Level 4 Test

Suggested minimum age: 11

Objective

  • To understand the importance of, and to be working towards a secure correct balanced seat, independent of the reins
  • To understand why a correct seat is important
  • To apply simple aids correctly
  • To have a knowledge of the care and working of a pony or horse

Riding

  • Turn-out of pony/horse and rider
  • Mount and dismount correctly on either side
  • Hold the reins correctly
  • Alter stirrups when mounted
  • Tighten and loosen girth when mounted
  • Working towards a balanced independent seat
  • Use of seat, legs and hands as aids to increase and decrease pace
  • Ride without stirrups in walk and trot
  • Sitting trot, rising trot on the correct diagonal and change of diagonal
  • Understand the meaning of rhuthm and start to establish
  • Walk with a long rein
  • Canter on both reins
  • Riding school drill
  • Ride up and down hill in walk and trot
  • Independent work in the open
  • Walk and trot over poles as a preliminary to jumping
  • Ride in a balanced position over small fences
  • Show a smooth progression from one fence to the next
  • Simple aids and ride turns and circles at walk, trot and canter
  • Aids for canter on a named leg on a circle
  • Explain sequence of legs in trot and canter
  • Understand the meaning of rhythm and tempo

Pony/horse care

  • Elementary feeding, watering and cleanliness of the pony/horse
  • Groom a grass kept pony/horse
  • Know when a pony/horse needs shoeing
  • Put on a saddle, bridle and martingale
  • Have some knowledge of correctly fitting tack
  • Be able to do up a curb chain correctly
  • Know correct fitting for a flash nose band
  • Elementary (daily) care and cleaning of saddlery
  • Know the main indications for health in the pony/horse. Know to clean   minor wounds
  • Know which wounds require veterinary attention
  • Recognise when a pony is clearly lame
  • Know how to take a pony/horse in and out of a horse-box or trailer with   adult supervision
  • Understand the importance and the means of protecting the legs while   travelling
  • Put on and take off stable- and turn out blanket

Read

  • The manual of horsemanship - read the sections below:
  • Mounting and dismounting (omit ‘to dismount using the stirrup)
  • The stirrups
  • The position of the rider in the saddle
  • Holding the single rein
  • Position of the rider in motion
  • The aids
  • The basic paces (omit ‘the rein back’)
  • Jumping
  • The correct approach
  • Identification and classification
  • Saddling up
  • Putting on and fitting a bridle, unsaddling
  • Care of saddlery
  • The signs of good health
  • Lameness - identifying the lame leg
  • Loading - with an assistant
  • Unloading from a trailer
Rocking M Stables