piaffe

horse movement

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July 1, 2026

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The piaffe is a specific movement in dressage, a discipline focused on the systematic training of horses. It is characterized by a collected trot executed in place, meaning the horse trots with shortened and raised gaits, bringing its balance rearward to lighten the forehand. This maneuver requires significant agility within a limited space and is a key element of haute école, or "high school" dressage. The piaffe is one of several advanced movements that demonstrate a horse's balance, suppleness, and obedience to the rider's subtle cues.12

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horsemanship
Dressage
…walk and the canter; the piaffe, in which the horse trots without moving forward, backward, or sideways, the impulse being upward; the passage, high-stepping trot in which the impulse is more upward than forward; the levade, in which the horse stands balanced on its hindlegs, its forelegs drawn in; the…
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…walk and the canter; the piaffe, in which the horse trots without moving forward, backward, or sideways, the impulse being upward; the passage, high-stepping trot in which the impulse is more upward than forward; the levade, in which the horse stands balanced on its hindlegs, its forelegs drawn in; the…
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dressage
…at a collected canter; the piaffe, a trot in place; the passage, a very collected, cadenced, high-stepping trot; the levade, in which the horse raises and draws in its forelegs, standing balanced on its bent hind legs; the courvet (courbette), a jump forward at the levade; and the capriole, in…
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…at a collected canter; the piaffe, a trot in place; the passage, a very collected, cadenced, high-stepping trot; the levade, in which the horse raises and draws in its forelegs, standing balanced on its bent hind legs; the courvet (courbette), a jump forward at the levade; and the capriole, in…
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