February 8, 2026Gwyneth McPhersonGwyneth McPherson#DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS, #Dressage Exhibiting, #Dressage Coaching, #Ahead Pondering Dressage, #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage, aids, cesar parra, classical dressage, competitors dressage, dressage ranges, Dressage4Kids, Half halt, decrease leg, Energy driving, take a look at ridingComments Off on Coaching within the Proper Method: Dressage Terminology Refresher
This week’s article revisits an earlier dialogue on dressage terminology and why it’s essential to grasp inside your coaching framework.
Dressage coaching is meant to be the method of coaching ANY horse to be a greater driving horse. The extra the horse learns, in principle, the better it’s to speak with and subsequently full extra complicated duties with. Though competitors dressage coaching usually is extra centered on coaching for the dressage take a look at, that’s not what the unique intention (and authentic judging necessities) have been for aggressive dressage. Initially, it was designed to offer riders and trainers a solution to decide how their coaching measured as much as the theoretical perfect of the coaching course of. That stated, it’s critically essential to grasp the meanings and causes for a few of the phrases we use to explain dressage coaching and what to search for when observing coaching and competitors (and movies and pictures), no matter whether or not you plan to compete or simply prepare your horse to be a greater no matter you do with him. That, finally, is the primary objective of my articles. To supply training and data for riders to grasp and enhance their eye and understanding of what dressage coaching is meant to be. Whereas there’ll all the time be some variations in observe and principle, good horse coaching is all the time recognizable to the educated eye. That stated, it completely is critical that we bear in mind and perceive that restricted data is restricted judgment.
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After a number of conversations with college students just lately — each in clinics and at dwelling — it struck me that this can be a matter price revisiting. Regardless of how skilled the rider, we proceed to circle again to the identical foundational situation: how we expect and discuss our coaching shapes the outcomes we get. When our language is imprecise or emotionally charged, our driving usually follows go well with. When our terminology is evident, correct, and grounded within the system of dressage, our coaching turns into clearer as nicely.
Reexamining this topic feels notably well timed as I put together to dive into my subsequent article, the place I’ll focus on assortment — and the way, at its core, assortment is solely steadiness. However earlier than we will successfully look at that, we have now to grasp the language we use to explain it. The phrases matter. They form how we establish issues, how we take duty, and the way we enhance.
Whether or not I’m instructing at dwelling, or away at a clinic, I educate a mixture of riders; some have fairly a little bit of training and a few are new to the self-discipline of dressage. No matter which group the rider suits into, I discover that instructing the scholar to make use of the phrases and definitions of dressage coaching to be completely obligatory in conveying data about coaching. Making sure the riders have a working understanding of the terminology of dressage coaching is persistently my prime precedence in instructing. It is because it’s what permits us to establish and enhance the pair’s challenges as an alternative of simply blaming the rider or the horse for the issues they aren’t doing “in the correct manner.”
There are three causes that that is critically essential:
1. To ensure that a rider to attempt to produce a particular impact, the rider should perceive the deeper nuance of what I imply after I use a comparatively temporary particular phrase or phrase. Notably, they have to perceive that the time period that I take advantage of encompasses a sure high quality and set of aids to create the correct consequence. For instance, if I say the horse must be extra ahead, the rider wants to grasp that the horse’s hind legs should not shifting sufficient within the route of the bit, not that the horse must go sooner. One other instance is the phrase sufficient, which is crucial within the understanding of the coaching course of. The horse by no means must be completely as supple as potential, or all the time within the excellent connection, or probably the most extraordinarily ahead as potential. He simply wants sufficient of those qualities for him to do the train we’re requiring him to do at that particular time. A coaching stage horse solely must be supple sufficient to trot a 20m circle with the identical quantity of bend because the arc of the circle at Coaching stage; he doesn’t must be so supple that he folds up like a serviette.
2. Appropriate dressage terminology that describes good coaching is impassive, it merely explains what qualities are and should not current in that second of coaching. Compared, for those who consider lots of the frequent (however usually inaccurate) phrases and phrases used describe issues which are going incorrect within the coaching they’re fairly damaging: “He’s not listening,” for instance. In that case, what the rider is experiencing is usually not the identical factor as an individual ignoring or dismissing their opinion. What they’re experiencing is that the horse is “not on the aids,” which is finally the rider’s duty, not the horse’s. Describing issues inaccurately with a damaging connotation usually ends in extra emotionally charged — and fewer efficient — coaching.
It advantages the rider to grasp what’s objectively occurring in order that they’ll modify the coaching accordingly. Utilizing acceptable terminology permits for this.In the same vein, it’s key to notice that the horse’s conduct and reactions in coaching and competitors are ALWAYS the rider’s duty. That doesn’t imply the identical factor because the rider’s fault. It’s not the rider’s fault if the horse comes off the aids when one thing very sudden and scary occurs, resembling a pair of fighter jets flying low down into the valley that the horse present is in (this has, in reality, occurred to me and it was on the spot pandemonium). It’s the rider’s duty, nevertheless, to be driving the horse in a manner that retains the horse on the aids earlier than this incidence and that the rider is aware of the way to put them again on the aids proper afterward. One other instance is when the coach says “the horse must be extra ahead” it’s the rider’s duty to create the correct response through the use of the aids that produce the meant results of sending the horse’s hind legs extra within the route of the bit (extra vitality out the entrance), and to not kick the horse and hit it with the whip so exhausting that it bucks and takes off (not ahead, however undoubtedly a response to the aids given). This once more highlights why correct, impassive terminology is useful.
Many instances “quick” is misunderstood to be “ahead.” Picture (c) Morgane Schmidt
Ahead is particularly involved with the hindlegs shifting within the route of “the entrance”, notably within the route of the bit.
3. Utilizing the phrases which are broadly understood amongst extremely competent trainers permits the scholar to acknowledge wonderful coaching after they hear these phrases utilized by different trainers. Your coach shouldn’t be utilizing a made up time period to explain one thing of their coaching course of as an alternative of utilizing the broadly accepted vocabulary. The exceptions for this may be when the time period is supposed in humor or is getting used to assist clarify the extra broadly accepted vocabulary. When a coach says the horse is “curling” they should say the horse is “behind the vertical” however they might describe the place of the horse’s neck when it’s behind the vertical as “curling like a shrimp’s tail,” to assist the rider higher perceive what “behind the vertical” interprets into.
In consideration of the above, listed below are some examples of phrases and phrases which are usually used and what phrases needs to be used as an alternative, or what the precise situation is that wants addressed, in an effort to enhance the standard of coaching and understanding between the coach and rider and, finally, between the rider and the horse.
He’s not listening/He’s uninteresting = he’s not on the aids. The horse just isn’t sufficient in submission to the rider’s aids which signifies that you recognize he’s not supple sufficient, on the very least.
He’s lazy = He’s behind the leg and/or not ahead sufficient.
He’s curling = He’s behind the vertical/dropping the bit. This may be attributable to a number of issues that you’ll have to decide in an effort to enhance the state of affairs.
He’s too robust = He’s both not supple sufficient and/or not sufficient in the correct connection.
He’s anticipating = He isn’t on the aids. The horse has discovered, by repetition, that this train often happens right now or place within the coaching or take a look at and he’s making an attempt to do it to please you. If he’s succeeding in performing the unasked for train, he’s not on the aids.
He solely likes to bend to the correct (or left, doesn’t matter) = He’s not supple sufficient (are you seeing a sample relating to how usually an absence of flexibleness is the problem?). The horse’s hole within the route he simply bends his neck towards and lengthy on the aspect he’s harder to bend towards. It is a regular situation that each one horses have some extent of and could be addressed by suppling workout routines in correct coaching.
This horse is clearly “not on the aids”. It is usually as a result of the rider (me) is doing nothing about it within the second.
Having mentioned above a few of the extra generally used, problematic phrases and phrases that usually result in incorrect considering throughout the coaching course of, I wish to take a second to notice a vital, right mind-set that you have to be incorporating into your coaching: “He (or she) must be ___________.”
This should be a part of your considering. Good coaching identifies what must be adjusted to enhance the general high quality of the train, motion, gait, and many others. As a substitute of claiming your horse just isn’t “not listening,” it is best to substitute it with “he must be extra on the aids.” This provides you one thing to vary and, if in case you have good coaching, you should have discovered what workout routines typically put horses extra “on the aids.” In distinction, for those who method from the vantage level that your horse “just isn’t listening,” psychologically you’re handing over all of the duty and all the facility within the state of affairs to him as a result of if he’s not listening, you may’t repair it as a result of he’s not listening. However, if he’s not on the aids, there are issues that you are able to do to place him extra on the aids.
Expertise and really feel can solely get you to this point. Figuring out and understanding the right terminology in dressage is significant to successfully coaching in the correct manner as using these phrases and the definitions/meanings behind them permits you to effectually talk along with your trainer, your scholar, your horse, and different riders, whereas enhancing your individual coaching data. It’s data of the system and course of that makes success potential. Let’s face it, not each horse and rider mixture shall be Grand Prix opponents. Nevertheless, each scholar of dressage can most definitely study the phrases, ideas, and definitions behind the language of the self-discipline and use it to their benefit whereas within the saddle.
Keep in mind: restricted data is restricted judgment.
Gwyneth and Aptitude in competitors at Grand Prix. (c) flatlandsfoto.
Gwyneth McPherson has over 35 years expertise competing, coaching, and instructing dressage. She started her training in within the late Seventies, driving in her yard on an 11 hh pony. Her first teacher launched her to Lendon Grey (1980 and 1988 Olympian). who mentored Gwyneth for a decade throughout which she achieved her first Nationwide Championship in 1984, and her Staff and Particular person Younger Rider Gold Medals in1987.
In 1990 Gwyneth started coaching with Carol Lavell (1992 Olympian) who additional developed Gwyneth as an FEI rider and competitor. Gwyneth achieved a Staff Bronze in 1991 and a Staff Silver in 1992 within the North American Younger Riders Championships, and skilled her stallion G’Dur to do all of the Grand Prix actions whereas driving with Carol.
In 2008, whereas Head Coach at Pineland Farms, Gwyneth started coaching with Michael Poulin (Olympian 1992). Michael was skilled by Franz Rochowansky (Chief Rider for the Spanish Driving College 1937-1955). Michael has shared a lot of Rochowansky’s data and knowledge with Gwyneth, finishing her training as a Grand Prix rider, coach, and competitor.
Gwyneth’s instructing and coaching enterprise, Ahead Pondering Dressage,is predicated in Williston, FL. Along with instructing riders and coaching, Gwyneth additionally loves sharing her data of the game and artwork of dressage in addition to discussing related subjects pertaining to the coaching itself and the present aggressive panorama.
