Lateral Movements

1. The main aim of lateral movements – except leg-yielding – is to develop and increase the engagement of the hindquarters and thereby also the collection.
2. In all lateral movements – shoulder-in, travers, renvers, and half-pass, the Horse is slightly bent and moves on different tracks.
3. The bend or flexion must never be exaggerated so that it does not impair the rhythm, the balance and fluency of the movement.
4. In the lateral movements, the pace should remain free and regular, maintaining a constant impulsion, yet it must be supple, cadenced and balanced. The impulsion is often lost because of the Athlete’s preoccupation with bending the Horse and pushing it sideways.
5. Shoulder-in. The shoulder-in is performed in Collected trot. The Horse is ridden with a slight but uniform bend around the inside leg of the Athlete maintaining engagement and cadence and a constant angle of approx. thirty (30) degrees. The Horse’s inside foreleg passes and crosses in front of the outside foreleg; the inside hind leg steps forward under the Horse’s body weight following the same track of the outside foreleg, with the lowering of the inside hip. The Horse is bent away from the direction in which it is moving.
6. Travers. Travers can be performed in Collected trot or Collected canter. The Horse is slightly bent round the inside leg of the Athlete but with a greater degree of bend than in shoulder-in. A constant angle of approximately thirty five (35) degrees should be shown (from the front and from behind one -1- sees four -4- tracks). The forehand remains on the track and the quarters are moved inwards. The Horse’s outside legs pass and cross in front of the inside legs. The Horse is bent in the direction in which it is moving.
To start the travers, the quarters must leave the track or, after a corner or circle, are not brought back onto the track. At the end of the travers, the quarters are brought back on the track (without any counter-flexion of the poll/neck) as one (1) would finish a circle.
Aims of travers: To show a fluent Collected trot movement on a straight line and a correct bend. Front and hind legs are crossing, balance and cadence are maintained.
7. Renvers. Renvers is the inverse movement in relation to travers. The hindquarters remain on the track while the forehand is moved inward. To finish the renvers the forehand is aligned with the quarters on the track. Otherwise, the same principles and conditions that apply to the travers are applicable to the renvers.
The Horse is slightly bent around the inside leg of the Athlete. The Horse’s outside legs pass and cross in front of the inside legs. The Horse is bent in the direction in which it is moving.
Aims of renvers: To show a fluent Collected trot movement on a straight line with a greater degree of bend than in shoulder-in. Fore and hind legs cross, balance and cadence are maintained.
8. Half pass. Half-pass is a variation of travers, executed on a diagonal line instead of along the wall. It can be performed in Collected trot (and in passage in a freestyle) or Collected canter. The Horse should be slightly bent around the inside leg of the Athlete and in the direction in which it is moving. The Horse should maintain the same cadence and balance throughout the whole movement. In order to give more freedom and mobility to the shoulders, it is of great importance that the impulsion be maintained, especially the engagement of the inside hind leg. The Horse’s body is nearly parallel to the long side of the arena with the forehand slightly in advance of the hindquarters.
In the trot, the outside legs pass and cross in front of the inside legs. In the canter, the movement is performed in a series of forward/sideways strides.
Aims of half-pass in trot: To show a fluent collected trot movement on a diagonal line with a greater degree of bend than in shoulder-in. Fore and hind legs cross, balance and cadence are maintained.
Aims of the half-pass in canter: To both demonstrate and develop the collection and suppleness of the canter by moving fluently forwards and sideways without any loss of rhythm, balance or softness and submission to the bend.
Leg yielding along the wall
Leg Yield 1