game the better a rider you become. You are just playing the equestrian game. The game is just a dance between two moving bodies matched in movement waltzing together through the land or together through a patterned ride. Don’ t make it bigger than it is but know that your investment in this type of training builds a very special relationship between you and your horse that is rarely matched with other pets. We begin to feel each other in our partnership moving as one body together in balance.
Patterns
Going back to riding patterns, in the Introductory Level we see diagrams of lines and circles. The game is to be accurate while Wicked Master, WDAA World Champion maintaining a natural flow of movement and rhythm. Rhythm is footfall so our 1-2-3-4 gait is rhythm. Tempo is our speed so Intro tests test our ability to perform at a specific tempo while presenting an accurate rhythm of footfall matching our horse’ s gait descriptions.
We enter the 20 by 40 meter arena down the exact center at a slow relaxed flat walk and in most tests halt in the middle at X. This tests your ability to ride a half circle to A the marker at the beginning in the center of the short rail at the end. A is set back just a little allowing room for the horse to enter the opening in the short end. It rides best to pass in front of A instead of going around it and coming back to the center. Ride down the center looking at Marker C keeping it centered on the judge standing behind it. This is called siting like using the two sights of a rifle to shoot straight. If the Marker stays centered on the judge and doesn’ t drift left or right you are riding a straight line. Look at all the things being tested while just entering the arena. Bend on the turn in, roundness into a soft relaxed athletic movement that exhibits long sweeping elastic strides, straightness as you ride down center line and the ability to maintain roundness while you transition to a halt or to the walk at the appropriate area. There is even a western test where you don’ t halt or transition but instead just ride the whole straight line and turn left at marker C. In western there is also a test where you enter at a walk and halt at X in the middle. The tests in traditional and western are just determining how you are communicating with your horse while being challenged to different tasks. It’ s just a game being played with your horse. Some of us find it super fun to be challenged like this and it’ s definitely best to get comfortable laughing at yourself because we all make mistakes all the time!
Riding A Circle
The next movement found in most tests will be a circle. Everybody rides an egg shape or an oval their first few tries because it’ s hard to actually ride a circle. Start by riding a quarter circle first. Stand parallel to the short rail by the opening at A and look to the long rail at a 45 degree angle, that is where your next contact point will be on the long rail so ride this first quarter circle using the bend of a full circle. Just take one stride at this point of rail contact, because there is no straight line in a circle, and come off the rail immediately heading toward your next point of contact at X in the middle. X is between markers E and
March 2026 | NWHA National News 21