Straightness. It’s a key building block on the classical dressage training scale and, although the concept seems simple enough, straightness is something many riders struggle to achieve. The horse must be developed evenly on both sides of the body in order to achieve straightness, balance, and suppleness, yet most horses naturally have a weak or stiff side. Given the fact that most riders are stiffer or weaker on one side as well, it becomes easy to understand why straightness can be such a challenge.

Leslie Reid of Langley, BC, is a grand prix rider who has represented Canada on some of the dressage world’s biggest stages, including the Pan American Games, the Olympics, and the World Cup Finals. A certified Level III dressage coach who operates Top Fox Equestrian Centre, Reid sees riders struggling with straightness at all levels of the sport.

To begin with, riders must have a very correct seat themselves to ride a horse straight. A lot of straightness issues in the horse stem from the rider. They simply do not ‘feel’ when the horse is not straight, and do not achieve the degree of suppleness from their horse on both sides that is necessary to achieve straightness. However, it’s a skill every dressage rider must learn to master. Without straightness, there is no proper balance on the hind legs for the exercises and the horse cannot come round and travel with the croup down.

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