How to encourage your horse to be more uphill
Here’s some great advice on how to encourage your horse to be more uphill in his way of going from grand prix dressage rider and trainer Kate Cowell (pictured)
What does ‘uphill’ mean?
The six scales of training are rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and lastly collection. The beginning of collection is where the rider can influence the horse’s balance, enabling more weight to be taken into the hindquarters, which in effect lightens the forehand making the horse more ‘uphill’.
Young horses will initially carry the rider’s weight on their shoulders and through the scales of training and consequent muscle development over time, it transforms a ‘green’ ride to a more advanced, athletic ride where the horse is able to lower and engage its hindlegs. The horse will be more enjoyable to ride as he will have more self-carriage, and this will positively influence aspects such as your horse having less reliance on the rider’s hands. The manipulation of balance also makes the horse more elastic and supple which develops the paces.
What exercises can help?
Development of the half halt — this is the coordination of seat, leg and hands. Transitions in and out of the pace, and within the pace can develop the half halt. With training, the half halt should become almost invisible.
With a young horse, a transition into halt or lengthened canter into working canter begins as the first stepping stone to collection.
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In a more advanced horse, the level of collection can be seen in piaffe or canter pirouettes.
Lateral work — this encourages engagement of the hindlegs and consequently improved balance. Basic lateral work can begin with leg yielding, particularly down the long side with shoulders on the wall and quarters-in. This can develop into shoulder-in, travers, renvers, half pass.
For the horse to develop a more uphill tendency, the rider needs to be well balanced with good core stability and elasticity with independent seat, legs and hands and all tension-free.
Now you’ve got that advice in mind, take a look at these dressage competitions available to enter where you can show off what you’ve learnt…
Unaffiliated dressage
Date: 4 January
Venue: Oaklands College, St Alban’s
Details: “This competition features classes from walk and trot to elementary, plus a pick your own section.”
Unaffiliated dressage
Date: 4 January
Venue: Reaseheath College, Nantwich
Details: “This unaffiliated competition has classes from intro to elementary.”
Unaffiliated weekday morning dressage
Date: 8 January
Venue: Tumpy Green Equestrian Centre, Cam
Details: “This competition has classes ranging from intro to elementary.”
British Dressage
Date: 9 January
Venue: Filed House, Staffordshire
Details: “This affiliated show has classes from prelim to advanced medium.”
Winter dressage series
Date: 12 January
Venue: Leamside Equestrian, Houghton Le Spring
Details: “This competition features unaffiliated classes from intro up to medium.”
Unaffiliated dressage
Date: 12 January
Venue: Inchcoonans Competition & Livery Yard, Errol
Details: “This competition includes classes from intro up to advanced medium.”
Visit equo.co.uk for full competition and training listings
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Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.