Reaction
If you feel like your horse is a little slow in his reactions to the leg , now’s the time to iron out those glitches! Just as the horse should respond with ease to the rider’s contact, so too should his reactions be quick to the leg.
Assess by asking for some simple walk-halt movements to start and see how quickly he moves off the leg. If he takes longer than two seconds to react, you’ll need to spend some time tidying up the aids. Carry a dressage whip with you to reinforce the leg aid if he does not react initially. Ask for some simple walk-halt transitions on a straight line. Ask first with your leg, and if his reaction is slow, tap him lightly behind your leg to reinforce your message. It’s not a problem if he overreacts by walking very forward or even going into trot – as long as he moves forward off your leg – and be careful not to pull back on the reins if he does.
Once you’ve improved basic upward and downward transitions, move onto something else like circle work or lateral steps. Turning should always come from your seat and not from your hands. Practice basic exercises like spiralling in and out, riding 20m, 15m and 10m circles, figures of eight, and loops through X to see how your horse reacts to the change in outside leg and inside leg pressures. If you feel you can’t ride any of the movements without the support of your hands, it’s time to drop those reins and get your horse honed in on your seat aids.
If your horse is more advanced, ask for some lateral movements such as leg yield, shoulder-in, haunches-in, and renvers and travers for the more advanced horses. Your hand and seat aids will work together during lateral movements to keep your horse moving forward yet not losing straightness in the shoulders or hindquarters. Again, make use of a dressage whip if you feel your horse needs the additional support or to make your leg aid clearer.
Top tip
Never rely on the dressage whip to act as your leg aid. It should help you temporarily to reinforce the aid but the goal should always be to ride without it.