Dressage Training: How To Collect A Horse
Collection is a frequently misunderstood term. It has nothing to do with putting the horse's face on the vertical and everything to do with gathering up your horse's energy to strengthen his body and to put brilliance into his gaits.
This brilliant visual shows the difference between collected and uncollected horses.
If you were a horse which way would you prefer to be ridden—with your head cranked down, your back hollow, and your legs trailing behind you, OR with your legs under you, your back raised, and your face comfortably relaxed in your rider's hands?
Collection is the aim of all good riding simply because it is good for the horse. It is a way of strengthening the horse's topline, putting brilliance in his gaits, and improving his longevity. Horses that are not ridden this way invariably have sway backs, weak haunches, and lameness problems.
That being said, don't expect that every dressage rider or trainer understands what the term means or how to develop it in your horse.
Here is how to collect a horse.
If you were a horse which way would you prefer to be ridden—with your head cranked down, your back hollow, and your legs trailing behind you, OR with your legs under you, your back raised, and your face comfortably relaxed in your rider's hands?
Collection is the aim of all good riding simply because it is good for the horse. It is a way of strengthening the horse's topline, putting brilliance in his gaits, and improving his longevity. Horses that are not ridden this way invariably have sway backs, weak haunches, and lameness problems.
That being said, don't expect that every dressage rider or trainer understands what the term means or how to develop it in your horse.
Here is how to collect a horse.
Step 1: The all-important half halt.
If you can't execute a good half halt, you can't collect your horse. Period.
A half halt does not mean slowing your horse down. It means rebalancing your horse by shifting his weight toward his haunches, bringing his hind legs under him, and raising his back.
The half-halt depends on your powerhouse of core muscles, not your hands. Here's how:
If you can't execute a good half halt, you can't collect your horse. Period.
A half halt does not mean slowing your horse down. It means rebalancing your horse by shifting his weight toward his haunches, bringing his hind legs under him, and raising his back.
The half-halt depends on your powerhouse of core muscles, not your hands. Here's how:
- Stretch your torso so that it feels longer while keeping your shoulders low
- Rotate your pelvis forward so that your pubic bone moves up in the direction of your navel, This tightens your abdominal muscles and flattens your lower back.
- Squeeze (don't pull) your reins by closing your fingers, allowing your little finger to come closer to the underside of your wrist, as though you were gently pouring water out of a pitcher.
Ride your horse forward for a few strides, then go back to working or medium trot or canter. This is hard work for your horse! It will take time for his muscles to develop enough strength to ride in collection for longer periods. Patience is the key.
What is the Difference Between Working, Medium, Extended, and Collected Trot?
Here are three photos from Classical Dressage Scotland that beautifully illustrate these concepts.
What is the Difference Between Working, Medium, Extended, and Collected Trot?
Here are three photos from Classical Dressage Scotland that beautifully illustrate these concepts.
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Step 2: Refine your half halt.
Once you can perform step 1 with ease, put the final touches on your collection.
Your horse has two sides to her body, and the timing of your aids must be synchronized with each side's movement.
You want to bring your horse's hind leg more under her body. But you can only influence a hind leg when it is lifting off the ground, and you can only influence a hind leg with your own leg. The reins won't due it. Here's what to do:
These gentle movements lay the foundation for more advanced movements such as tempi changes, passage, and piaffe. But for now, they simply improve your horse's collection.
Here are some photos from the late Christian Thiess' Horse Magazine article that illustrate these concepts. In the first photo, the inside hind leg is beginning to leave the ground. This is when the rider's inside leg aid will be most effective. In the second photo, the inside hind leg is returning to the ground. The inside aids should be relaxed. If the rider tries to apply the leg now, it will be ineffective and confuse the horse. You do the same on the outside--apply the outside aids when the outside hind leaves the ground and relax them went it returns to the ground. I strongly recommend reading his entire article as it explains these aids in detail.
Once you can perform step 1 with ease, put the final touches on your collection.
Your horse has two sides to her body, and the timing of your aids must be synchronized with each side's movement.
You want to bring your horse's hind leg more under her body. But you can only influence a hind leg when it is lifting off the ground, and you can only influence a hind leg with your own leg. The reins won't due it. Here's what to do:
- Apply pressure with your right leg when the right hind is rising, and your left leg when the left hind is rising. If you're not sure when that is happening, look at your horse's shoulders. In trot, the right hind is rising when the left fore is reaching forward and vice versa.
- Rather than squeezing, lift your horse's back by gently applying pressure with your heel (or spur) to lift your horse's ribs. If you have ever stroked your horse's belly from the midline to her ribs in order to give her a bit of a massage, you know that this action causes her to raise her back slightly on the side being stroked. You're using the same principle here. You may also squeeze the reins slightly more on the same side.
These gentle movements lay the foundation for more advanced movements such as tempi changes, passage, and piaffe. But for now, they simply improve your horse's collection.
Here are some photos from the late Christian Thiess' Horse Magazine article that illustrate these concepts. In the first photo, the inside hind leg is beginning to leave the ground. This is when the rider's inside leg aid will be most effective. In the second photo, the inside hind leg is returning to the ground. The inside aids should be relaxed. If the rider tries to apply the leg now, it will be ineffective and confuse the horse. You do the same on the outside--apply the outside aids when the outside hind leaves the ground and relax them went it returns to the ground. I strongly recommend reading his entire article as it explains these aids in detail.
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Step 3: Lift the base of the neck.
Look at the diagram to the left, taken from the excellent article on collection by Sustainable Dressage (which I recommend you also read.) Notice that as your horse's weight is shifted back onto the hind legs, it is possible for her to raise her head, neck, and shoulders while flexing at the poll.
The rein aid for achieving this is quite simple:
Look at the diagram to the left, taken from the excellent article on collection by Sustainable Dressage (which I recommend you also read.) Notice that as your horse's weight is shifted back onto the hind legs, it is possible for her to raise her head, neck, and shoulders while flexing at the poll.
The rein aid for achieving this is quite simple:
- Squeeze the reins to soften the jaw.
- Once your horse relaxes her jaw, shorten your reins so that she flexes at the poll. Don't pull her head down.
The point is that once she is carrying more weight in her hindquarters and has used her belly muscles to lift her back, you can allow her to raise her neck at the base.
Shortening the reins doesn't pull the horse's head down. Instead, you have lowered her croup and shortened her carriage from front to back. As a result, you must shorten your reins to maintain the same steady contact you had before you collected her. As you do this, she will raise her forehand from the base of the neck.
The end result.
By following these steps, you've developed collection by using the half halt to
Once all of that has happened, your horse's gait will be more elevated and her gaits will be shortened. All of that activated energy in her powerful haunches, back, and neck will put brilliance and spring into her gaits. The illustration at the left (also taken from Sustainable Dressage) shows the difference among the gaits as one works up to collection, and how correct collection is absolutely necessary for advanced moves like passage and piaffe.
By following these steps, you've developed collection by using the half halt to
- shift you horse's weight back onto her hind legs
- activate her belly muscles to raise her back
- raise her neck and flex her poll
Once all of that has happened, your horse's gait will be more elevated and her gaits will be shortened. All of that activated energy in her powerful haunches, back, and neck will put brilliance and spring into her gaits. The illustration at the left (also taken from Sustainable Dressage) shows the difference among the gaits as one works up to collection, and how correct collection is absolutely necessary for advanced moves like passage and piaffe.
Follow these steps to develop collection at a slow and steady rate of progression. You will be absolutely amazed at how much more comfortable your horse is to ride. Your horse will thank you because, done right, collection will make her body stronger and more flexible, and her back better able to support your weight.
You can read more about half halts here and here
You can read more about the difference between working, medium, extended, and collected trot and canter here.
You can read more about collective movements here.
You can read more about degrees of collection here.
Happy riding!
Copyright Denise Cummins PhD July 13, 2016; updated July 4, 2018 and May 23 2024
The Thinking Equestrian
As long as you’re here, check these out!
Equestrian Products That Make Your Riding and Horse Care Easier and Better!
How to develop elastic rein contact
Dressage for Everyone
Opening Photo Credit: Renate Blank, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons--modified
You can read more about the difference between working, medium, extended, and collected trot and canter here.
You can read more about collective movements here.
You can read more about degrees of collection here.
Happy riding!
Copyright Denise Cummins PhD July 13, 2016; updated July 4, 2018 and May 23 2024
The Thinking Equestrian
As long as you’re here, check these out!
Equestrian Products That Make Your Riding and Horse Care Easier and Better!
How to develop elastic rein contact
Dressage for Everyone
Opening Photo Credit: Renate Blank, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons--modified
