How to keep your horse in walk during a dressage test
Creating and maintaining a good walk in a dressage test is sometimes easier said than done. Five-star event rider Georgie Strang has some helpful advice on how to achieve a good, relaxed but active walk. Then, don’t miss our selection of competitions for you to showcase what you’ve learnt…
1. Practise — It is important a horse learns to stretch and relax in walk at home first — even out hacking you want to teach them to take the rein forward and down, so when you get into a competition environment they are used to the feeling.
2. Leg — Keep your leg on — if your horse jogs, do not take the leg off as they can learn to use this as an evasion.
3. Relax — Stay relaxed and soft. Try to move your hips with the movement of the horse.
4. Take it steady — Ease out the rein gradually so the horse doesn’t suddenly feel insecure. When collecting the reins back up, make sure you also do this steadily.
5. Encourage — Practice at home by using your voice and giving your horse a pat and scratch on the neck.
6. Variety — When training, vary the movement after you have collected the rein, so you horse doesn’t always anticipate walk to trot or canter, and they wait on your aids.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
Now you’ve got that advice in mind, take a look at these events and competitions available to enter where you can show off what you’ve learnt…
Unaffiliated fun dressage
Date: 22 February
Venue: High Plains Equestrian Centre, Riding Mill
Details: “This evening competition has classes from intro to novice. Entries are resticted in each class so everyone will win a rosette.”
British Dressage including affiliated dressage to music
Date: 22 February
Venue: Cobham Manor Equestrian Centre, Maidstone
Details: “This affiliated competition has classes ranging between prelim and elementary with an unaffiliated pick your own long arena class too.”
Unaffiliated dressage
Date: 23 February
Venue: Centyfield Eventing & Dressage Academy, Exeter
Details: “This competition has classes ranging between intro and elementary.”
S
Unaffiliated dressage
Date: 23 February
Venue: Fenland Equestrian Centre, Wisbech
Details: “This unaffiliated competition features classes ranging between intro and elementary.”
Unaffiliated evening dressage
Date: 25 February
Venue: Moulton College Equestrian Centre, Northampton
Details: “This competition has classes ranging between intro and novice.”
British Dressage
Date: 26 February
Venue: Alnwick Ford Equestrian, Morpeth
Details: “This affiliated competition has classes ranging between prelim and inter II.”
Visit equo.co.uk for full competition and training listings
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
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.