Running, Lengthening, Rhythm & Tempo

Can you tell the difference between when your horse runs and when he lengthens?

by Jane Savoie

People often ask me to explain the difference between "running" and "lengthenings." In this article I'm also going to describe the difference between running, lengthenings, medium gaits, and extended gaits.

Running

When you ask your horse to lengthen his strides and frame and you hear his tempo (the rate of repetition of the rhythm of his hooves) get quicker, he's not lengthening. He's just running.

Lengthenings

In a good lengthening, your horse lengthens his stride and frame to the utmost he can at this relatively early stage of training (around first level) while staying in the same rhythm and tempo. He ends up covering more ground with each stride because it is longer.

Lengthenings are developed from the working trot or canter. Since your horse is in what I call "horizontal balance" in a working gait, his balance will also be in the horizontal in a lengthening (i.e., his topline is basically parallel to the ground and his center of gravity is toward his front legs).

Medium Gaits

In medium gaits, your horse lengthens his strides and frame from a collected gait while staying in the same rhythm and tempo. In terms of length of strides and frame, medium gaits are between collected and extended gaits. This movement is "rounder" than that of an extended gait.

Because medium gaits are developed from collected gaits, your horse's balance is different from his balance in lengthenings. His center of gravity is more toward his hind legs, and his topline looks more uphill than it did when he was in horizontal balance for a lengthening. He looks like a speedboat in the water or an airplane taking off.

Extended Gaits

In extended gaits, your horse once again lengthens his strides and frame, this time to his utmost, while staying in the same rhythm and tempo. Like medium gaits, extensions are developed from collected gaits. Your horse's center of gravity is more toward his hind legs, and his balance is uphill.

That's a description of running, lengthenings, mediums, and extensions in a nutshell. But, if you ask my friend and mentor Robert Dover how to show the difference between medium and extended gaits when you're competing, he'll say, "Do the maximum your horse can do for mediums. Then do the same thing for extensions, but make your eyes bigger!"

(That was a joke!)

What, Exactly, are Rhythm & Tempo?

The definitions above are largely based on an understanding of rhythm and tempo. Let me define those terms; I want to do this because many dressage riders use them interchangeably, and they don't mean the same thing.

Rhythm

Regularity of the rhythm refers to the even spacing between each step in a stride of walk, trot or canter. Regular rhythm is a priority for all work--whether or not you're riding a pure dressage horse. Movements and exercises should never be done at the expense of rhythm. Rhythm should always stay the same. Tempo or speed, however, is a different matter.

Tempo

Tempo--which is the rate of repetition of the rhythm--can be adjusted, depending on what your horse needs. Think of rhythm and tempo this way: a waltz is always done in 3/4 time. That is the rhythm of a waltz. But a waltz can be played faster or slower. In other words, the tempo can vary.

When should you ride at a tempo that's different from the one your horse chooses? Let's take an overly fresh horse as an example. You start your warm-up, and this horse is so excited that he picks up a trot that is much too quick. The longer you let him go at this clip, the more his tension builds. Left alone, he probably isn't going to slow down. He's like an overtired child who is so wound up that he can't quiet his mind or body. He needs you to help him calm down by asking him to trot at a much slower tempo than that of his normal working trot.

Adjusting the Tempo

Slow the tempo by asking for a transition to the walk (or even the halt!). Then, just as he's about to step into the walk, don't finish the transition. Instead, allow him to jog forward very slowly. Think about riding halfway to the walk, and then jog forward slowly. If he accelerates after a few strides, repeat the incomplete downward transition until he understands and is willing to stay in the slower trot.

Ride him in this lazy tempo--the opposite of what he wants to do--until he relaxes. Once you feel him relax, gradually allow the tempo to become more normal.

On the other hand, let's say you have a horse that tends to get too slow and labored in his tempo. For example, his canter becomes four-beat because the tempo is too slow. Quicken his tempo by doing a few strides of a lengthening. Feel how your seat moves faster during the lengthening. Then, when you shorten the strides, keep the same quick tempo by moving your seat as if you're still lengthening.

Whether or not you're riding a dressage horse, always work in a regular rhythm and a tempo that allows your horse to be in good balance.