What does a Dressage test look like?
During the test, riders take their horses through several different gaits as well as movements. The riders have memorized the Dressage test and perform it from memory once they enter the arena. The main gaits riders use include the walk, trot and canter. The walk is a marching pace with four beats and equal intervals between each beat. The trot is a two-beat pace where alternate diagonal legs move at the same time and are separated by a moment of suspension. And the canter is a three-beat pace, where the horse leads with one of their front legs. Within each of these gaits riders can change the horse’s impulsion and length of steps or strides. For example, within the walk riders may have to perform an extended walk, where the horse must cover as much ground as possible without losing the regularity of the step. Or, a rider might have to perform a collected walk, where the horse still maintains forward movement but their steps cover less ground and are higher. These changes are performed
