Dressage Moves

Dressage is all about performing different movements in harmony with the horse, at the right time. In a way, dressage is riding, and therefore, the riding controls in ETG.

Working, Extended, Collected

The basics of dressage - being in different gaits and sub-gaits like Working, Extended and Collected is explained in Riding Basics.

Passage & Piaffe

Passage and piaffe are movements that all horses inherently know how to do. In order to get into passage, the rider needs to collect the trot until they are in a passage. If they collect even more, they will go into a piaffe.

Lateral Movements

The player asks for certain movements through the four side buttons on the right. (Currently not available in game)

Leg yield is a simple sideways movement where the horse crosses its legs and travels diagonally. It can be performed in the walk or trot. To ask for leg yield, the player taps the left or right front button (the leg in a neutral or slightly forward position) until the horse goes into the leg yield. The more the player taps, the more the horse will travel to the side instead of forwards. When the player stops tapping, the horse will eventually stop yielding and keep going forward instead.

Shoulder in is an advanced lateral movement where the horse travels forward with a bent body, with the front hooves slightly inside the track. The hooves travels on three tracks (the outher front hoof and inner hind hoof travelling on the same track). It can be done in all gaits. To ask for a shoulder in, the player swipes over both front buttons -- left or right. Swiping from left to right will bend the horse to the right and put the horse's front to the right, perfoming the right shoulder in -- and vice versa.

Travers is similar to the shoulder in, but here, the haunches and hind legs are slightly inside the track, while the horse keeps travelling straight. The travers has the horse more bent than a shoulder in, resulting in the hooves stepping in four tracks. Travers can be ridden in all gaits. To ask for travers, the player swipes over both rear buttons -- left or right. Like the leg yield, the more the player swipes, the more the horse will bend. When the swipes stop, the horse will eventually go back to being straight in its body.

Rein back

Rein back, or backing up the horse, is an important proof of the communication between horse and rider. To make the horse go backwards, slightly pull on the reins from a standstill.

Frustration

It's always desireable to perform everything in perfect harmony with your horse. But in reality (in ETG), players will sometimes discover that horses get irritated or frustrated, for various reasons. If the horse thinks the player asks too much of it, it might protest, and eventually throw off the rider. Horses with low Mentality get irritated easier than those with a high Mentality. To prevent this, the player can pet the horse, give rein, or stop their leg aids temporarily, to give the horse some breathing room.