Dressage Lessons
The aim of dressage is to train a horse to carry his rider easily in a supple, balanced way. Dressage builds up the correct muscles for the horse. Well schooled dressage horses are active, eager and responsive to their riders most subtle commands.
A horse cannot perform well in any discipline unless he has been trained to improve his balance and responsiveness. Jumping, hacking, or competing in any form is better if the horse can balance himself so he carries more of this weight on his hindquarters.
Learning how to get the best from your horse is a real pleasure. In learning you begin to 'feel' the horse under you, and understand his way of going.
At Limebrook tuition is available to give the basics of correct schooling for riders who might wish to go on to take up this discipline seriously. For riders who just want to be able to have fun on a horse, or go on to other disciplines, it ensures they learn safely how to give the correct instructions (aids) to the horse so that it does what the rider wants it to do.
You may be having so much fun in your lessons that you do not realise the amount of instruction you are being given - but how useful it is on a hack to have a horse which 'moves away from the leg' (i.e. goes in the direction you nudge it with your leg) if you need to move over to the verge quickly.
Dressage Lessons
A qualified BHS instructor will provide dressage lessons at Limebrook to prelim/novice level or higher depending on the ability of your horse.
Dressage involves a performing a selection of school exercises. Descriptions of basic exercises are found on linked pages on this site (circles, serpentines, figures of eight, shallow bends etc.)
A horse cannot perform well in any discipline unless he has been trained to improve his balance and responsiveness. Jumping, hacking, or competing in any form is better if the horse can balance himself so he carries more of this weight on his hindquarters.
Learning how to get the best from your horse is a real pleasure. In learning you begin to 'feel' the horse under you, and understand his way of going.
At Limebrook tuition is available to give the basics of correct schooling for riders who might wish to go on to take up this discipline seriously. For riders who just want to be able to have fun on a horse, or go on to other disciplines, it ensures they learn safely how to give the correct instructions (aids) to the horse so that it does what the rider wants it to do.
You may be having so much fun in your lessons that you do not realise the amount of instruction you are being given - but how useful it is on a hack to have a horse which 'moves away from the leg' (i.e. goes in the direction you nudge it with your leg) if you need to move over to the verge quickly.
Dressage Lessons
A qualified BHS instructor will provide dressage lessons at Limebrook to prelim/novice level or higher depending on the ability of your horse.
Dressage involves a performing a selection of school exercises. Descriptions of basic exercises are found on linked pages on this site (circles, serpentines, figures of eight, shallow bends etc.)
| Level of Test | Points required | Movements to be included |
| Preliminary | Open to horses with 37 British Dressage Points or less | 20 metre circles in trot and canter Half 10 metre circles in walk Change of rein across the diagonal |
| Novice | Open to horses with 74 British Dressage Points or less | Half 15 metre circles in canter 3 or 4 loop serpentines in trot show some lengthened strides Rein back (3-4 steps) |
| Elementary | Open to horses with 149 British Dressage Points or less | Medium trot/canter Collected trot/canter Shoulder-in 5 loop serpentine |
| Medium | Open to horses with 249 British Dressage Points or less | Extended trot/walk Pirouette in walk Half pass in trot/canter Travers |
| Advanced Medium | Open to horses with 324 British Dressage Points or less | Half pass zig-zags 8 metre circles in canter (collected) Serpentine in canter with flying changes |
| Advanced (Including Prix St Georges, Intermediaire and Grand Prix) | Open to any horse | Canter pirouettes Sequence flying changes Piaffe Passage |
Dressage Tests
Dressage competitions consist of taking part in a series of dressage tests. Your horse is awarded points based on the score obtained in the test. As the horse gains points he must move on to the next level of test.
The test level, points required and movements (exercises) which should be included are shown below.
Dressage competitions consist of taking part in a series of dressage tests. Your horse is awarded points based on the score obtained in the test. As the horse gains points he must move on to the next level of test.
The test level, points required and movements (exercises) which should be included are shown below.
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One of the Limebrook Livery owners and her horse competing in a dressage test
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