What Does Your Impulsion Mark Tell You?

You finish your test and turn to the collective marks at the bottom of the sheet.

Your judge has given you a 6 — satisfactory — for impulsion.

What separated that 6 from a 7 — fairly good?

Before you look for an answer in the number, think back to how the test felt.

Did your horse feel as though they were taking you forwards and listening to you?

Think about the different parts of the test. How did the trot work compare with the canter? Were you able to ride the patterns with energy and ease?

Look beyond the impulsion mark

The impulsion mark sits alongside the mark for the paces, and I would want to look at both.

I would also look back through the test.

Perhaps there was a moment of miscommunication around a canter transition, or your horse became quicker rather than lengthening the stride. Those moments give you more information about the mark at the bottom of the sheet.

What happened in your test?

Try this

Go back to your last test sheet and look at the comments as well as the marks.

Where did the judge comment on the energy, transitions or quality of the paces? Look at your paces and impulsion marks together.

What else does your test sheet tell you about your impulsion mark?

Then, when you ride, imagine you and your horse are moving through treacle. There is a little more resistance and you need a little more lift to keep the energy.

In rising trot, rise a little quicker and feel what happens underneath you.

Can you feel your horse push a little more from the hind legs without simply going faster?

Continue with Rider Know How

How does the energy you feel underneath you become the impulsion the judge sees from the side of the arena?

Week Five of Rider Know How looks at impulsion from both perspectives, with practical coaching and exercises to help you connect what you feel when you ride with what a judge can see in a test.

Continue with Week Five of Rider Know How