A Stride Above

11/25/2025

10/28/2025

The canter is probably the trickiest gait for a young horse to master in the confines of the dressage arena, as the engagement and balance are still being established.

However, it’s in the competitive dressage rider’s best interest to focus on the quality of this gait since so many test movements are based on the canter, such as canter pirouettes, tempi changes, half-passes, and zig-zags.

When transitioning into canter, from trot or walk, emphasis should be on the horse ‘pushing from the hind legs that are placed under the body, rather than launching off the shoulders. This is vital as it educates and enables the horse to develop incremental levels of engagement.

The best way to improve the horse’s canter is to not keep cantering. Instead, ride frequent transitions into and out of the canter (e.g. canter-trot-canter or canter-walk-canter) as well as transitions within the canter pace itself (e.g. working canter – medium canter – collected canter). During the upward transitions, the horse is encouraged to ‘push’ more from the hind legs, and during the downward transitions, the horse is encouraged to ‘sit’ more on the hind legs. Both of these qualities will improve the horse’s balance and carrying capacity, and add quality to the overall frame and canter gait.

- For more help with the canter, we have linked to a post in the comments.

- Check out our newest book on Amazon (which is currently on sale until 4th November). Link also in the comments.

Illustrations created and copyrighted by How To Dressage. Do not copy.

10/25/2025

When we’re taught to ride, we’re usually told to turn the horse left by pulling on the left rein, and turn the horse right by pulling on the right rein. Although this makes things simple for a small child to understand, it’s incorrect.

Buy using the inside rein in isolation, you will:
❌ Have too much neck bend.
❌ Lose control of your horse’s outside shoulder.
❌ Fail to make a correct canter strike off (your horse will be more likely to strike off with his outside leading leg).
❌ Cause a lack of alignment in your horse’s body, preventing him from engaging his hind legs.

Instead, when riding circles, turns, and corners, you need to use ALL of your bending aids. (Ironically, you inside rein is the one you should be using the least.)

For more help with bending and aids, check out our newest book on Amazon (which is currently on sale until 4th November). Link in the comments.

Illustrations created and copyrighted by How To Dressage

10/17/2025

Today on realistic expectations of sport horses in the sub $100,000 facebook market :

$0-15,000: thoroughbreds still at the track and having learned a lot of life skills, but unlikely in the direction you would like. They will be green to their new job, will likely need guidance from a professional. Other types are likely older and pretty happy ambling around. Going to likely need support in the form of a good farrier and vet. A lot of great first horse options if you remember that the cost of the horse is the cheap part.

Some of these horses have started in their careers of choice, but are likely not showing at too many recognized events. Sometimes vetting findings are reflective of this price point for one that might have a bit more talent or experience but might need a good farrier or vet.

$15,000 - 25,000. Starting to get some recognized shows under their belts, have great brains, life experiences, and good citizens. Likely to be happy middle ground sort of horses. Unlikely to have a full set of xrays, or changes, or to be “fully” established unless maybe an old injury that required some time off and getting reestablished.

$25,000-40,000: quality young prospects, that may still be green but a lot of potential. Alternatively, you’ll have your more established novice packer types with maybe some training experience.

$40,000-60,000: your training packers, some of your green modified/prelim horses. What most imported horses are hitting the ground at (figure $20,000 buy in, $4,000 vetting, $12,000 flight, tariffs and shipping….) so circle back to that base price for what you can expect of these horses. Changes getting established.

$60,000-80,000: These are your solid prelim/2* types, usually the ones that are happy to step back down to novice and bring riders back up. Usually been produced by one rider with a well documented history. Some motivated 1.20m sorts that lack a mile long record, or your older established packer types ready to step down to be the professional seeing eye dog.

$80,000 + this is where your 🔝 sorts are priced. The ones with true UL potential, and have started to prove that potential.

If a horse sounds too good to be true at a certain price point, likely a) theres a vetting issue to be disclosed b) the owner is pressed for outside life motivators, and people are going to move quickly on a genuinely good deal. Be prepared to act accordingly. C) there’s a quirk of some sort. Kick kick ride, a little overly enthusiastic in their style, a random spook, that makes them perfectly fine horses, as long as you go in with your eyes open.

Hope this helps!

10/10/2025

This.

10/09/2025

09/19/2025

Every dressage test asks the rider to perform circles of various sizes. Circles are designed to test the horse’s balance, suppleness, and straightness.

09/13/2025

👉 Downward transitions encourage your horse to step under and take more weight on his hind legs.

👉 Upward transitions encourage your horse to step under and push more with his hind legs.

This ties in wth our previous post of the hind legs stepping under (reach), taking more weight (carry), and pushing upwards/forwards (thrust).

Stock image from Shutterstock

09/11/2025

The movement of your horse’s hind legs can be broken down into the following three phases: thrust, reach, and carry.

Each phase is important, and each one impacts the next, e.g., the more weight the horse takes during the carry phase, the more power he can produce in the thrust phase.

This knowledge is useful because it helps you in timing your aids and influencing the horse.

👉 EXAMPLE 1

During a leg-yield, the horse’s inside legs are required to step in front of and across his outside legs.

Therefore, if you apply your inside leg aid at the same precise moment as your horse lifts his inside hind leg (into the reach phase), then you can encourage the horse to step further under and across with that leg.

This will give you a greater degree of crossing during the leg-yield and a more sweeping stride.

👉 EXAMPLE 2

If you want to encourage your horse to take more weight behind, then apply your half-halt just as the horse’s inside hind leg is coming down to the ground (the carry phase).

At this moment, you can encourage your horse’s inside hind leg to take more weight.

👉 EXAMPLE 3

The horse’s canter stride starts with the horse’s outside hind leg. Therefore, to make a smooth transition from trot or walk into canter, apply your canter aids as your horse’s outside hind leg is in the reach phase.

This means that as that hind leg touches the ground (the carry phase), instead of it being another step of trot or walk, it will be the first step of canter.

This also encourages the horse to reach further under with that hind leg, producing a more uphill transition.

Give it a go!

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Illustrations created by and copyrighted by HowToDressage

09/11/2025

😁 😂