Text and in-article photos by Kristin Hermann
At a horse show one day, a local rider said to me, “It’s so silly that we all want the same picture, over and over again.” I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. So, what is that perfect Training Level photo we all want over and over again?
The Rider
First, we always want to see a rider in the correct riding position. This includes the vertical alignment of the rider’s ankle under the hip and shoulder, head in the middle of the horse, the correct length of stirrup, and a straight line from the elbow to the bit. Of course, there are small modifiers, like the toes should point ahead and not out, a natural curve in the lower back to absorb the motion of the horse’s back, the head over the shoulders, and the thumbs up versus in a “piano hand” position (this list could be continued). With the correct position, the rider better enables the horse to move “unconstrained” from the hind legs into the rider’s hands.
Tracking up with the horse’s top line reaching into the contact
The ideal picture of a horse working at basic dressage shows the horse stepping through (meaning taking a full length of stride), or, as it is better known, tracking up.
I have always asked what “through” means, and, according to the USDF Glossary of Judging Terms, it means the horse is working in a “supple, elastic, unblocked, connected state of the horse’s musculature and a willing mental state that permits an unrestricted flow of energy from back to front and front to back (circle of the aids), which allows the aids/influences to go through all parts of the horse.”
Basic dressage training encourages the horse to move unconstrained from behind to the bit, through the rider. Achieving this is not as easy as it sounds; the position of many riders causes them to unintentionally interfere with how the horse moves.
The dressage tests at Training Level use the word “unconstrained,” not only in reference to the rider’s position, but also, a correctly fitted saddle. But this article is about the end result of a picture; there are many other resources on correct saddle fitting. The goal of lower-level dressage is to showcase the natural movement of a horse with a rider sitting in the middle of its back.
Connection over the back to the bit
How the horse reaches for the contact is the next important aspect of the photo. Is the neck crunched in and tight? Is the mouth all wrinkly and tense, or open? Is the horse working correctly over its back and through the rider’s seat to the contact? We want the horse to be reaching toward the bit, flexed at the poll with their nose on the vertical, accepting contact from a pushing hind end.
The Horse’s Mouth
Training a horse to accept contact, or to be “on the bit,” is one of the most complex parts of dressage. We don’t want a horse with a short, tight neck that is pulled in, appearing to be on the bit; instead, we desire correct training that allows the horse to seek and reach for the contact with a full stride. A horse correctly working over its back through the rider to the bit will hold the bit nicely with a relaxed mouth and no tension. This entire practice is better known as “classical training.” A correctly trained horse will not be twisting in the neck, grinding at the bit, or tightening its jaw to protect itself from rough hands. We want all of our horses to be soft in the jaw and flexed at the poll.
There is some discussion in the dressage community about what “on the bit” actually looks like. For me, a horse is on the bit when they are flexed at the poll with the nose on the vertical. Some prefer the horse’s nose a little bit in front of the vertical, demonstrating a more open throatlatch.
The Tail
The horse’s tail is also an important aspect of a good photo. It needs to be relaxed and swinging; a tense tail indicates tension in the horse’s spine. There’s a classic saying that says to “ride the horse from tail to tongue” – it means to ride the horse back to front, in order to get a correct frame and for the horse to work correctly into the contact.
The Finished Photo
When the rider achieves these basics of dressage – a good riding position, the horse stepping over the back to the contact with flexion at the poll, and a soft jaw – then the camera comes out! Of course, half of the secret to a good photo is not only the proper training of rider and horse, but also the timing of the camera. That is why, if I take 40 pictures, maybe only five are really good.
To answer the question at the beginning of this article – what is that perfect Training Level photo we all want over and over again? The perfect picture shows the horse tracking up, working over its back, and accepting a light connection to the bit through the extension of the rein to connect the back end with the front end. It shows that the horse’s mouth is soft and the tail relaxed, with an overall harmonious silhouette.
When I see the horse and rider starting to mesh and look harmonious, I start taking pictures. Then I delete the ones of the horses that are not tracking up, twisting in the neck, counter bent, or the rider is leaning… A lot happens when we are riding, and a picture is just a second in time. That is why taking videos is so much more productive for learning, but that is another article for a different time.
