Perfecting Your Centre Line
Perfecting Your Centre Line
Equetech | March 03 2020Have you got a dressage test coming up? Have you ever received lower marks than you had hoped for? Over ridden or under shot your centre line? Or wobbled your way up to the C marker? Fear not, professional help is here! We spoke to our sponsored dressage rider Rachael Lane and asked her to share her top TEN tips on how to ride the perfect centre line!
2. The next tip has likely been told to you before, so remember to LOOK AT THE JUDGE. As you enter the arena, fixate on the end of the arena, and ride straight towards the judge’s car or judging box and don't take your eyes off them!
3. Make an entrance. Judges like to see positivity, and forwards riding, not rushed or hurried. Someone who is bringing their ‘A’ game, and means business, is more likely to get results. As you are riding around the edge of the arena, make sure your horse is off your leg, listening to your aids, and use some transitions if needed to get them listening! You need to prepare in the warm up arena, to ensure this translates to the arena.
4. Tunnel vision. As you ride your centre line, imagine you are in a walled tunnel and your goal is to ride as straight as you can down that tunnel without touching the walls on either side.
5. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Poor preparation for your turns is likely to result in a poor score. Make sure you prepare for the turn, use your outside rein for a gentle half halt, to ride a positive flowing turn.
6. Entering from the left or the right rein? Work out which is best for you and your horse on the day, and go with that. Your horse may feel more supple on one particular rein, take advantage of that and enter for your test on this rein. If you enter on the left rein and your first turn at C is to the right, don't forget to change your diagonal.
7. Ride the whole of the centre line! This might sound obvious but a positive centre line also needs to be a full centre line, ride as close to C before preparing for your turn.
8. Double trouble. There are at least two centre lines in your test, so remember this is your chance to pick up some easy marks if you can nail this move.
9. Don't forget to remove any boots or bandages! You don't want to get half way down the centre line and hear the dreaded bell from the judge telling you that you have been eliminated!
10. Rachael’s last tip for riding a perfect centre line? SMILE! It won't win you any extra marks but judges love to see competitors enjoying themselves.
One final tip from us; Don’t forget that is now compulsory for each British Dressage competitor to have two competition numbers, either on the bridle or on your saddle cloth, check out our range of competition numbers holders for style and function.
