Lateral movements question

[RachelB]

Should lateral movements such as leg yield and half pass technically be executed on two tracks or three, or does it not matter?
Have managed to totally confuse myself today (been writing/watching RC dressage all day) it's a good job Berlin and I are only at prelim!
Edited to clarify!

 

[JLav]

In the main we really use the term tracks for the lateral movements when performed down the long side particularly the shoulder-in, renvers and travers.

A text book shoulder-in is on 3 tracks (one made by the inside fore, one by the outside fore and inside hind and the third by the outside hind) however a supple horse can increase the angle and perform the movement on 4 tracks. We often see incorrect 4 track shoulder-ins where the angle has been increased but the bend has not and therefore the horse is really performing the much easier leg yeild.

Travers and renvers can also be performed on 3 or 4 tracks depending on the suppleness of the horse.

In a half pass we don't really think of the tracks left by each individual foot in the same way and many people will refer to it as a 2 track movement, one track taken by the fore feet and one by the hind but it's is different as they don't actually step exactly on the same track.

For better clarification you want to look at some pics or diagrams in a book or on-line if you can find them (BD rulebook on line maybe??).

It'll probably make it much clearer than me!!

 

[RachelB]

Hmm ok, but looking at it from the front, should the quarters be BEHIND the shoulders (so horse is parallel to the long side) or can the shoulders lead and leave the quarters behind (so horse is NOT parallel to the long side)?
I see an awful lot of people leaving the quarters behind but I have always been taught to keep the horse straight and parallel to the long side, but ensuring the angle isn't too steep at first as otherwise rhythm and impulsion can be lost.
Does that make sense...?!

 

[JLav]

I presume you're talking about half pass/leg yeild here. The shoulders should be slightly in advance of the quarters - slightly being the important word here. it should not look like the quarters are trailing along behind.