LEVEL ONE -- Securing Balance at the Walk -- Equestrian Skills: walk/halt/walk transitions, two-point position 1 Walk with ankle/heel/thigh hold while student holds either front of saddle, mane or handhold 2 Walk while maintaining balance with no hold for 10-12 strides in a straight line (student may hold mane, saddle or handhold) 3 Walk while maintaining balance with no hold while making a 20 meter circle (student may hold mane, saddle, or handhold) 4 Walk while maintaining balance with no hold while making a 10 meter circle (student may hold on as before) 5 Walk while maintaining balance with no hold while making a Figure 8 (student may hold on as before) 6 Walk while maintaining balance with no hold while doing a 3 loop serpentine (student may hold on as before) 7 Walk while maintaining balance with no hold while on a 15 minute trail ride (student may hold mane, saddle or handhold) 8 Give verbal or gesture command for "walk on" at least three times during lesson 9 Give verbal or gesture command for "whoa" at least three times during lesson 10 Demonstrate 2 point position with heel hold at whoa and maintain for 3 seconds 11 Demonstrate 2 point position with heel hold at walk and maintain for 3 seconds 12 Demonstrate 2 point position with heel hold at whoa and one hand on hip 13 Demonstrate 2 point position with heel hold at walk and one hand on hip 14 Using heel hold or thigh hold, with student holding neck strap or handhold, do a sitting trot for 3-4 strides 15 With heel hold only, with student holding appropriate strap, sitting trot for 6-8 strides 16 Walk one time around large arena with hands on hips and no holds 17 Walk one time around large arena with hands on hips and no holds while giving verbal/gesture command for whoa at each letter 18 Maintain a 2 point position at a walk with no hold in a straight line for the count of 10 seconds 19 Maintain a 2 point position at a walk with no hold while making a 20 meter circle 20 Maintain a 2 point position at a walk with no hold while weaving a line of 5 cones 21 Maintains a 2 point position while walking over 3 ground poles spaced 4' to 4 1/2' apart 22 Hold a 2 point position at a halt with one then both hands on hips while maintaining balance for 5 seconds LEVEL TWO --Introduction of Reins -- Equestrian Skills: Direct Reining, Open Reining, Neck Reining 23 Demonstrate correct hand position while holding reins (reins attached to halter or sidepull) 24 Able to pinch and slide to shorten reins as needed or when requested to do so by instructor 25 Maintain proper placement of hands while holding reins with minimal assistance at a walk for one time around arena 26 Demonstrate pulling back towards "pockets" while maintaining ear-shoulder-hip-heel postural alignment to ask horse to whoa 27 Demonstrate correct use of verbal/gesture and rein cue for whoa at each letter around arena 28 Introduce reining a left turn at a walk using a marker or the rail 29 Introduce reining a right turn at a walk using a marker or the rail 30 Demonstrate reining a reverse at a walk
31 Demonstrate reining a 10 meter circle at a walk around a barrel 32 Demonstrate reining at a walk to point A then to point B and a whoa 33 Demonstrate reining a Figure 8 at a walk 34 Demonstrate reining for weaving a line of 5 cones at a walk 35 While at a walk and holding reins, demonstrate proper hand/rein placement for 2 point position for 30 meters in a straight line 36 Walk off-lead to demonstrate proper reining technique and control of horse through a 4 step obstacle course using previous skills LEVEL THREE -- Introduction of Trotting (no reins) -- Equestrian Skills: walk/trot/walk transitions, two-point position at trot, sitting trot 37 Using a handhold or neck strap, rider will maintain balance at sitting trot for 10 strides with heel hold 38 Using a handhold or neck strap, rider will maintain balance at sitting trot for 6-8 strides with no holds 39 Using a handhold or neck strap, rider will maintain balance at sitting trot around a corner with no holds 40 Using a handhold or neck strap, rider will maintain balance at sitting trot around a 20 meter circle with no holds 41 Using a neck strap or holding onto mane, rider will maintain balance in 2 point position at trot for 4-5 strides in a straight line 42 Using a neck strap or holding onto mane, rider will maintain balance in 2 point position at trot for 8-10 strides in a straight line 43 Using neck strap or holding onto mane, rider will maintain balance in 2 point at trot while trotting over 3 ground poles approx. 4' apart 44 Using a neck strap or holding onto mane, rider will maintain balance in 2 point at trot around a corner of the arena with no holds 45 Using a neck strap or holding onto mane, rider will maintain balance in 2 point position at trot around a 20 meter circle with no holds 46 With the aid of only a horse leader, rider will maintain balance in sitting trot for one entire lap around the arena (may use strap) 47 Demonstrate downward transition of trot to whoa using neck strap while not rocking forward or back as horse stops motion 48 Demonstrate sitting trot with one hand on hip and one hand on neck strap for 10-12 strides (no sidewalkers) 49 Demonstrate proper postural alignment through down transition of trot to whoa with one hand on hip and one on neck strap LEVEL FOUR -- Trotting with Reins -- Equestrian Skills: direct/open/neck reining in two point, direct/open/neck reining during walk/trot transitions direct/open/neck reining at sitting trot and posting walk, posting trot, sitting to posting/posting to sitting trot transitions 50 With support as needed, hold reins correctly during sitting trot for 10 strides 51 With support as needed, hold reins correctly while maintaining 2 point at trot for 10 strides 52 With support as needed, hold reins correctly while maintaining 2 point at trot and reining horse over 3 ground poles placed 4' apart 53 Demonstrate posting walk for 12 strides while maintaining proper postural alignment and hand placement on reins 54 Transition from walk to posting walk to sitting trot while maintaining proper postural alignment and hand placement and use of reins 55 Demonstrate correct body mechanics through transition from sitting trot to posting walk to walk then whoa 56 Transition from sitting trot to 2 point trot and back to sitting trot with proper hand placement while maintaining balance 57 Maintain rhythm of posting trot for 5-6 strides (using neckstrap, handhold or reins) 58 Maintain rhythm of posting trot for 10-12 strides (using neckstrap, handhold or reins)
59 Maintain rhythm of posting trot around a corner of arena (using neckstrap, handhold or reins) 60 Maintain rhythm of posting trot while making a 20 meter circle (using neckstrap, handhold or reins) 61 Maintain rhythm of posting trot while trotting over 3 ground poles places 4' apart (using neckstrap, handhold or reins) 62 Recognize correct posting diagonal for 10-12 strides 63 Able to "sit a beat" to change diagonal 64 Independently reining at posting trot one time around arena while maintaining balance 65 Independently reining at posting trot one timem around arena on the correct diagonal while maintaining balance and control of horse 66 Independently reining at posting trot around arena to perform a Figure 8 with a correct change of diagonal at "X" 67 Independently reining at a posting trot around arena with a transition to 2 point to trot over 3 ground poles placed 4' apart 68 Maintaining balance and control of horse, demonstrate proper posture for an upward transition from sitting to posting trot 69 Maintaining balance and control, demonstrate proper posture and a secure seat for a down transition from posting to sitting trot LEVEL FIVE -- Preparing to Canter -- Equestrian Skills: rein-back, turn on the forehand, two point without stirrups, riding without stirrups, determining correct posting diagonal in another rider, transitions in trot 70 Able to execute a rein-back for 4 steps 71 Able to do a turn on the forehand 72 Able to do a leg yield at the walk 73 Able to maintain center of balance to do a 2 point position at walk over 3 ground poles without stirrups 74 Ride without stirrups at walk and with hands on hips while maintaining correct postural alignment during 6 walk on/whoa transitions 75 Demonstrate an independent posting trot on the correct diagonal with correct posture while trotting in both directions of the arena 76 While watching another rider, determine the correct posting diagonal from the ground and explain the footfall pattern of the trot 77 Demonstrate a secure seat and correct postural alignment at the sitting trot when riding without stirrups 78 Demonstrate a secure seat and correct postural alignment at the posting trot when riding without stirrups 79 Able to pick up stirrups (using feet only) at a sitting trot when trotting without stirrups 80 Able to do smooth transitions from sitting trot to posting trot to 2 point trot LEVEL SIX -- Cantering -- trot/canter transitions, demonstrated knowledge of correct canter leads, reining at canter, walk/canter transition 81 Using neck strap for support, rider is able to maintain balance and secure seat at canter on lunge line in both directions 82 Using neck strap for support, rider is able to execute trot/canter/trot transition while maintaining balance on a straight line 83 Using neck strap for support if needed, rider is able to maintain canter for 5-6 strides from the trot 84 Just using reins, canter from trot for 6-8 strides 85 Maintaining proper postural alignment, maintain canter for one long side of arena, around corner, and down short side of arena 86 Maintaining balance, control of horse and proper postural alignment, canter horse around entire arena on correct lead
87 Recognize when horse is on the correct lead from the ground while watching another rider 88 Maintaining balance, control of horse and proper postural alignment, canter horse through a Figure 8 to do a simple change of lead 89 Execute a walk to canter upward transition with proper postural alignment 90 Canter on correct lead maintaining balance, control and proper posture while doing a 20 meter circle 91 Maintain balance, control and proper posture through walk to canter to trot to walk to canter transitions 92 Perform USEF Intro C Dressage Test
s,