Advanced training: the scales of training and beyond

The scales of training

British Dressage describes the scales of training as the stepping stones that riders live by when training horses. Riders and trainers in many countries use them, and they're the basis of what dressage judges look for. British Dressage also calls them helpful checks on a horse's way of going: when rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and (at higher levels) collection are all there, the way of going is good.

1. Rhythm

The paces should be regular and correct:

• Walk: four hoof beats, in a marching time.
• Trot: two beats. The legs move in diagonal pairs, with a moment of suspension between beats when all four feet are off the ground.
• Canter: three beats. Only one diagonal pair moves together, and there's a moment of suspension.

The tempo (the speed of the rhythm) should stay the same, with a pronounced beat, whether the horse is on a corner or a straight line, and whether it's lengthening or shortening its strides.

2. Suppleness

The horse's muscles have tone and are free from resistance, its joints are loose, and it doesn't tighten against the rider's aids. The important muscles run along the topline, from the hind legs over the quarters and loins, in front of the withers and up to the poll.

The test: when you ease the rein contact, as in free walk, a supple horse wants to stretch forward and down rather than hollow and lift its head.

3. Contact

The ideal contact is a light, even, elastic feel in both reins, created by the rider's legs and seat, not the hands. The legs ask the horse to step further under itself and work through the muscles of its topline, and the rider feels that energy arrive in the reins. The horse's outline and steps become round rather than hollow, and its trot and canter springy rather than flat. The horse is then said to be "connected".

4. Impulsion

Impulsion is the horse's contained power. It comes from the hindquarters taking more energetic steps further under the body, held by the rein contact so that the energy doesn't just become speed. Any tension blocks it, so the horse must be supple and connected first. The rider's skill is to create as much energy as can be contained without the horse pulling or speeding up.

5. Straightness

Horses, like people, are born one-sided and tend to move with their bodies slightly curved. A rider who sits to one side, or keeps a stronger contact in one rein, makes it worse. A crooked horse finds it harder to stay balanced and build impulsion. The aim is for the hind legs to step into the tracks of the forelegs, on straight lines and on circles, with an even feel in both reins.

6. Collection

A newly ridden horse carries most of the rider's weight on its forehand. It tends to run when asked to lengthen, finds it hard to stop quickly, and often leans on the rider's hands for balance. Through training, it builds the muscles to carry more weight on its hindquarters. This lightens the forehand, frees the shoulders and makes it a more athletic ride.

Collection develops gradually. Novice and Pony Club dressage tests don't ask for it, but some movements start to build it: as the horse halts or comes back from lengthened strides to working trot, it should step further under itself and shift a little weight back. At Grand Prix, collection is so advanced that the horse can trot on the spot in piaffe.

How the scales fit together

The scales are usually worked on in order, though sometimes one is skipped to work on another. British Dressage explains why order matters: until the horse works with rhythm, it's hard to make it supple; until it's supple, the contact will be inconsistent; and until the contact is true, impulsion will be elusive.

Each scale is expected to a higher standard as training advances. The suppleness that's good enough for a young novice horse to start work on contact is much less than a horse learning flying changes needs.

What judges are looking for

British Dressage follows the international federation (FEI) definition of dressage: developing the horse into a happy athlete through harmonious education, calm, supple and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen. Among the FEI's principles:

• The walk is regular, free and unconstrained, the trot free, supple, regular and active, and the canter united, light and balanced.
• A horse "on the bit" accepts the bridle with a light, consistent, soft contact. Its head stays steady, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical, with a supple poll as the highest point of the neck.
• The regularity of the paces is fundamental.

Lateral work

In lateral movements, the horse moves sideways as well as forwards. British Dressage describes three of the classic collected movements:

British Dressage describes shoulder-in as a test of the horse's flexibility and suppleness. The BHS's fitness programme introduces basic lateral work, along with pole work, once a horse has done a few weeks of walk, hacking and short schooling sessions. A coach can help you learn it.

Getting the horse fit for harder work

More demanding training needs a stronger, fitter horse. The BHS advises planning a fitness programme tailored to your horse, and taking it slowly.

How much work is that?

The BHS classifies work like this:

Principles to plan by

• Specificity: tailor the work to what your horse needs and the activity you're preparing for.
• Progression: start slowly. Change the frequency, intensity or duration of work, only one at a time.
• Reversibility: fitness fades if training stops, so consistency matters.
• Rest and recovery: plan easier days and days off, for you and your horse.
• Variety: mix schooling, hacking, jumping and groundwork, and vary the surfaces. On an unfamiliar surface, work at walk or a balanced, straight trot.

The BHS's general timeline brings a horse back to an adequate level of fitness over about nine weeks, starting with walk to strengthen soft tissue, adding trot, schooling, pole work and lateral work, then canter, jumping and interval training. Keep a horse at its current workload until you're sure it's coping. After injury, follow your vet's rehabilitation plan instead.

Roads don't build tendons

Traditionally, people believed that lots of trotting on roads strengthened a horse's tendons. The BHS explains that there's no evidence for this. Trotting on roads for long periods causes much higher impact forces than good grass or an arena, which can cause or worsen arthritis in the feet, fetlocks and knees, shod or unshod. Road trotting does strengthen bone, but no more than five minutes per session, in one- to two-minute intervals, is needed.

Warm up, cool down and check

• Warm up with easy walk and trot to raise the heart rate, then circles, turns, transitions, lateral movements and poles before the hard work. A horse ridden from the stable needs longer than one ridden from the field.
• Cool down by gradually coming back down through the paces, then walk until the horse's breathing has recovered, letting it stretch. In cold weather, an exercise sheet stops it cooling too quickly.
• Afterwards, check for saddle rubs, girth galls and bit rubs, feel the legs for heat and swelling, and check the shoes. Never put a hot, blowing horse back in its stable unattended.

Measuring progress

Record your horse's resting heart rate and breathing rate. Measure them again immediately after work, then every minute, and note how long they take to return to resting. A faster recovery means improved fitness. Other signs include better muscle definition, a more even speed in each pace, and less sweating for the same work in the same conditions.

Keep checking the horse, not just the training

As training gets harder, watch for signs it's too much. The BHS lists changes such as resisting the bridle, evading the contact, changing leads repeatedly in canter, unwillingness to go forward, head tossing, bucking or rearing, and more subtle signs like head tilting, tail clamping or repeatedly opening the mouth. Check the saddle and teeth first, then talk to your vet. See Behaviour problems.

A horse's shape can change a lot under the saddle after as little as four to six weeks of regular ridden training, so have the saddle checked before you start a fitness programme and as the horse develops. See Tack and equipment.

Know your limits, and your horse's. The BHS suggests asking a BHS Accredited Professional Coach for guidance at any stage if you're unsure, and keeping an honest eye on whether your horse is happy at a new level, because its capability changes over time with age and injury.