collection

…great importance to dressage is collection, in which the horse’s gaits are shortened and raised by bringing the balance rearward to lighten the forehand, thus giving special agility in a limited space. This change is made without sacrificing ability to move freely. The desired result is that the horse will…

Basic to campagne is collection: teaching the horse to arch its neck, to shift its weight backward onto its hindquarters, and to move in a showy, animated manner. Other elements of campagne include riding in a straight line, turns, and lateral movements.

In the short form, or collected canter, a gait seen in dressage or three-gaited classes, a much higher head and neck is featured, as is a more visible point of suspension.

The collected walk, a short-striding gait, requires a balanced head and neck of the horse, controlled by the rider’s handling of the reins. This gait also requires impulsion, produced by pressure of the rider’s legs on the horse’s sides. The speeding up of the collected walk…