Much of the value of the classical exercises combined with transitions lies in

• requirements for relaxed focus on the part of horse and rider,
• incremental improvements in tempo, balance, coordination and relative elevation.
• combinations of balance and coordination that develop the gymnastic capacity to maintain cadenced tempo.
• cadence as prolonged contact time of each limb permits critical periods of limb OVERLAP to enable fluent, prompt and balanced transitions.
• the walk to canter to walk transition is valuable for teaching the canter needed for pirouettes because it accesses the lower range of stride rate for canter (extended canter is about 105 strides per minute and pirouette canter is about 65 strides per minute).
• as the stride rate of canter changes, gait intervals between hoof beats is altered, with the moment of canter suspension being absorbed into times when two or three legs are grounded for COLLECTED canter (stabilizes the gait as its velocity and frequency slow) and is indicated as "suspension" in the images below, because it corresponds to the suspension phase of ordinary, medium and extended canter
• the dual need to rotate and stabilize the canter leads me to prefer less rotation per stride and opt for 8 stride pirouettes rather than 6 stride pirouettes
• the need to match velocities, stride length and stride rate between canter and walk in their collected forms is very difficult for a horse: it must balance itself and its rider with long contact times.
• adjustment of leg positions and the posture of the whole spine during the transition are the result of all of the above qualities that produce throughness

Think of all of the above requirements as if you were a gymnast asked to move weights around slowly, gracefully but in perfect balance. Pick up a 25 pound sack of feed and try to dance! That is what you are asking your horse to do, so be patient while each of you develops these skills! Reward the tiniest success!

Below is a table of images that compare specific limb repositionings that accomplish both transitions and pirouettes. All are frames from digital video series at 30 frames per second. Frames are chosen to illustrate specific points and are not equally spaced in a stride sequence, although complete strides are represented.

Each gait has a different total time for a stride, so that if a walk stride takes more than one second to complete and a canter stride less than one second, the number of frames that record the actions of the legs will be different. However, dressage gaits have some common features, and these can be inspected in a table of images, regardless of gait or timing issues.

The convention here is to show leg positions to begin a stride at LEFT HIND TOE DOWN for basic gaits (double starred frames**). For instance, in walk frame 2, transition frame 6, left canter frame 13, direct comparison shows the different positions of the other three legs in relation to the moment the left hind hoof touched down.

					Collected Walk to Collected Canter Left
5 - Transition to left canter begins with modified "vee" to swap leg into position to support next adjustment	4	3	2**	1 - Collected walk left "vee" is leg swap between right and left halves of a walk stride	Direction of action <<---------- <<---------- <<----------
11 - leg swaps continue in uphill posture sustained on 2 or 3 legs	10 - left fore lands to adjust spacing of legs to permit mid stance to match	9 - modified "vee" in uphill posture	8 - mid stance on support legs at same time maintains posture	7- right fore lands to adjust spacing of legs to permit mid stance to match	6** - transition continues with increased relative elevation
			Maintenance of balance with forehand and hindquarters is the signature of engagement.
				13** - L canter from collected walk has relative elevation of canter pirouette	12 - End of W/C transition establishes Time One of canter
6 Right Canter* "suspension"	5 RC Time Three inside fore lands	4 RC mid balance on diagonal pair	3 RC Time Two diagonal pair	2** RC Time "One+" shows diagonal pair with positive disassociation	1 RC "suspension" establishes Time One of canter
Pirouette left 6 Maintains cadence and sequence of footfalls of canter	Pirouette left 5	Pirouette left 4	Pirouette left 3	** Pirouette left 2 The poll stays the highest point during the entire movement.	Pirouette left 1 Relative elevation is greater than collected canter

*For now, I will use the right canter leg positions for comparison with the canter foot fall sequence for pirouettes. I still need to make the video of the collected counter canter for comparison with the left canter pirouette stride.

In the canter pirouette, Max has retained the stride sequence of the canter, but his relative elevation is markedly higher. Maintenance of an elevated position of the withers relative to the hindquarters is based on flexible strength. My position is too far to the inside, causing Max to lean into the pirouette more than is needed. This other page shows a more frontal position of the canter pirouette, which illustrates the lateral positioning of the limbs to accomplish the rotation of the movement.

**Comparison of five movements at LEFT HIND TOE DOWN from the table above

Pirouette left	R collected canter (RH toe down)	LC from CW	transition	collected walk

The technical meaning of eqine capacity to perform pirouettes in walk, trot or canter goes to the talent of horses for being elite athletes able to produce those numerous gradations of limb sequences we call gaits.

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FEI Dressage (1999) Rules: Article 413 The pirouette and the half-pirouette

1. The pirouette (half-pirouette) is a circle (half-circle) executed on two tracks, with a radium equal to the length of the horse, the forehand moving round the haunches

2. Pirouettes (half-pirouettes) are usually carried out at a collected walk or canter, but can also be executed at piaffe.

3. At the pirouette (half-pirouette) the forefeet and the outside hind foot move around the inside hind foot, which forms the pivot and should return to the same spot, or slightly in front of it, each time it leaves the ground.

4. At whatever pace the pirouette (half-pirouette) is executed, the horse, slightly bent in the direction in which he is turning, should, remaining "on the bit" with a light contact, turn smoothly round, maintaining the exact cadence and sequence of footfalls of that pace. The poll stays the highest point during the entire movement.

5. During the pirouette (half-pirouette) should maintine his impulsion, and never in the slightest way move backwards or deviate sideways. If the inside hind foot is not raised and returned to the ground in the same rhythm as the outside hind foot, the pace is no longer regular.

6. In executing pirouette or the half-pirouette in canter, the rider should maintain perfect lightness of the horse while accentuation the collection. The quarters are well engaged and lowered and show a good flexion of the joints. An integral part of the movement is the canter strides before and after the pirouette. These should be characterized by an increased activity and collection before the pirouette; and, the movement having been completed, by the balance being maintained as the horse proceeds.

7. The quality of the pirouette (half-pirouettes) is judged according to the suppleness, lightness, cadence and regularity, and to the precision and smoothness of the transitions: pirouettes (half-pirouettes) at canter also according to the balance, the elevation and the number of strides (at pirouettes 6-8, half-pirouettes 3-4 are desirable).

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