The British dressage ladder: 7 levels from first circles to flying changes

British dressage divides into seven recognised levels, starting at Intro and climbing through Preliminary, Novice, Elementary, Medium, Advanced Medium and Advanced. Each grade introduces new movements and expects greater accuracy, balance and collection from both horse and rider. Area 18 Riding walks you through what each level asks for and how you move up.

Intro level sets the foundation

Intro tests contain walk and trot only, with large circles and simple changes of rein. You ride in a standard arena, and the judge looks for rhythm, willingness and straightness. Horses at this level work in a long, low outline without collection.

Movements include twenty-metre circles, changes of rein across the diagonal, and transitions between walk and trot. Canter does not appear. Most riders stay at Intro for their first season or two, building confidence in the test environment before adding complexity.

Preliminary introduces canter work

Preliminary adds canter and asks for slightly smaller circles — still twenty metres, but now in all three paces. The horse begins to develop a rounder outline, though you are not yet collecting the stride. Transitions become more frequent, and the judge expects smoother changes between paces.

Serpentines appear for the first time, usually with three loops. You also ride medium walk, where the horse stretches forward into the contact. Tests at this level familiarise you with the full arena and prepare you for tighter figures higher up the ladder.

Novice tightens the figures and adds lengthening

Novice reduces circle size to fifteen metres and introduces lengthened strides in trot and canter. The horse must show a clear difference between working pace and medium pace, covering more ground without rushing. You also ride loops and half-circles, which demand better balance through the turns.

Leg-yield appears at Novice, asking the horse to move sideways and forwards at the same time. Judges look for a steady rhythm during lateral work and expect the horse to stay soft in the contact. Many riders spend a year or more at this level, refining accuracy and developing the horse's carrying power.

Elementary brings shoulder-in and counter-canter

Elementary tests include shoulder-in on both reins, ten-metre circles in trot and canter, and counter-canter loops. The horse must hold a collected frame for longer periods, and transitions happen more frequently. Medium trot and medium canter become more expressive, with a longer moment of suspension.

Counter-canter requires the horse to canter on the outside lead while bending slightly towards the leading leg. It tests balance and obedience, and many horses find it challenging at first. Shoulder-in asks for the horse's shoulders to move inward while the hindquarters stay on the track, building suppleness and engagement.

Judges expect greater collection

At Elementary you cannot rely on impulsion alone. The horse must shift weight onto the hindquarters and shorten the frame without losing energy. Transitions within the pace — from working trot to collected trot, for example — show whether the horse can adjust its stride on demand.

Medium introduces half-pass and extended paces

Medium tests add half-pass in trot, extended trot and extended canter, and simple changes through walk. Half-pass combines lateral movement with forward travel, crossing the arena at an angle. The horse must stay parallel to the long side and maintain an even rhythm throughout.

Extended paces demand maximum ground cover with clear suspension, then a smooth return to collected work. Simple changes bring the horse back to walk for a few strides before picking up canter on the opposite lead. This level rewards horses with natural elasticity and riders who can balance power with control.

Advanced Medium refines lateral work and introduces flying changes

Advanced Medium tests contain flying changes, travers, renvers and half-pass in canter. Flying changes happen during the canter stride itself, swapping leads without breaking to trot or walk. You practise single changes first, then progress to changes every four or three strides as you move towards Advanced.

Travers and renvers shift the horse's hindquarters inward or outward while the shoulders stay on the track, the reverse of shoulder-in. These movements increase the horse's ability to carry weight behind and improve straightness. Tests also include collected walk, where the horse steps actively forward with a shortened, elevated stride.

Pirouettes and piaffe remain beyond this grade

Advanced Medium does not yet ask for pirouettes, piaffe or passage. Those movements belong to Advanced and above. Most horses need several years of progressive training to reach this level, and many riders consider it the practical ceiling for amateur competition.

Advanced completes the scale with piaffe and passage

Advanced tests include piaffe, passage, canter pirouettes and flying changes at shorter intervals, down to every stride. Piaffe is a trot on the spot with clear diagonal pairs and lowered hindquarters. Passage is an elevated, cadenced trot with pronounced suspension, often described as floating.

Canter pirouettes turn the horse through a full circle on the hindquarters in six to eight strides, keeping the canter rhythm throughout. Tempi changes — flying changes every two strides or every stride — test the horse's balance and the rider's timing. Few horses reach Advanced, and those that do typically have years of consistent, careful schooling behind them.

How you progress from one level to the next

Moving up requires a minimum percentage score at the current level, usually sixty percent or above in affiliated competition. You enter tests at your chosen grade, ride them at shows throughout the season, and qualify for regional or national championships if your scores hold. Unaffiliated competitions let you try the next level without formal qualification, which helps you gauge readiness before committing.

Progressing too quickly risks gaps in the horse's training and frustration for both of you. Most instructors recommend consolidating each level until movements feel reliable and relaxed, then introducing the next grade's work at home before entering tests. Improving your riding position supports every transition up the ladder, since clearer aids make new movements easier to teach.

Steps to prepare for the next level

1. Ride your current level until scores consistently reach the mid-sixties or higher, showing the work is established rather than scraped through.
2. Introduce one or two movements from the next grade during lessons, breaking them into small pieces and rewarding every honest attempt.
3. Enter an unaffiliated test at the higher level to see how the horse copes with the new demands in a competition setting, without the pressure of qualification.
4. Film your rides at home and compare them to the test sheets, checking which movements need more work before you enter affiliated classes.
5. Keep a training diary that tracks when each new movement clicks, so you can space out challenges and avoid overwhelming the horse.

Choosing between affiliated and unaffiliated dressage

Affiliated tests follow British Dressage rules, require membership, and count towards regional rankings and championship qualification. Judges hold recognised qualifications, and scoresheets arrive with detailed comments. Unaffiliated competitions use similar tests but cost less to enter, welcome non-members, and let you compete without formal progression rules.

Many riders begin unaffiliated to build experience, then join British Dressage once they reach Novice or Elementary and want to measure themselves against a wider field. Others stay unaffiliated throughout, preferring the relaxed atmosphere and lower entry fees. Both paths are valid, and you can switch between them as your goals shift.

Common mistakes when moving up too fast

Rushing through the levels before movements are confirmed leads to tension, resistance and scores that plateau or drop. A horse pushed into half-pass before leg-yield is solid will brace against the aids, and a rider attempting flying changes without secure collection will lose rhythm and balance. Each level builds on the previous one, and skipping steps creates holes that resurface later.

Competing only at the lower end of your current level also stalls progress. If you never ride the harder tests within a grade, you miss the challenge that prepares you for the next. Balance ambition with patience: enter the full range of tests at your level, consolidate the work, then step up when both you and the horse feel ready.

How long each level takes

Timescales vary with the horse's age, temperament, natural movement and previous training, and with how often you ride and receive instruction. A horse starting at Intro may stay there for one season, spend another at Preliminary and a further year at Novice. Moving from Elementary to Medium often takes longer, as the physical demands increase and the horse needs time to develop strength and balance.

Some horses plateau at a particular level and never move beyond it, either because the work becomes too difficult or because the partnership finds its natural ceiling. That outcome is neither failure nor disappointment if the horse stays sound, willing and enjoying its work. Lungeing between ridden sessions helps maintain suppleness and gives the horse a mental break from test drilling.

Regional and national championships

Qualifying scores at affiliated competitions earn you a place at regional championships, held in the autumn across different areas of the country. Winners and high placings at regionals go forward to national championships. Each level has its own championship class, so you compete against riders at the same grade rather than across the full spectrum.

Championships raise the pressure and the standard, but they also celebrate what you and your horse have achieved together. Preparing for them sharpens your accuracy and gives focus to your training through the season. Not every rider aims for championships, and there is no requirement to qualify — many prefer the quieter satisfaction of steady improvement at local shows.

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