Join dressage coach extraordinaire Gareth Hughes as he explains how to use mental cues to improve your precision in the saddle

As told to Kiera Boyle.

In this feature. . . ➤ Straighten up your horse's centre lines

➤ Plan the perfect halt ➤ Circle symmetry summed up

Our expert

Gareth Hughes is an international dressage rider who’s represented Great Britain on numerous occasions. He’s the current British national dressage champion, and has two World Championship silver medals as well as a silver and bronze European medal to his credit. He was the travelling alternative for Tokyo 2020.

Our model

Ruby Hughes, aged 14, is one of Britain’s most exciting up-and-coming dressage riders, having successfully represented her country on pony teams. She rides the Kroll family’s KK Dominant – a13-year-old stallion who's competed successfully at Grand Prix with Gareth.

Photos: Jon Stroud

Accuracy’s a hot topic because it’s something we riders have a lot of control over. After all, riding accurately ultimately comes down to knowing where you’re going, using your eyes and simple maths. However, it’s far easier to be accurate when you don’t have half a tonne of horse influencing you. That’s when accuracy starts to mean more than simply riding a perfectly geometric test – it comes as a corollary of your horse mastering the other vital elements of training that are required to execute a movement with precision – straightness and suppleness, in particular.