This is part of a game called Caballus
Driven Dressage
Driven dressage is exactly what it sounds like -- dressage in harness. As with regular dressage, driven dressage competitions demand a high degree of training, suppleness, obedience, and safety. In all paces and movements, the horses must be on the bit and correctly positioned. Cadence and impulsion must be retained throughout the test. Driven dressage, despite not being as well known as other sports, is an FEI recognized sport, with the FEI providing international level tests. In America, the American Driving Society controls and provides all driven dressage tests.
The object of Dressage is the harmonious development of the physique and ability of the horse. Through progressive training the horse becomes calm, supple, and flexible as well as confident, attentive and keen in his work. These qualities are revealed by the freedom and regularity of the paces; the harmony, lightness and ease of movement; the lightness of the forehand and the engagement of the hindquarters, originating in a lively impulsion; and the acceptance of the bridle, without any tenseness or resistance. The horse, confident and attentive, submits generously to the driver, remaining straight in any movement on a straight line and bending accordingly when moving on curved lines. His walk is regular, free and unconstrained. His trot is free, supple, regular, sustained and active. Because the horse has impulsion and is free from resistance he will obey without hesitation and respond to the various aids calmly and with precision, displaying a natural and harmonious balance both physically and mentally. In all his work, even at the halt, the horse should be ‘on the bit’. A horse is said to be ‘on the bit’ when the hocks are correctly placed, the neck is more or less
raised and arched according to the stage of training and the extension or collection of the pace, and he accepts the bridle with a light and soft contact and submissiveness throughout. The head should remain in a steady position, as a rule slightly in front of the vertical, with a supple poll as the highest point of the neck, and no resistance should be offered to the driver.
Multiple Hitches
Driven dressage is not just for single hitch, but for multiple hitch types. In multiple horse hitches, such as a pair or a four-in-hand, the team must give a picture of harmony, and should match in conformation and action. A groom, which is optional for singles, is mandatory for pairs, and two grooms are mandatory unicorns or four horse hitches.
Levels of Driven Dressage
There are four levels of driven dressage, training, preliminary, intermediate, and advanced. The tests must be driven from memory, except in training level tests, where the test may be called. The following is a description of the required paces and movements for the
four levels, quoted from the ADS handbook:
Training Level Tests: The purpose of these tests is to establish that
the correct foundation is being laid for the training of the driving horse
requiring the green horse to move freely forward in a free walk on long rein
and the working trot, in rhythm while accepting the bit with relaxation,
through transitions and 40 m. circles. This level is also intended to
encourage the inexperienced driver.
American Driving Society Training Level Test (acrobat file)
Preliminary Level Tests: The purpose of these tests is to establish that
the horse has acquired a degree of balance and suppleness in addition to the
rhythmical, free forward motion expected at the Training Level. While
consistently accepting the bit the horse exhibits more activity of the
haunches in the working trot and lengthened walk. To be demonstrated in:
30 m. circles, 20 m. half circles, 3 loop serpentine, and lengthened trot.
American Driving Society Preliminary Level Test (acrobat file)
Intermediate Level Tests: The purpose of these tests is to establish that
the horse has become more freely forward with greater use of the haunches
than at the Preliminary level, while remaining light in hand without
resistance. To be demonstrated in the working walk and trot, the lengthened
trot, the 5 second halt, the rein back, and the five loop serpentine.
American Driving Society Intermediate Level Test (acrobat file)
Advanced Level Tests: The purpose of these tests is to establish that the
horse has acquired a greater degree of suppleness, balance and lightness in
hand than at the Intermediate level while remaining reliably on the bit,
producing more impulsion through further strength in the haunches and
relaxation of the back and poll enabling the driver to collect and extend the
trot. To be demonstrated in the collected and extended trot, the rein back,
and the 10 second halt.
FEI Advanced Level Test (acrobat file)
Movements and Paces
The following are the paces and movements called for in a driven dressage test, quoted from the American Driving Society's handbook:
THE HALT: At the halt, the horse should stand attentive, motionless and straight, with the weight evenly distributed over all four legs, if a multiple, all must be square and aligned with one another. The horse may quietly champ the bit, while maintaining
a light contact with the driver’s hand, and should be ready to move off at the slightest indication. The halt is obtained by the displacement of the horse’s weight on the quarters by properly used aids, driving the horse forward towards a restraining but allowing
hand, causing an almost instantaneous, but not abrupt halt at the previously fixed pace.
FREE WALK: The free walk is a pace of relaxation in which the horse is allowed
the freedom to lower and stretch out his head and neck to the utmost. The reins
must be long enough to allow for this stretch, however, they should not be loose
enough to loop. It is desirable that the hind feet touch the ground clearly in front
of the foot prints of the fore feet (overtracking).
WORKING WALK: A regular and unconstrained walk. The horse should walk
energetically but calmly with even and determined steps with distinct, marked
four equally spaced beats. The driver should maintain a light and steady
contact with the horse’s mouth (“on the bit”). The horse's hind feet should at
least step into the prints of the fore feet.
LENGTHENED WALK: This a more determined and ground covering walk than
the working walk. The main difference between the free walk and the length-ened
walk is that the driver now actively asks the horse to produce more push
from behind and thus lengthen his stride. The horse must flex his poll
somewhat and is expected to work into the bit on a soft contact. The horse
should not stretch as long and as low as in the free walk, but has to show a
definite lengthening and lowering of the frame compared to the working walk.
Some overtrack is expected.
THE WORKING TROT: A regular and unconstrained trot, in which a horse, even if
not yet trained and ready for collected movements, shows himself properly
balanced and remaining on the bit, goes forward with even elastic steps and
good hock action. The expression “good hock action” means here a free and
energetic forward swing of the hind legs with hocks brought well forward
underneath the horse's body, aiding in his free forward movement.
THE COLLECTED TROT: In the collected trot the horse is expected to move with
more impulsion and engagement than in the working trot. Therefore his
haunches must be more compressed, his loins more strongly coiled and his
croup lowered. As a result the horse's neck and head will be raised higher and
his center of balance will be shifted permanently more towards the rear, thus
enabling the shoulders to move with greater ease and freedom. As the horse's
frame is shorter than in other trots, his steps will also be shorter but must be
more elevated, and he appears lighter and more mobile throughout. Hollowing
and/or stiffening the back are severe faults. Only a moderate degree of
collection should be expected from a driving horse.
LENGTHEN STRIDE IN THE TROT: This trot is used as a preparation for the
extended trot. While maintaining the same rhythm, the horse covers more
ground than in the working trot. He must lengthen and lower the frame and
stride while remaining on contact.
THE EXTENDED TROT: The horse covers as much ground as possible.
Maintaining the same rhythm, he lengthens his step to the utmost as a
result of great impulsion from the hindquarters. The driver allows the
horse, remaining on the bit to lower and extend his neck in order to
prevent his action from becoming higher.
THE REIN BACK: The rein back is a backward movement in which the feet are raised and set down
simultaneously by diagonal pairs. The feet should be well raised and the hind feet remain well in line. At the preceding halt as well as during the rein back, the horse, although standing motionless and moving back respectively, should remain on the bit, maintaining his
desire to move forward. Anticipation or precipitation of the movement, resistance to or evasion of the hand, deviation of the quarters from the straight line, spreading or inactive hind legs and dragging fore feet are serious faults. If, in a dressage test, a trot is required after a rein back, the horse should move off immediately into his pace, without a halt or intermediate step.
THE TRANSITIONS: The changes of pace should be clearly shown when the horse’s nose arrives at the
prescribed marker; they should be quickly made, yet must be smooth and not abrupt. The rhythm of a pace should be maintained up to the moment the pace is changed or the horse halts. The horse should remain light in hand, calm and maintain a
correct position. In the lower levels, transitions from trot to halt and from halt to trot may be executed progressively through the walk by making two or three well defined walk steps.
HALF HALT: The half-halt is a hardly visible, almost simultaneous, coordinated action of the
aids, (voice, whip, and hands of the driver), with the object of increasing the attention
and balance of the horse before the execution of several movements or transitions to
lesser and higher paces. In shifting slightly more weight onto the horse’s quarters the
engagement of the hind legs and the balance on the haunches are facilitated for the
benefit of the lightness of the forehand and the horse’s balance as a whole.
CHANGES OF DIRECTION: At the changes of direction, the horse should adjust the bend of his body to the
curvature of the line he follows, remaining supple and following the indications of the
driver without resistance or change of pace, rhythm or speed.
SERPENTINE: These are a series of half circles from one side of the arena to the
other, connected by straight lines. Starting and finishing by driving into the
corners is incorrect. The number of loops are prescribed in the tests.
FIGURE OF EIGHT: This figure consists of two exact circles of equal size as
prescribed in the test, joined at the center of the eight. The horse should
straighten an instant before changing direction at the center of the figure.
HALF-CIRCLE: This movement consists of a half-circle of stated diameter
followed by a return to the original track on a straight line. In a pair or four-in-
hand, the pole should touch the centerline briefly at the end of the half circle
before returning to the track on a straight line.
THE DEVIATION: A gradual movement away from the long side of the arena to
reach a maximum value prescribed with a gradual movement back to the track.