1. A good rider lives on the small number of good steps and he builds on them. He forgets about the bad things. Inexperienced riders think mostly about the bad things.

2. There are many roads to the top of the mountain, but the view is the same from the top.

3. With transitions, horses find their balance by themselves.

4. A horse has a memory shorter than a dog-which might be three seconds. You must reward immediately.

5. In a proper pirouette, there is no suspension and it is bound to be four beat.

6. Even a foal can do one-tempi changes.

7. I have had to work to get flying changes because I didn’t have a schoolmaster when I was learning. I count the steps: 1, 2, 3. Here is what I do:

• I check that my horse is listening to me by doing a big half halt. If he is not listening I don’t ask for the change until he is sharper.
• I take my new outside leg back.
• I ask for the change.

8. A horse only works for 45 minutes. He can carry us for that 45 minutes.

9. Never work a horse until he is sour … especially young horses in the arena.

10. Don’t bother with shoulder-in or any other movements if you are not able to influence the length of the horse’s steps. There is no hope in hell until you can.

11. When you train at home, do one thing at a time-pirouette one day and half pass another, so you have time to do each thing with quality. You might choose canter work on one day and trot work on another.

12. Using the Fillis method of holding the reins of a double bridle, you take the bridoon as if you were driving. It will make the muscles of the lower arm soft and it is easier to use each bit separately.

13. Horse-and rider-combinations are a bit like a marriage. You have to find the horse you can work with. I like energetic, hot horses for myself.

14. In training you have to be very honest. You cannot lie to your horse or your trainer or the dressage judges. If you only can do something one out of 10 times at home, then you know you have to be lucky at the show–and we know we’re not always dead lucky.

15. There are two ways of riding. At home you have to be very aware of your problems but you can’t be too picky at the show. 16. If I don’t have control in walk I won’t get it in trot or canter either.

17. At shows, we see many poor pirouettes in Fourth Level and Prix St. Georges. The collection in pirouette must be as great as it is in piaffe. For that reason, I teach the piaffe first [even though the pirouette appears much earlier in the tests.]

18. Many horses and riders get stuck at Prix St. Georges. You can still carry a horse around in Prix St. Georges, but when you start Intermediaire II and Grand Prix, the horse must carry himself.

19. Every time the rider uses a hand or a leg aid, the horse must respond. Even a bad response is better than no response at all.

20. Keep the good things good and don’t nag about the bad things but don’t ignore them either.

21. Work on the more difficult things on a basic level so the horse feels that he has succeeded.

22. For some horses, I am as happy with a score of 6 as I would be for a 10 on another horse. Continue with a strong 6 until the judges start to give a small 7 for it-instead of trying to overpower the horse to improve the movement and end up getting a 4. If you go from a strong 6 to a weak 7 in every movement you have gone from a 60 percent to a 70 percent. 23. When you have had a good ride, be sure to find time to write down some notes about how it felt. Often after you have won, everyone wants to have a champagne and there’s no time to remember how it felt. When you do poorly, no one wants to come talk to you and there’s plenty of time to reflect upon how it felt.

24. If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got. If you are not happy with what you are getting, you have to change what you are doing.

If you have the land to spare, a dressage arena could prove a good long-term use for the space – after all the horse can only benefit further from extra dressage work even when the test is consigned to the history books. You can use a dressage arena to teach sensible training techniques that will keep the horse disciplined and encourage good riding practice.

Although the prospect of building a dressage arena might give you sleepless nights worrying about finance, there’s no need to make cost an issue, as a dressage arena can be as simple in design as you like – you don’t even to physically build anything if you don’t want to.

First of all, mark out an appropriate ‘zone’ in which to build your dressage arena. Ask the organiser of the local dressage competition about the size of the arena being used for the test and try and replicate these conditions so the horse does not become overwhelmed on the day of the competition. Generally, the arena should be roughly 20-40m in length and 20m wide – these are the standard measurements for most horse dressage arenas.

Obviously, when you are practicing with your horse, you’ll need to have full awareness of the arena’s perimeter. Mark this out clearly as you map the design out – special grass spray paints and poles can help replicate the shape of a dressage arena. Another condition of the dressage test that needs to be mirrored in the arena is the lettering that indicates a new skill demonstration. Specialist supply shops may sell dummy test letters, but it’s probably just as simple to provide your own versions. Search around your house and garage for items such as old tyres or other harmless markers that can substitute as letters. Study the layout of the dressage arena in test conditions so you can practice separate manoeuvres in the appropriate part of the arena.

After you have seen your dressage arena transformed from a dream into a reality, it’s important not to rest on your laurels. The arena will need regular maintenance for it to be suitable for regular, disciplined training. Re-spray the perimeter every couple of weeks and keep ground conditions at a sensible level. Although your horse dressage arena might not quite live up to the real thing, it can be an extremely useful tool in ensuring you pass with flying colours on test day.

At which level should I start competing?
The level you compete at is restricted by the number of points your horse has won. If your horse has no points, you do not have to start competing at the lower levels, but to compete in a prix st georges class, you must have scored 60% or above in an advanced test.

Do I need to plait my horse when I compete in affiliated classes?
There are no rules to say you must plait your horse, but most people do.

Can my horse wear boots and bandages?

They are allowed while warming-up, but not during a test.

Can my trainer warm up my horse?
Yes, except in winter, summer, music regionals and championships when no-one other than the competitor may school the horse from the saddle for the duration of the show, except for disabled classes grade I and II.

Do I have to leave the arena at A at the end of a test?
No, you may leave the arena on a long rein where appropriate.

Is rising trot allowed?
You can do sitting or rising trot during all tests up to and including elementary level.

1. The rider must constantly be thinking and keeping open the lines of communication with the horse remembering every horse is different and should be ridden as an individual
2. A well trained horse will gain confidence in themselves by building on their physical capabilities in a gradual way so they can understand the task that they are being asked to do, the horse is a heard animal its from the knowledge of where he stands in the order of his life in terms of routine, consistency and repetition of his training.All these things increase their ability.
3. Stay away from short cuts, they only exist in the minds of inpatient riders
4. Remember Dressage equals quality not quantity
5. The main aim of Dressage is to create harmony and balance between horse and rider
6. At all times the rider must remain aware and promote mental self discipline
7. The quality of the gaits takes precedence over all.
8. Progressing comes through a gradual build up of correct training
9. Go and watch as much good Dressage as you can

Self carriage: moving the horse in a correct and balanced frame without your horse relying on you to hold him there.

Resistance: when the horse resists the rider’s aids and refuses to do as asked.

Suppleness: when the horse responds to the rider’s request to bend and give flexion without resistance.

On the bit: the horse moves forward with energy into the rider’s hands. He accepts bit contact, even seeks contact with the rider’s hands. He is not resistant to contact. He doesn’t come above the bit with his head raised or suck back behind the bit, refusing contact.

Contact: constant communication with your horse via your hands through the reins to the bit. The feel is consistent, active and alive.

Flexion/Roundness: bending with suppleness of the horse throughout his body. Some refer to this as riding one’s horse round.
Bending/bend: when the horse creates a curve through his body from ear to through the spine to the tail. Bending creates more suppleness as well as engagement of the hind legs for lateral movements.

Engagement: think of this as tracking up well in the hind end but with added flexion in the hock and stifle. This causes the horse to “sit” more by lowering the haunches. To get proper engagement, you must ride your horse correctly on the bit, moving forward and working toward self carriage.

Lateral movements: movements such as the leg yield or shoulder in that require a horse to cross his legs while moving sideways and forward.

Impulsion: the forward energy. With the horse moving his hind legs well under him, “tracking up,” more thrust energy goes forward.

Should I compete in the open or restricted section?

Classes are split into open and restricted sections to create fair competition. The section you compete in is determined by your rider group. The restricted section is for riders who have won points at that level and up to 14 points at the next level up; the open section is for riders who have won more than 14 points at levels higher than the one they are competing in. For example, if a rider has won more than 14 points at medium or any points at advanced medium or above, they will need to compete in the open sections at levels lower than medium.

Can non-members compete in affiliated prelim classes?
Yes. Prelim classes are split into open and restricted sections. The open section is for anyone, member or non-member, riding a registered or non-registered horse which must not have won more than 49 points. Those competing in open sections do not qualify for summer or winter regional finals.

How do the points work?
You win points when you compete in an affiliated class at novice level and above and score more than 60%. The points are awarded to the horse according to the percentage they score above 60%. For example, if you score 65% in an elementary class, the horse wins three points.

At which level should I start competing?
The level you compete at is restricted by the number of points your horse has won. If your horse has no points, you do not have to start competing at the lower levels, but to compete in a prix st georges class, you must have scored 60% or above in an advanced test.

Taken from http://www.britishdressage.co.uk/homepage