24/05/2026
• Inside leg — The leg closest to the centre of the arena; used to create bend and keep the horse forward and straight.
• Outside leg — The leg nearest the wall; helps control the horse’s hindquarters and support turns.
• Inside rein — Rein that asks for bend and flexion to the inside.
• Outside rein — Rein that controls speed, straightness, and the outside shoulder.
• Contact — A soft, steady feel down the reins to the horse’s mouth; not pulling, just a connection.
• On the bit — The horse working in a round, balanced outline with engagement from behind.
• Leg on — Keep your legs gently against the horse to encourage forwardness and straightness.
• Half‑halt — A momentary rebalance using seat, leg, and rein to prepare the horse for something (transition, corner, movement).
• Transition — Changing pace (walk to trot) or changing within a pace (working trot to collected trot).
• Upward transition — Moving to a faster pace.
• Downward transition — Moving to a slower pace.
• Track left/right — The direction you ride around the arena; “track left” means left rein.
• Centre line — The straight line down the middle of the arena.
• Three‑quarter line — A line between the track and the centre line; used for straightness work.
• Circle — A round shape ridden at 10m, 15m, or 20m depending on level.
• Serpentine — A snaking pattern of loops that improves suppleness and bend.
• Diagonal — Riding from one corner of the arena to the opposite corner.
• Rising trot — Standing and sitting with the horse’s trot rhythm to make it smoother.
• Sitting trot — Staying seated and absorbing the movement with your hips.
• Correct diagonal — Rising when the horse’s outside shoulder moves forward.
• Change the rein — Changing direction across the school.
• Give and retake — Softening the reins briefly to show the horse is in self‑carriage.
• Working pace — The horse’s natural, balanced pace.
• Collected pace — Shorter, more controlled steps.
• Lengthened strides — Bigger, more forward steps without rushing.
• Inside bend — Horse curves around your inside leg.
• Straightness — Horse’s body aligned nose‑to‑tail on the line of travel.
