General
The meaning of the word "dressage," which comes from the French word "dressur."
Training.
The seat's three points of contact.
Right seat bone, left seat bone, and the groin.
The success of the half halt depends on this.
The rider's ability to correctly train the horse's responsiveness to the aids.
When careful attention is paid to perfecting the basics, such as the horse's correct response to a forward driving leg aid versus a sideways-pushing leg aid versus a bending leg aid, this will take care of itself.
The movements.
Taking the reins forward and down, also known as this, is the most important concept that a horse and rider must master in everything they do, from the very first ride to the most advanced upper level movements and way of going.
Stretching the topline.
20 meters wide.
In the combined and coordinated use of the driving and restraining aids, these aids must always predominate.
The driving aids.
A swinging tail and topline, even layer of lip foam, a bouncing mane as a result of positively engaged & forward reaching neck muscles, flopping ears, springy & lifted back, and a poll that has relaxed to a level below the withers are all signs of what German concept?
Losgelassenheit.
The horse must willingly do this for the Pyramid of Training to work correctly.
Go freely forward.
These two exercises, when the horse's response has been properly schooled to the aids, teach the horse to respond to the sideways-pushing aids and aim to develop looseness.
Leg Yield and Turn-on-the-Forehand
The corner letters in both the large and small dressage arena are always measured this distance from the corner.
6 meters.
Encouraging the horse to stay in front of the leg while using techniques to supple the horse laterally and to move him from the inside leg toward a carefully measured non-yielding outside rein results in this.
Bringing the horse onto the aids.
To perform this important balancing technique, the rider places more weight on his seat bones by tightening his back muscles, pushes the horse forward with his leg, and uses a carefully measured non-yielding rein aid followed with minimum delay by a yielding rein.
The six tiers of the Pyramid of Training.
Rhythm
Relaxation/Suppleness
Contact/Connection
Impulsion
Straightness
Collection
In both the turn-on-the-forehand and turn-on-the-haunches, the horse must maintain this to avoid pivoting.
Activity.
The USDF is an acronym for this organization.
United States Dressage Federation
This extremely common rider imbalance causes their weight to shift to the right, often causing a chain reaction of the rider's right leg appearing longer, the saddle slipping to the right especially in canter, the rider gripping with an ineffective left leg ("The horse won't move off my left leg!"), and the rider pulling the left rein causing the horse's neck to overbend to the left and the horse to fall out through the right shoulder.
A collapsed left hip.
This important concept refers to increased flexion and bend of the joints in the hindquarters during the weight bearing phase with more reach under the horse’s center of gravity, therefore taking more share of the load, which lightens the forehand resulting in relative elevation.
Collection.
This concept refers to the horse's preparedness to obediently accept the rider’s aids equally on both sides in losgelassenheit and respond without hesitation with active hind legs that create forward thrust and a swinging topline; the rein aids should not be blocked by tension.
Double points if you can name this concept using the German term.
Throughness or Durchlassigkeit
The first movement involving collection.
Shoulder-in.
The Federation Equestre Internationale is responsible for governing these four international levels of testing.
Prix St. Georges
Intermediate I/A
Intermediate II/B
Grand Prix
The forward flow of energy within the horse's body and the way the rider’s aids stimulate, channel, and redirect this flow of energy.
The Circle of Aids.
The elevation of the forehand as a result of and relating to the lowering of the hindquarters is this.
Relative Elevation
The three interconnected pillars of training.
Familiarization, pushing power, and carrying capacity.
These are a measure of progress and a tool to find training holes, not an end in themselves.
Movements and/or exercises.