The Training Scale in Depth

The training scale is the six-step framework that underpins all dressage training and judging: rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and collection. Known in German as the Skala der Ausbildung, it describes the order in which a horse’s physical and mental qualities are developed, with each element resting on the ones below it. Judges apply it at every level, from a first Intro test to Grand Prix.

Where the training scale comes from

The scale was first formalised in the German cavalry manual H.Dv.12, published in the early twentieth century, and it remains the official doctrine of the German federation (FN) and, in adapted form, of the FEI. The FEI’s own training scale material and the FEI Dressage Judging Manual both instruct judges to mark down severe basic faults in rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness or collection, regardless of how flashy the rest of the test looks.

That last point matters. The scale is not a training curiosity; it is the judging standard. A horse with an irregular rhythm cannot score well in any movement, however spectacular its extensions, because rhythm sits at the base of the pyramid and everything above it is compromised.

The six elements

1. Rhythm (Takt)

Rhythm is the regularity of the footfall in each gait: four beats in walk, two in trot, three in canter, each with a consistent tempo. The sequence must be correct and the tempo steady. A walk that drifts toward a lateral, camel-like two-beat pattern, or a trot that hurries then slows, is a rhythm fault.

Judges treat rhythm faults as fundamental. The FEI Judging Manual describes the regularity of the paces as fundamental to dressage, and an unlevel or irregular gait puts a ceiling on the mark for every movement in which it appears. This is also why a horse’s basic gaits weigh so heavily in its value as a sport prospect: rhythm faults are hard to train away, and easy to train in through rushed work.

2. Suppleness (Losgelassenheit)

Losgelassenheit is often translated as “relaxation,” but suppleness is closer: the horse works its muscles without tension, swings through the back, and can adjust its carriage and position without stiffening or losing balance. Physical suppleness and mental calmness go together; a worried horse holds its back tight, and a tight back blocks everything.

Signs of suppleness a judge (or buyer) can see: a swinging back and tail, a softly chewing mouth, quiet breathing in rhythm with the stride, and the horse’s willingness to stretch forward and down when the rein is offered. This is why “stretching on a long rein” appears in tests from the lowest levels upward, and why the FEI decided to review its tests to include stretching and give-and-retake exercises at big tour level from 2026 onward: they expose whether suppleness is genuine or manufactured.

3. Contact (Anlehnung)

Contact is the soft, steady, elastic connection between the rider’s hand and the horse’s mouth. Crucially, the horse seeks the contact; the rider does not pull the horse into it. The FEI describes a horse “on the bit” as one that accepts the bridle with a light, consistent, soft contact, chewing the bit with a quiet mouth, with the poll as the highest point and the nose line as a rule slightly in front of the vertical.

Contact faults are among the most discussed problems in modern dressage. A horse ridden behind the vertical, leaning on the hand, or held in a fixed frame may look “round” to an untrained eye, but judges are instructed to penalise contact and mouth problems, and welfare debates around hyperflexion have pushed the FEI to sharpen its guidance in recent rule cycles.

4. Impulsion (Schwung)

Impulsion is the transmission of energy from active hindquarters, through a swinging back, into forward movement. It applies to trot and canter (which have a moment of suspension), not to walk. Impulsion is not speed; a horse can rush with no impulsion at all, and a collected horse can be full of impulsion while barely covering ground.

Impulsion is what produces cadence and expression, and it is what separates a correct but flat test from a brilliant one. Judges look for elastic, powerful steps in which the hind legs push toward the horse’s centre of gravity rather than out behind it.

5. Straightness (Geraderichtung)

A horse is straight when its forehand is in line with its hindquarters on the line it is travelling, whether that line is straight or curved. Horses are naturally crooked, like people are left- or right-handed, so straightness has to be developed through even gymnastic work on both reins.

The FEI training scale material makes the practical point plainly: only if the horse is straight can it be truly supple and “through,” with an even contact in both reins, and only then do the hind legs push toward the centre of gravity. Straightness is also a prerequisite for clean flying changes and for pirouettes, which is why crookedness that hides at lower levels tends to surface expensively later.

6. Collection (Versammlung)

Collection is the top of the pyramid: the horse carries more weight on its hindquarters, its steps become shorter but higher, the frame closes and rises, and the forehand lightens. Collection is developed through half-halts, transitions, and lateral work, and it is a result of the other five qualities rather than something imposed separately.

True collection produces self-carriage: the horse holds its own balance without leaning on the rein. The ultimate collected movements are piaffe and passage, the high-school work of the Grand Prix, but degrees of collection are asked from the middle national levels onward.

The three phases

The German system groups the six elements into three overlapping phases:

The phases also describe a single training session in miniature. A sensible warm-up works through rhythm, suppleness, and contact before any collected work is asked, even on a Grand Prix horse.

How judges apply the scale

The scale runs through the whole score sheet, not just the collective marks:

• Individual movements. Every directive on a test sheet traces back to the scale. A half-pass directive asks for rhythm, bend (suppleness and straightness), and impulsion maintained; a pirouette directive asks for rhythm and collection preserved through the turn.
• The “basic faults” rule. The FEI Judging Manual tells judges that general training deficiencies must never be overlooked and that severe basic faults in any element of the scale must be clearly marked down, even in an otherwise impressive test.
• Collective marks. The collective mark (renamed “Harmony” in the FEI rules from 2026) explicitly assesses adherence to the training scale, alongside cooperation, lightness, and the effectiveness of the aids.
• Welfare firewall. Judges must penalise signs of discomfort significantly; for serious problems the manual caps the movement mark at five, however technically complete the exercise.

For the full mechanics of marks, coefficients, and panels, see how judging and scoring works.

The scale as a diagnostic tool

The most practical use of the scale is troubleshooting. When something goes wrong at the top, the cause almost always sits lower down. A horse that swings its quarters in the flying changes usually has a straightness gap. A horse that cannot sustain piaffe usually lacks genuine impulsion or suppleness, not “piaffe training.” Trainers who work down the pyramid to find the broken layer, fix it, and rebuild tend to produce sounder horses and more durable results than trainers who drill the failing movement.

This is also useful when evaluating a horse to buy. A six-year-old with confirmed rhythm, suppleness, and contact and no shortcuts is a better long-term prospect than one showing impressive “tricks” over a tight back, whatever the video looks like — the practical checklist is in evaluating gaits and movement.

Criticisms and modern debate

The scale is not without critics. Some classical trainers argue the strict pyramid order is misleading, since straightness and balance need attention from the very first rides, not after impulsion is established. Others note the German terms lose nuance in translation: Losgelassenheit means more than relaxation, and Anlehnung means more than contact. The FEI’s own materials acknowledge the elements are interdependent and developed in parallel rather than strictly one after another. The pyramid is best read as a hierarchy of priorities, not a calendar.