Whatever downward transitions you’re working on, turn the 6.5s into 8s or higher with the advice and exercises from Laura Tomlinson in this exclusive article for H&H subscribers
You see the marker coming. You’ve practised riding downward transitions at home. You’re waiting, waiting… then bam. You hit the transition as you pass the letter, right in front of the judge. Surely that’s worth a decent mark?
But later, hopefully with a burger in hand, you grab your test sheet, and there it is: a 6.5.
A 6.5! How? You were bang on the marker.
Here’s why accuracy isn’t the whole story – and how to turn those 6.5s into higher marks.
The moment you ask for a downward transition – canter-trot, canter-walk or trot-walk – every weakness shows up: loss of balance, dropping the contact, switching off behind or tipping onto the forehand.
As Olympic medallist Laura Tomlinson puts it: “If you keep them too round in the downward transition, they fall on the floor. They load the front end, and the hindleg disappears.”
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Ride downward transitions well, and everything in the test becomes easier. Ride them badly, and the picture unravels fast.
So if you’re wondering how to ride downward transitions with balance, control and clarity, here’s what really matters.
What the judge wants to see in downward transitions
Good downward transitions show:
A clear, prompt reaction
Uphill balance, not a collapse forward
Active hindlegs both before and after the transition
A steady, elastic contact
A horse that waits for the rider
The judge is looking for carrying power, not a shut-down. As Laura says, “You have to keep the energy behind and up in front.”
Why downward transitions fall apart
Most issues with downward transitions come back to the same bad habits.
1. Too much hand
Holding the horse round into the transition blocks the front and drags the wither down. This is the quickest way to lose the hindleg.
2. Not enough energy
If the hindlegs switch off even one stride too early, the horse sinks, slips into walk or loses rhythm.
Laura sees this often with horses that misunderstand the question:
“He might think downward transitions are just one step away from the walk break.”
3. Asking before the balance is ready
You cannot fix the transition in the transition. If the canter is flat or running, the downward step won’t improve it.
Laura’s rule is simple: “Head up in the transition and energy behind.”
Not hollow. Not tight. Just enough lift in front that the wither stays up and the hind leghas room to come through.
Laura’s coach, Carl Cuypers, explains the biomechanics behind this. “When the horse can lift through the breastbone, the wither comes up,” he says. “When the front lifts, you get more airtime, and that gives the hindleg more time to come through. And that keeps it uphill.”
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Exercises to improve downward transitions
Laura uses these exercises at home to teach riders how to ride downward transitions with more balance and self-carriage.
1. Collect before you ask
Just a stride or two. Think “wait, sit, stay with me”, then soften and give the aid.
Why it works: You create balance first, then change gear.
2. Canter-trot-canter
Laura says riders abandon this too early:
“So many horses get to a certain level, and people don’t practise that anymore.”
Ride a prompt canter-trot, then straight back to canter with purpose.
Why it works: It stops the horse from treating downward transitions as a chance to switch off.
3. Canter-walk-canter (or canter-halt for stronger horses)
Laura and Carl often use canter-halt.
“Carl will get me to go canter-halt so they’re immediately engaged from behind. They don’t go into that collapse condition.”
Why it works: The horse must sit and stay organised – there’s no room to fall onto the forehand.
4. Forward-back on a circle
Collect a few strides, then ride out positively again. Use the seat to bring the horse back, not the hand.
Why it works: It teaches the horse to wait for the rider’s body rather than hanging on the rein.
5. Regather after mistakes
If the horse trips into the walk or loses rhythm, Laura doesn’t fire straight back up.
“I’ll bring the walk into a sensible pace, pick up canter, and repeat. It’s not a punishment – it’s clarity. I’m always thinking, ‘How can I make this as easy to understand for the horse as possible?’”
Why it works: It keeps the horse calm while reinforcing what the rider actually wanted.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Why timing matters
If Laura needs a stronger half-halt, she never puts it in the transition itself:
“If I need to be stronger with my half-halt, I do it before the transition, not in it. In the transition, I want to be soft.”
That timing stops the horse bracing against the hand and teaches self-carriage.
Even with her greener horses, Laura sets the foundation early: “Even if it’s only a couple of strides of collection, it teaches them to wait.”
The aim isn’t a perfect transition or grand prix-ready collection at that stage. It’s the idea of balance, patience and staying with the rider.
Common mistakes riders make in downward transitions
1. Letting the horse dive
Cause: too round, too much hand
Fix: lift the front slightly before the aid, keep the hindleg active
2. Horse drops into walk too early
Cause: no energy behind
Fix: more transitions within the pace, keep the canter or trot alive right until the aid
3. Grabbing with the hand
Cause: rider tension
Fix: seat first, leg supporting, soft hand
4. Rider corrects during the transition
Cause: late reaction
Fix: organise before, allow during
5. Rider collapses in their body
Cause: rider drops their chest or looks down – judges see this all the time, and it influences balance directly
Fix: stay tall through the front of your torso and look past the next marker
Oscar joined Horse & Hound in October 2023 and is the magazine’s dressage editor and sports manager, overseeing coverage of equestrian sport. After studying equine science at Myerscough College, he spent four years working for leading dressage rider Emile Faurie, competing at the 2015 National Dressage Championships and travelling with the yard to CDIs including Aachen and Saumur. He holds a master’s degree in Literature from York St John University (2021).
