THE
DRESSAGE METHOD
Dressage Moves
There are three ways to create motion: angles (holding down your key for a certain amount of time), markers (arranging yourself on, near, around, or through particular riders, dots, or lines), and buttons (instant changes to the animation of our avatars by clicking a button or pressing a hotkey).
To understand how those three move types build on each other, we have two dictionaries:
The core moves are the building blocks of all dressage and the only moves you need to memorize. When used in a variety of formations and with various theory concepts, core moves can describe every possible dressage move and sequence.
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Distinct moves are complex moves that combine core moves, formations, and theory in specific ways, each with their own name and story. We use them as examples of concepts and techniques as well as the fun, favorite sequences we never get bored of!
The SDM is built so that riders have the most accessible and intuitive experience of performing moves. This means...
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Memorizing our short list of core moves and handful of affixes to do all possible moves without memorizing them individually
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What you hear is what you do:
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Move names are intuitive and self-explanatory​
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If you hear a direction, you will go that direction
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Commanding phrase of "[move] set, [move] set, go"​
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Short, clear, and with move repeated twice for clarity​
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"Set" has the role of "ready, set, go"
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As you explore our dictionaries, click the dropdown arrows to see additional notes, tips, and diagrams and click the hyperlinks to be taken to related moves/theory concepts' full explanations elsewhere on the SDM. Head to the curricula page to see what it's like to learn Simplified Dressage. Join Bronze Butterflies or attend our weekly open lessons to experience it for yourself!
The Pizza Diagram for Angle Calculation
Angles at the Halt: Pivots
1/8 Pivot
While halted, turn at a 45° angle.​
1/4 Pivot
While halted, turn at a 90° angle, or exactly 1/4 of the way around.​
3/8 Pivot
While halted, turn at a 135° angle, or just less than a half turn.
1/2 Pivot
While halted, turn at a 180° angle, or exactly halfway around.
5/8 Pivot
While halted, turn at a 225° angle, or just more than a half turn.
3/4 Pivot
While halted, turn at a 270° angle, or 3/4 of the way around.
7/8 Pivot
While halted, turn at a 315° angle, or just a bit less than a full turn.
​Full Pivot
While halted, turn at a 360° angle, or exactly one full turn.
Angles in Motion: Curl Divisions
Slant
While in motion, turn at a 45° angle.​
Comb
While in motion, turn at a 90° angle, or 1/4 of the way around.​
Backslant
While in motion, turn at a 135° angle, or just less than a half turn.
U
While in motion, turn at a 180° angle, or exactly halfway around.
​Flip
While in motion, turn at a 225° angle, or just more than a half turn.
​​Keyhole
While in motion, turn at a 270° angle, or 3/4 of the way around.
​Ribbon
While in motion, turn at a 315° angle, or just a bit less than a full turn.
Curl
While in motion, turn at a 360° angle, or exactly one full turn.
Riders as Markers: Halt Formations
NTT (Nose to tail)
Line up in a single-file halted line in the order the instructor specifies, with the leader standing at a certain marker.​
File Halt
The leader halts in place and the rest of the line splits, A's right and B's left, according to the current label pattern. Riders halt right next to the new leftmost or rightmost rider and parallel to the leader.
File into Order​
From any halt formation: the leader moves forward on "go" and all other riders fall in.
Riders as Markers: Spacing Change
"[Gait] until..."
Move in the specified gait (usually canter to get closer and walk to get wider) until you reach the new spacing rule.
"[Shape distortion] until..."
Do the specified action (ex: round a corner, wiggle, or tap quicker/slower in a circle) until you reach the new spacing rule.
Straight Lines as Markers
Cut
Follow the leader as they leave the current arena line for a different one.
Rake
Cut as an individual move. On "go," all riders cut onto their specified arena line.
Curved Lines as Markers
Circle
Follow the leader as they ride along the track of a certain circle, specified using the meter system. Continue riding in the circle for infinite revolutions until the leader exits.
Curve
Follow the leader as they ride along the track of a certain circle, specified using the meter system. The leader will exit the curve after only going around for a certain fraction of a revolution, like 1/4 or 1/2.
Changing Amount of Rider Lines
Split
At the wall, at any marker, or onto any arena line, A's cut right and B's cut left to turn one rider line into two.
Horse Animations
Gait Change
Press the W key or up arrow to go faster and the S key or down arrow to go slower. Press multiple times if needed until you're moving in the specified gait.
Jump, Rear, Special Move, or Command
Press the associated hotkey to have your horse perform the specified movement:​ 'space' to jump, X (from canter, trot, or walk, or backwards) to rear, T to lead your horse, 'Ctrl' to sit trot, Y to have your horse follow you, and U to call your horse to you.
Magic Coat Change
Press the H hotkey or the magic coat change button on your character sheet to toggle between magic horse coats.
Character Animations
Emote
Press the button or type and enter the specified emote command.
Disappear/Reappear
Call for Pickup
Press the 1 hotkey to open the call for pickup menu without halting. Click the 'yes' button to be taken to your home stable.
Global Store
Press the K hotkey to enter global store. Press K again, hit the 'x' button, or press the escape key to exit global store.
Ignore
Enter someone's name into the field in the ignore menu and press 'add' or click on someone's name from one of their chat messages and press 'ignore' to ignore them. Select the name from the ignore menu and press 'delete' to unignore.
Halt in Place
Tap your S key or down arrow however many times needed to go down to the halt gait. Tap as fast as possible while ensuring each of your keystrokes register. This freezes the line and is used to pause a lesson to listen to new explanations/instructions, as well as to pause screen delay to see things from the observer perspective or diagnose incorrect spacing or alignment.
Fall In
From slant alignment, slant towards the leader to naturally start riding in follow alignment. Can also be performed from comb alignment (in which case, comb towards the leader) or be used as a phrase to remind the riders that they'll end up in follow alignment at the end of the move.
Flip and Return
On the first "go," flip. On the second "go," slant so that you land on or parallel to the same arena line you started on, just going the opposite direction. If performed from follow alignment, the line order will be reversed, or flipped.
Triangle Halt
Like file halt, but riders position themselves halfway above (for "triangle halt up, set") or halfway below (for "triangle halt down, set") the rider they're next to, using the "nose to gloves" rule.
Dra Halt
Like file halt, but A's go halfway above the rider they're next to and B's go halfway below the rider they're next to, using the "nose to gloves" rule, to align on a tilted angle. (This is for "dra halt up, set." For "down," A's are below and B's are above.)
Crescent Halt
Like file halt, but after the first three people have halted, groups of two riders on each side position themselves parallel with each other and halfway above (for "crescent halt up, set") or below (for "crescent halt down, set") the previous group, using the "nose to gloves" rule.
Honeycomb Halt
Like file halt, but every other rider is either parallel to or above (for "honeycomb halt up, set") or below (for "honeycomb halt down, set") the leader, using the "nose to gloves" rule.
Using Single Transition Rules
Fate
Direction transition:
Curl in the given direction, and then the opposite. For example, curl right into curl left.
All curl division shapes may be used as an affix. For example, "flip fate" would be performed as a flip right into flip left.
Increase
Gait transition:
Walk curl into trot curl into canter curl. Return to the original gait afterwards.
Decrease
Gait transition:
Canter curl into trot curl into walk curl. Return to the original gait afterwards.
Onion
Move distribution of gait transition moves:
A's increase and B's decrease. Return to the original gait afterwards.
Serpentine
A combination of at least two curves that involves at least one change of direction, gait, or amount of revolutions.
S-Curve
A variation of serpentine in which there are exactly two curves that last for the same fraction of a revolution and have a direction change in between. In other words, a curve fate.
Twine
A variation of serpentine. Split lines approaching the same marker, usually A, B, C, or E, cross the marker and ride symmetrical serpentines originating from it. The curves can be of any meter size and gait but will always switch direction after 1/2 revolution.
Using Combined Transition Rules
From Follow Alignment
Compass
Repeat the same specified curl division four times in the same direction. Four "go"s will be commanded.
Braid
On the first "go," split flip. After each time the rider lines cross, the instructor may call additional "go"s for riders to keyhole out so the rider lines continue crossing each other in slant alignment. A final "backslant merge set, go" is called at the end of the sequence in which all riders backslant towards the leader to fall in into the original line order. Very similar to DNA.
Puzzle
At the specified marker: split by having only the A's (or only the B's) cut off the wall or in any curl division shape. Riders of the other letter continue as usual. Commands are given so that the lines approach each other, and they merge when they meet. This is an example of a timing distribution and uses marker-based timing.
Puzzle Comb
Puzzle as an individual move. On the first "go," only A's comb. On the second "go," the A's comb towards their leader to fall in with wide spacing. The A's will reach the wall just as the B's still going along the wall reach the same point, and the A's turn onto the wall to merge when they meet. Any curl division can be used in place of comb (ex: "puzzle ribbon"). Can also be done with B's in the active role. This is an example of a timing distribution.
Obliques
On the first "go," A's comb while B's curl into comb. On the second "go," only the A's perform a curl towards the leader. This is an example of a combined move + timing distribution.
Blip
On the first "go," A's comb while B's curl into comb. On the second "go," only the A's flip and return towards their leader. The return is delayed so the A's move on the same line as the B that followed them before the move started, just in the opposite direction. This puts the lines into straight-across alignment. This is an example of a combined move + timing distribution.
Dragon
On the first "go," split ribbon using normal labels. On the second "go," use double labels to have A's canter curl in and B's walk curl in. On the third "go," comb out. The second "go" is an example of a gait distribution.
Weaving
On the first "go," A's halt in place and B's continue moving, making a shallow curve to the left around the A in front of them, falling in, and halting in front of that rider with even gaps. On the second "go," B's stay put while A's make a shallow curve to the right around the B in front of them, fall in, and halt. This pattern continues (A's right, B's left, A's right, B's left...) for however many "go"s are called. To end the move, when it's the A's turn, the instructor will say "go; continue." They move as normal but keep trotting after falling in, and the B's trot to fall in behind their A in single spacing. This is an example of a combined direction + timing distribution.
Rumble Weave
Weaving, but in the middle of each curve when an A and a B are directly next to each other, perform rumble, with the riders in the middle of the curve doing a canter curl towards the stationary rider and the stationary rider doing a full pivot away from the moving rider. After each rumble, the moving riders return to the original gait and finish that curve, and the pattern repeats.
Thread
On the first "go," everyone except the last rider halts in place. They will weave through all other riders, moving from the back to the front, starting to the right of the second-to-last rider, and halt at the front of the line with an even gap behind them. The instructor will call additional "go"s for every rider, each only applying to the (new) last rider, each doing the same movement described above. The line order is reversed by the end of the move. This is an example of a timing distribution.
Using Split Lines
Roll Call
To set up: split lines comb towards each other and halt in place with 1-2 units between them. On "go," the leader trots forward and cuts towards the other riders on an arena line halfway between the two rider lines. All others begin moving about when the end of the line passes them to merge in the original line order.
Froggy
To set up: split lines in staggered alignment comb towards each other. On "go," just as the riders reach the midline or centerline, the B's perform a U toward the leader to end up in single spacing behind the A they'd be behind if merged. This is the same position generated by performing partner comb. This is an example of a timing distribution.
Twirl
To set up: split lines in staggered alignment comb towards each other. On "go," directly over the midline or centerline, perform the specified curl division towards your partner. You'll rotate, or twirl, with them around the same point until you reach the end angle of the move and let go of your key.
Shuffle
To set up: split lines approach on the same diagonal from opposite corners. Use double labels to split at X onto the other diagonal. Riders turning towards the same corner will merge, altering the line order.
Sir Bounce
To set up: split lines approaching the same short wall cut on the C or A 15m lines. Line leaders halt with their noses over the centerline and all other riders halt behind them in NTT. On the first "go," 1/8 pivot towards X. On the second "go," line leaders move in the given gait, adjusting slightly to head towards the B or E 10m markers on the midline, while all other riders file into order with wide spacing. Follow the leaders as they do a 10m half revolution curve around X and then slant cut in. During the curve, the line of A's must ride slightly to the inside of the usual 10m markers to avoid clipping and to get just far enough ahead of the B's that the lines are in staggered alignment by the time they cross the centerline after the slant cut.
Using Buddy Alignment
Tier
On "go," the first two riders cut. From there on, A's follow A's and B's follow B's into a straight-across buddy. Can be performed in larger number groups (ex: "three tier" would label the line with the ABCABC label pattern so that the first three riders could cut and A's follow A's, B's follow B's, C's follow C's.) The cuts can also be performed using any curl division shape.
Eclipse
From close straight-across buddy: all riders curl in the given direction. The rider line in that direction (if the curl is right, the right line) (the inner line) does a walking curl and the outer line does a canter curl, resulting in overlapping curls. Return to the original gait afterward. This is an example of a gait distribution.
Rumble
Like Eclipse, but the inner line halts in place and immediately does a full pivot while the outer line does a canter curl. All riders continue moving forward in the original gait afterward.
DNA
From staggered buddy: on the first "go," all riders slant in. After each time the rider lines cross, the instructor may call additional "go"s for riders to comb in to continue crossing each other in slant alignment. Very similar to braid.
Using Circles & Curves
Overlap
From trotting in staggered buddy alignment, on the first "go," the B line walks. On the second "go," the A line halts in place while the B line does a slant towards the A's. B's use marker-based timing to do a 2.5m 1/2 revolution curve to the left around the A they'd be behind if merged. On the third "go," B's trot and the A's trot soon after to fall in in wide spacing with the B that just curved around them. This is an example of a combined move + timing distribution.
Rotary
Any two circles of different meter sizes that share a center point. Usually, the A line rides the inside circle going one direction while the B's on the outside go in the other. One common way to generate a rotary from a single circle is to have only the A's perform a U in, which is an example of a timing distribution.
Moon
A variation of rotary. Split lines approaching the same marker, usually A, B, C, or E, cross over that marker and then perform a circle of a specified meter size. The A's must ride slightly to the inside of the proper track of the circle so that they stay ahead of the B's in staggered alignment. It's also useful to generate staggered alignment from split lines in straight-across alignment.
Bubble
A variation of sew from within follow alignment in a closed circle with an even amount of riders. At the same time, the leader and person opposite the leader lead their halves of the line into circles exactly half the size of the original. The smaller circles should have the original circle's center as one of the markers on the track.
Pinwheel
Any group of riders each riding their own circles of different sizes that share the same center point. Riders on smaller circles use slower gaits while larger circles get faster ones so that the group can stay parallel. Anchor with the innermost rider, always being exactly as ahead of them as the screen delay intensity of your gait. You'll probably have to alternate between two gaits to stay aligned. This is an example of a combined move + gait distribution.
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One common pinwheel uses this pattern: walk 5m, canter/trot 10m, canter/gallop 15m, gallop/canter 20m.
Spike
From any circle, on the first "go," all riders stop tapping their keys to drift directly off of the track of the circle. On the second "go," turn in, aiming to land on the track of the circle of whatever meter size the instructor specifies, or the original circle size if nothing is given. A third reminder "go" may be commanded at the moment that riders should have reached the new circle track and can continue tapping their key in an even rhythm again.
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