is hoped that it will improve the communication between judges, competitors and trainers.” Although they place an emphasis on judges and trainers, the understanding of these terms are important for riders and instructors and anyone hoping to further their knowledge of competitive dressage or classical dressage.
I have included terms that would be useful to the rider who is at the introductory to 1st level of riding. The other terms will be added in subsequent pages and associated to specific Dressage-Arena applications. I have also added some other terms that are not considered in the USDF Glossary, but that are commonly used in books and the daily language of riders. Remember Horse-training-tip #4 Learn through observation, gain experience through practice and most of all.....increase your ability to LISTEN to the horse with all your senses. You might not be ready to learn and understand a training or riding concept until you have actually experienced it albeit in a non cognitive way. Don't worry....come back to it! :)
Dressage-Arena GlossaryA
ABOVE THE BITA head position in which the horse avoids acceptance of the contact by putting the muzzle forward and upward, also usually retracting the poll. ACCEPTANCE Lack of evasion, resistance, or protest; acquiescence. Used in reference to the horse’s willingness to allow the maintenance of a steady contact, the application of the aids, and/or the placement of the rider’s weight. ACTIVITY Energy, vigor, liveliness—referring especially to that of the hind legs. AGAINST THE BIT The horse presses its mouth against the bit with rigid or unyielding neck/poll/jaw ALIGNMENT The lining up of the horse’s body parts from tail to poll. One of the three aspects of straightness.
Dressage-Arena GlossaryB
BALANCERelative distribution of the weight of horse and rider upon the fore and hind legs (longitudinal balance) and the left and right legs (lateral balance). BASICS The basics form the correct foundation of the progressive training of the horse, independent of the execution of specific test movements. The basics include: pure rhythm with suitable tempo; relaxation/ suppleness/ elasticity/looseness; correct contact/connection; impulsion, straightness, and longitudinal balance suitable to the level and task at hand. Correctness of the basics is indicated by the preservation and/or improvement in: 1. the purity and quality of the gaits and paces 2. the gymnastic ability and physique of the horse, and 3. the horse’s attitude and rideability. Correct biomechanics, with the horse in a positive mental/emotional state, constitutes correct basics. BEAT 1. A footfall within a gait. A hoof, or pair of hooves virtually simultaneously, striking the ground. By this definition, the walk has four beats, the trot two, and the canter three. 2. The emphasized beat (as in music). By this definition, the walk has two beats, the trot has two beats, and the canter has one beat. The emphasized beats are the ones the rider “feels.” BEHIND THE BIT An evasion in which the horse retracts or shrinks back from the bit/contact. The head may or may not be behind the vertical. BEHIND THE LEG 1. Unwilling to move forward at the same time as accepting the contact/connection. 2. Slow to react to the leg, or sluggish or unwilling to move energetically forward. BEHIND THE VERTICAL The head position in which the horse’s nostril falls behind the imaginary vertical line dropped from the horse’s eye. The horse may or may not be “behind the bit.” BEND The laterally arced position in which the horse’s body appears to form a uniform curve from poll to tail. Attributes of bending include lateral flexion at the poll, stretching of the outer side of the body, lowering of the inner hip, and adduction of the inner hind and outer fore legs (see Flexion for more in depth discussion of the elements of bending). Examples of faulty bend are: bending only in the neck, only at the base of the neck, or bent toward the wrong direction. BLOCKED Impaired in the connection due to sustained muscular contraction, creating rigidity. Dressage-Arena GlossaryC
CADENCEThe marked accentuation of the rhythm and (musical) beat that is a result of a steady and suitable tempo harmonizing with a springy impulsion.CARRIAGE The posture of the horse, most easily evaluated when viewing the horse’s profile or outline. CHEWING THE BIT
Dressage-Arena Glossary D to I Poem to Define a Day
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