A Closer Look: Second Level

Ah the dreaded Second level is the topic of this continuation of my exploration of the dressage levels.

I actually like Second level well enough, but like everyone else, I'm always itching to get to Third from this level be it on my own or with students. Second is hard for a few reasons, let's go through them!

Travers

You can just see me wanting to leap off and run away 

Purpose of the Levels

To confirm that the horse demonstrates correct basics, and having achieved the thrust required in First Level, now accepts more weight on the hindquarters (collection); moves with an uphill tendency, especially in the medium gaits; and is reliably on the bit. A greater degree of straightness, bending, suppleness, throughness, balance, and self-carriage is required than at First Level. 

There's a lot here. But I want to point out a few things- they finally say the horse should be reliably on the bit, implying that First level lets a horse get away with being slightly unsteady at times. It's not saying you can run around off the bit at First and getting a 70, but they won't ding you as hard I guess. That's not been my experience with judging and training though.

Collection, in my opinion, is the key theme here. And they say especially in the medium gaits. Sure you can get away with riding what would be acceptable at First as a lengthening at Second, and you'll probably still get a 6, but the medium gaits are important. Especially as the extended gaits start showing up at Third.

You can tell that I'm really struggling with connection at this point

Look at that, Rico tipping too, he still does that

Second 1

Depending on your strengths (counter canter vs simple changes), you may hate this test or love it. Generally, for a Second level test, it's pretty friendly. There are none of the harder technical movements (no haunches-in or turn on the haunches, only the friendliest kind of counter canter pattern).

The trot pattern is nice and simple- a medium across the diagonal and then shoulder-in for half the long side, ride across the ring, and shoulder-in again. This gets people wiggling, but that across the middle bit you did in First 3 should set you up well for this. This is your first halt with rein back, and yay they threw it right in front of the judge! That's a bit mean. But with this pattern, it's the only place they can have you walk out of it, so I understand.

The canter is complicated, but the 1-3 was fairly complicated too. Some people hate the 2-1 pattern because you pick up your canter at F and immediately you're walking after the first half circle of the serpentine. I think it's a great movement for a strong horse but a terrible movement for a lazy horse. It would have been challenging on Rico, but I'm glad for this on TC (though they will probably change it by the time we make it there). The counter canter is minimal, it's just going across the short diagonal to either a long simple change (walking in the corner, canter at C) or a trot transition. I think this pattern is kind of easier than the 1-3 loop, again depending on the state of the simple changes.

Coefficients are both shoulder-ins, the halt and rein back, and the free walk.

Oh hey look, I used to tip right. Progress. Because now I tip left.

Forgot my gloves at this show, so dumb. You can already see
that at Second, I'm struggling to get him off his underneck.

Second 2

This is a decent test. It once again starts with the medium (get used to that) and then you have shoulder-in, two ten meter half circles to get you across the arena, and then haunches-in. It's a good pattern. It sets you up exceedingly well for Third 3, which has those half circles following a shoulder-in as well (but ending in a half pass, which is related to haunches-in).

The walk pattern includes turns on the haunches for the first time! These can end up being hilariously bad. I should write something about those... They put them on the line between H and M, which is good. On the rail, it's harder to do enormous ones and stay on your line, in this pattern (which persists through at least PSG) you can see lots of people do their half turn and then half pass or leg yield or just turn back onto their line. Doesn't mess you up too much.

The canter is an entire half circle in counter canter to a simple change. This can be rough- to simple change out of counter canter. I much prefer to simple change into counter canter, but that adds a level of difficulty as well, so there's really no winning if they were to change it to suit my needs.

Coefficients are both haunches-in, both turns on the haunches, the free walk, and the last medium trot before centerline. I find that last coefficient interesting. I think it's because that movement is a good test of whether the horse is truly uphill, where they can remain so throughout such a long test. Cool. Not cool if you want to ride it, but cool from an observer's stand point.

Derping along in a turn on the haunches, what the fuck am I looking at?

So wide behind omg. It would be 7 years before we got good ones

Second 3

I like this test.

The trot work is nice, arguably easier than Second 2 since the 10m circle sets you up really nicely both out of shoulder-in and into haunches-in. That 10m half circle wiggly thing can be really tough. Once again your halt and rein back appears in front of the judge, I guess that's just something that you do now.

The counter canter serpentine shows up at this test. Again it's just preference, I find it fine, I like that movement a lot. Much better than the Second 2 counter canter pattern because again I find it tricky to do simple changes from counter canter. The simple changes instead show up across a short diagonal after a ten meter canter circle (a very similar pattern to 3-1). I like that a lot, even though you have to put them exactly over the middle with no rail to help you and they're sort of more on display.

Coefficients are both walk pirouettes, both counter canter serpentines, both simple changes, and the free walk. This means that your canter work is suddenly worth a LOT more. Look at 2-1 and 2-2, at least half the coefficients are in trot. Here? More than half are in canter. Gotta get to it.

I'll be honest, I had a student skip 2-2 last spring. I just don't like the trot pattern this early on (she's doing 3-3 now and it's much easier) and the horse's simple changes out of counter canter were questionable. So she did 2-1 and 2-3.

Breathe, it's only second level. Wait, no, panic.

I used to ride so good guys

Overall

Second level gets a bad rap because it's just hard enough to be annoying and frustrating but arguably not so hard that it's fun and impressive. But the level is important and mastering the movements are part of learning the basics of dressage.

It's really apparent when you look at Third and Fourth level. You're asked for flying changes and half pass at Third, tempis and canter pirouettes at Fourth. The counter canter and simple changes are essential for flying changes (and tempis), the haunches-in and some of the patterns (10m circle and the half circles) is essential for the half pass patterns, and the turns on the haunches prepare for walk and canter pirouettes. Mastering the level is essential if you want to produce a rideable horse for Third and Fourth.

Struggling through some mediums

I think the hardest part of this level is that First level (especially 1-1 and 1-2) is an easy enough level for many different types of horses and for riders who are maybe not as serious. It's quite accessible. Second tests a lot of things: the quality of your own basics as a rider (such as sitting trot, ability to half halt), the dedication of the rider (can't really get there if you aren't riding regularly), the quality of the trainer (lots of trainers can get people to First, but Second is a different ball game), and, yes unfortunately, the quality of the horse. Some horses are just going to find this work easier than others, which takes a lot of the pressure off of the quality of the rider and the quality of the training.

But who doesn't like a challenge?