USEF-WD
excerpts from USEF Rulebook Chapter WD
WD 103 The Walk
The horse, remaining “on the bit”, moves resolutely forward with his neck raised and showing a clear self-carriage. The head approaches the vertical position and a light contact is maintained with the mouth.
Head and neck should swing naturally as a result of a relaxed back and free shoulders. The nose shall be on or slightly in front of the vertical.
WD 104 The Jog
The horse, remaining “on the bit”, moves forward in a two-beat gait with the neck raised and arched and showing clear self-carriage. The head approaches the vertical position and a light contact is maintained with the mouth.
The horse must show proper balance and maintain light contact with the bit. The horse’s nose shall be on or slightly in front of the vertical.
The rider allows the horse to carry the head a little more in front of the vertical than at the Collected and the Working jog. The horse’s neck is “out”, down and forward, with the nose slightly in front of the vertical, with a loose rein and the poll at approximately the same height as the wither (the neck is level).
WD105 The Lope
The back must be relaxed and the shoulders free; there is an obvious push from the hindquarters and the hind legs step actively up under the horse. The horse must maintain light contact with the bit and his nose shall be on or slightly in front of the vertical.
WD106 Saddle Gait
- 3a. Collected Saddle Gait
The horse, remaining “on the bit”, moves forward with the neck raised and arched and showing clear self-carriage. The head approaches the vertical position and a light contact is maintained with the mouth.
The horse must show proper balance and maintain light contact with the bit. The horse’s nose must be on or slightly in front of the vertical.
The rider allows the horse to carry the head a little more in front of the vertical than at the Collected and the Working saddle gait. The horse’s neck is “out”, down and forward, with the nose slightly in front of the vertical, with a loose rein and the poll at approximately the same height as the wither (the neck is level).
WD108 Faults
Faults of gaits include crookedness, loss of rhythm; tight and tense back with short stiff neck; horse on forehand and/ or leaning on the bit; nose consistently behind the vertical; raising of the head to avoid collection; changing tempo; and evasion of contact which can come from improper training, too harsh a bit, or bad hands.
WD109 The Halt
At the halt the horse should stand attentive, engaged motionless, straight and square with the weight evenly dis- tributed over all four legs. The neck should be raised with the poll as the highest point and the head slightly in front of the vertical.
WD115 Collection
Horses ridden with the face behind the vertical plane must be penalized.
The position of the head and neck of a horse at the collected gaits is naturally dependent on the stage of training and on his conformation…the head is slightly in front of the vertical. However, when the rider applies his aids in order to obtain a momentary and passing collecting effect, the head may momentarily become more or less vertical.
WD117 Submission
d. The horse shows attention and confidence in his ease of movements and acceptance of the bit while staying up in the poll and keeping his nose in front of the vertical.