EP 09 // From Rhythm to Collection: How to Use the Training Scale in Your Daily Dressage Training

From Rhythm to Collection: How to Use the Training Scale in Your Daily Dressage Training

Welcome back to the Happy Rider, Healthy Horse Podcast! In this episode, we dive into one of the most important foundations for every dressage rider: the training scale. Don’t worry — this isn’t a lecture. We’ll explore the scale in a way that makes sense in the saddle, with real-life examples and practical exercises you can use tomorrow.

We break the training scale into three phases:

Phase 1 – Familiarisation: Your horse’s “elementary school” of dressage. Here we focus on:

• Rhythm: Every step, in every gait, should be even and steady. Try forest rides, pole work, or slow arena trots to really feel your horse’s back.
• Looseness: A relaxed horse is a happy horse. Learn to recognize swinging backs, soft breathing, and elastic contact.
• Contact / Acceptance of the bit: True contact is soft, elastic, and forward, not a pulled head. Practice low-tempo gaits and steady hands to build trust.

Phase 2 – Developing Push / Thrust: Once rhythm, looseness, and contact are established, we focus on impulsion and straightness:

• Impulsion is energy traveling over the back into the reins — not rushing, but suspended power.
• Straightness helps your horse load both hind legs equally, setting the stage for carrying more weight behind.

Phase 3 – Developing Collection: The “holy grail” of dressage. Collection is not about pulling the head in — it’s the result of all previous steps working together: rhythm, looseness, contact, impulsion, and straightness. When done correctly, it feels like your horse is dancing with you — light, balanced, and powerful.

Practical Homework for This Week:

• Rhythm: Forest walks, straight-track trots, or riding over poles to find natural tempo. Try switching diagonals on a large circle to maintain even rhythm.
• Looseness: Ride four poles in a circle repeatedly to encourage correct bending and suppleness.
• Contact: Ride in low tempo, letting the horse stretch into your hand; try holding both reins in both hands briefly.
• Impulsion: Transitions between gaits and within gaits, including shoulder-in exercises on circles.
• Straightness: Ride slightly inside the arena track at slow walk to feel and correct drifting shoulders or hind legs.
• Collection: Walk transitions, sitting tall, engaging your core, and feeling your horse shift weight behind before softening and lengthening again.

Whether you’re aiming for your next dressage test or just want a stronger connection with your horse, this episode gives you practical, step-by-step guidance to apply the training scale in everyday riding.

🔗 Resources & Links: 👉 Join the Happy Rider, Healthy Horse Facebook group for visuals of the exercises 👉 Connect with me to hear more about 1:1 online coaching or if you are situated in DK you can order a Masterson session. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

💡 Takeaway: Think of the training scale like building a house: you can’t start with the roof. Lay the foundation first, and when cracks appear, return to the basics. Step by step, your horse will become stronger, happier, and more balanced — and your riding will feel smoother and more connected.