02/18/2026
๐ ๐๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐น๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ต (๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐):
Most of the time, itโs not the judge.
When I watch tests back with riders, the issue is rarely the movement itself.
Itโs the basics underneath it.
Here are ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต โ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐
1๏ธโฃ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐๐ปโ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ
If the horse loses balance, changes rhythm, or drops onto the forehand,
the transition wasnโt good โ even if it was on the letter.
2๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ด๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐
Straight lines need to be straight.
Circles need to be round.
โNearly rightโ geometry is an easy way to lose marks.
3๏ธโฃ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ
Impulsion is engagement and connection.
If the horse is running or the contact isnโt consistent, the movement wonโt score.
4๏ธโฃ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ
If youโre crooked, the horse will be crooked.
If youโre busy, the horse will be tight.
Good riding is quiet, stable, and clear.
5๏ธโฃ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
The way you enter, halt, and present the horse sets the tone.
Itโs not about being fancy โ itโs about being organised and confident.
6๏ธโฃ ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ
You either look at the test honestlyโฆ
or you start blaming away.
Only one of those leads to better scores next time.
Most riders donโt need harder movements.
They need to make the simple things ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ.
๐ Save ready for your upcoming dressage test
๐ Share with anyone who can use this to improve for next time
