ALL THE gear
Is your canter a little one-note? Establishing gears will unlock next-level flatwork and help boost your scores. Dressage supremo Spencer Wilton shows you how
As told to Bethany Searby.
Photos: Jo Hansford Photography
In this feature. . . ➤ Use shoulder-fore to improve collection
➤ Find and maintain a lower canter gear ➤ Create a next-level outline
Acombination stepping up to Medium level will be met with much bigger asks in the dressage arena.
As well as adding polish to Elementary movements, you’ll start seeing canter entries, travers and half-pass among other challenges in your tests.
Even if this level is a few seasons off for you and your horse, you can begin laying the foundations for success in future tests as soon as your next schooling session. Similarly, if you want to improve your scores at Medium, the exercises we’ll look at will help refine your work and boost your marks.
How? It’s all about finding lower gears in canter – ones with more power and control – and being able to hold on to them not just for a few strides, but as long as you need them.
Our models
Jodie Goodchild rides 15-year-old Passoa VT Beekhof Z (Philly), a Warmblood x Westphalian mare. The combination placed 10th in the 2020 Novice Petplan Equine Area Festival Championships and earned a 2021 qualification at Elementary. Having recently stepped up to Medium, Jodie’s looking to fine-tune and build confidence at this level.