On one hand, I feel like Fourth is really cool- you start a lot of really cool upper level movements like pirouettes and tempis. But on the other hand... Fourth 3. Fuck that test.
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| Finally, Rico and I looking like we can actually dressage together That is the difference a good trainer and cognitive restructuring makes |
Purpose of the Levels
To confirm that the horse demonstrates correct basics, and has developed sufficient suppleness, impulsion and throughness to perform the Fourth Level tests which have a medium degree of difficulty. The horse remains reliably on the bit, showing a clear uphill balance and lightness as a result of improved engagement and collection. The movements are performed with greater straightness, energy, and cadence than at Third Level.
Once again we see the test designers just saying more-more-more. With Fourth being the last USDF tests before the FEI levels, we really get to see some of what is going to show up at Prix St George, as well as some hints at the other FEI tests as well.
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| Very expressive tempis at 4-2 |
Fourth 1
I like this test a lot. It's a tough test, don't get me wrong, and it shouldn't necessarily be taken lightly. But let's be honest, it's a Third level test with a couple of things that hint at Fourth level. That being said, now that the 2015 tests are being used, they've made 4-2 easier, so the tests seem to flow better vs the huge step from 4-1 to 4-2 and 4-2 to 4-3 or PSG.
This is the first time you canter up centerline, yay! Don't ask me how many times I've entered at the trot while practicing AND competing this test. The first medium includes 6-7 steps of collected trot over X, which poses a challenge for horses who have learned to just go go go across the diagonal, and also for riders who can't remember to do this damn movement. I've gone off course more often in this test than any other test.
The trot pattern feels like an FEI test, with a half pass to 10m circle to shoulder-in right up centerline. I like that they throw this at you so early, since the second two tests are so canter focused. The extended walk is on a half circle, which is weird, but makes sense I guess because the walk pirouettes (which have evolved out of the turns on the haunches like a pokemon) need to be right near the judge.
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| 4-1 on Rico before Tracey told me to put my hands down |
Immediately out of the second walk pirouette, less than 5 meters later, you pick up the canter from the walk on a straight line with no rail to help you, right in front of the judge. You also get an additional score for your, now, collected walk that is maintained throughout your walk work.
The canter pattern is fun, you immediately do a medium canter from turning onto the rail after your transition, then come up centerline to do the same pattern as 3-2, except with a steeper half pass and the necessity to wait until the corner to change. This is great, you now have to do the change AT a letter rather than "around" a letter or between letters. You also now have a 20m circle with 5-6 strides of "very collected canter" over centerline in hopes to set you up for pirouettes.
Then you have the beginning of your tempis- three flying changes, one each near both quarterlines and one near centerline. I love this, it prepares you so well for multiple changes along the diagonal without making you count. Excellent. One should do this a long time before counting IMO.
Coefficients are that first medium-collect-medium, the extended walk, both walk pirouettes, and the school canter. A nice test that most Third level horses should be capable of performing so their riders can grab a couple scores for their Silver.
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| Hey I still tip off my right seat bone |
Fourth 2
I think the old jump from 4-1 to 4-2 was harder. As someone teaching students through the levels, I like this test. As someone looking back on this test, it annoys me. So many people skip 4-3 that you're going to see people doing their first canter pirouettes in the ring at Prix St George. No. Bad. If I had my way, I'd put the working pirouettes back in this test, dump the weird quarter pirouette into 4-1, and put the school canter in 3-3. But I'm not in charge.
This test has a fun movement that I liked. You ride your shoulder-in down the longside right from centerline and then do your medium on the short diagonal out of the shoulder-in. I liked it mostly because Rico's mediums were crap at the time and it was nice to have less ground to cover. But it sets you up really well and how smooth you can get the pattern is a good test for whether the shoulder-in is correct and doing its job. You get your first counter change of hand (zig zag) at the trot here too, which I think is a great place for it.
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| Medium trot at 4-2 |
You do this odd canter pirouette pattern here, where you do slightly more than a quarter working pirouette on centerline. I think it's a good movement, but like I said, it should be in 4-1. You also get 4-tempis here, and just three of them. This is a good thing, just as many changes as 4-1 but with a count this time. Although 4-tempis are the hardest IMO (behind ones).
Coefficients are the extended walk, both walk pirouettes, both canter pirouette things, and the 4-tempis.
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| After the first halt |
Fourth 3
Fuck this test. I hate that I even have to acknowledge its existence and I hate that I have to look at it. But actually, when you really break it down, there's only a couple of things that I really hate about it. Most of my complaints are that the test is too similar to PSG to be useful for most riders, but again because they took the harder movements out of 4-2, they really don't give people a good stepping stone to the FEI levels, just a diving board and the hopes that the waters below are not shark infested.
After your typical centerline to medium trot, the first trot pattern is riding shoulder-in up centerline and then half passing to the rail. That's great, I like having to transition from one to the other without a circle. The next interesting movement, I hate. You halt, rein back 4 steps, walk forward 4 steps, rein back 4 steps, and trot off. There's just no reason for this stupid movement. NO REASON. It encourages horses to get behind the leg, and nothing like it shows up ever again. No.
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| The best horse |
There are no walk pirouettes, no complaints, you have plenty of them throughout the tests. The canter work is dumb. It starts with a half 10m circle in true canter and a half 10m canter in counter canter, then a flying change on the long side and immediately repeat the pattern the other way. At what point are you EVER prepared for this in the lower levels? Never. At what point do you NEED something like this at the upper levels? Never! You could argue that it preps you for PSG because you do counter canter there, but that is only a quarter of a 10m circle that most people cut anyway. No point to this. None.
They throw the medium canter across the diagonal ending with collection and a flying change before the corner letter, which I like. You do that in PSG. They also give you the counter change of hand from the PSG test too. They stole the pirouette pattern from the old 4-2, which is dumb, because it makes that part, and only that part, easier than PSG. Then you do both 4-tempis and 3-tempis... which you also do in PSG (but at 4-3 you only do 3 changes rather than 5 at PSG).
So basically, this test is as hard or harder than PSG in most aspects, EXCEPT for the canter pirouettes. Dumb.
Coefficients are the dumb rein back pattern, the extended walk, the dumb counter canter patterns, both working canter pirouettes, and the 3-tempis.
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| Shoulder-in up centerline at 4-1 |
Overall
Fourth is a good level (except Fourth 3). It introduces canter pirouettes, tempis, and the zig zag as best as it can- because those three movements are extremely tricky.
Looking back to Third, you've come a long way if you can get through that Fourth 3 test, but even if you skip it. Everything at Third set you up really nicely for the big three canter movements, and you were challenged with trickier trot patterns too. Looking at Prix St George, we're adding more changes in the tempis (5 vs 3), tightening up the working half canter pirouettes into real half canter pirouettes, and the trot work tightens up the 10m circles into voltes. But we'll have to wait to discuss that later!
Just four more of these things to go (I'm giving each FEI test their own post to drag this out!). They've been fun to write and hear what everyone else thinks of these tests.
