chapter 6
Sand Lines & Meters
1.
Arena Letters
Letters
There are 12 letters along the arena walls and 1 invisible letter at the center.
Arena letters can be used in dressage practices and routines as markers. These letters can help with calling directions, calling out specific rider lines, and more. It is recommended that riders and instructors memorize the letters in order to use them efficiently!
TIP
A saying to help remember the arena letters:
"All King Victors Expensive Show Horses Can Manage Really Big Plastic Fences"
2.
Common Sand Lines
Diagram
Common Sand Lines are named sand lines that are commonly used within the PDM. These sand lines have visible markers that can be seen on the arena floor. The common sand lines do not include the metered sand lines.
Common Sand Lines
Listed below are the named common sand lines.
Wall Lines
Center Line
Mid Line
Normal Tier
Tight Tier
Quarter Line
In addition to the common sand lines, there are the slant lines and diagonal tracks.
Using named sand lines improves accuracy, and precision, as well as the ability to call out specific markers that riders use during moves or formations.
Lines Explained
The slides below have diagrams showcasing the different common sand lines as well as explanations of how to use the sand lines.
Lines Demonstrated
The videos below demonstrate how to ride some of the common sand lines.
Slant Lines Demo
This video demonstrates how to ride a forward slant using the bright dot slant lines.
This video demonstrates how to ride a forward slant using the spacing slant lines.
Tight Tier Demo
This video demonstrates how riders cut onto the Tight Tier sand lines for center line. The riders cut onto the tier tight sand lines from HI/FI gaps, using tier alignment.
This video demonstrates how riders cut onto the Tight Tier sand lines for midline. The riders cut into tier tight from HI/FI gaps, using tier alignment.
Normal Tier Demo
This video demonstrates how riders turn onto the Normal Tier sand lines for center line. The riders waterfall onto the normal tier lines into staggered alignment.
This video demonstrates how riders turn onto the Normal Tier sand lines for midline. The riders waterfall onto the normal tier lines into staggered alignment.
3.
Metered Sand Lines
Meter System
The meter system is a series of numbers that measure distance. The meter system is used for naming specific sand lines and circles. The meter system was designed inspired by the meter system used in real dressage.
There are three fundamental rules for meters:
1. Meters use two specific markers: bright dots and spacings.
2. Meters have two specific sizes: whole meter (5) and point 5 meter (2.5).
3. Whole meters use bright dots and point 5 meters use spacings.
Meter Sizes
There are 8 meter sizes total:
2.5 5 7.5 10 12.5 15 17.5 20
4 whole meter and 4 point 5 meter.
Whole Meter
5 Meter
10 Meter
15 Meter
20 Meter
Point 5 Meter
2.5 Meter
7.5 Meter
12.5 Meter
17.5 Meter
The 8 meter sizes are counted in increments of 2.5.
Bright dotted sand lines are whole meter markers: 5, 10, 15, 20
Spacing sand lines are point 5 meter markers: 2.5, 7.5, 12.5, 17.5
In the diagram below, the meter sizes are shown. Counting from X towards each wall of the arena, there are the 8 meter sizes in-line with center and midline.
The yellow circles represent the point 5 meter sizes that use spacings as markers and the pink dots represent the whole meter sizes that use bright dots as markers.
The diagrams below demonstrate the 8 meter sizes for one wall (left E wall, right A wall).
There are 8 meter sizes total, however, the metered sand lines are based on the 4 walls in the arena - each wall has it's own 8 metered sand lines, making 32 sand lines total - but the meter.
PQL created the Point 5 Meter to enhance the precision of circles and sand lines. 2.5, 7.5, 12.5, and 17.5 allow for more exact markers and also provide for more circle and sand line options. Without Point 5 Meters we would not have the ability to adjust markers to fit different gait curl-overs and so much more.
Meter Distances
The bright dots and spacings within the arena floor are not randomly placed; they are evenly spaced apart with a clear pattern.
Reminder: Spacings and spacing sand lines do not have a definitive visible marker. Spacings and spacing sand lines are the exact middle point between two bright dots and two bright dotted sand lines. Sometimes the spacing line may be a pebble line or a faded dot line.
Learn more about spacings and the arena grid by visiting Chapter 5 - Arena Grid:
Every bright dot or bright dot line is 5 meters apart.
Every spacing or spacing line is 5 meters apart.
From a spacing to a bright dot, or vice versa, is 2.5 meters.
5 Meter Distance: From one bright dot line to another, or from one spacing line to another spacing.
2.5 Meter Distance: From one bright dot line to a spacing line, or vice versa.
Walk Curl-Over: A walk curl-over is equivalent to a character spacing.
Trot Curl-Over: A trot curl-over is equivalent to 2.5 meters.
Canter Curl-Over: A canter curl-over is equivalent to 5 meters.
Naming Meters
Metered sand lines are named after the number of meters from X and the wall in which the line is closest to and parallel to (A, C, B, or E wall). To name a metered sand line, count the meter distance from X towards one of the arena walls.
Naming Metered Sand Lines:
meter size of sand line + related wall
For example, in the diagram below, the yellow lines are the 10 meter sand lines. Starting at X, count 10 meters away from X towards each wall. The bright dotted sand line you land on is the 10 Meter Sand Line for the wall you counted towards.
10 Meter C Wall, 10 Meter B Wall, 10 Meter E Wall, 10 Meter A Wall.
Metered Sand Lines
Metered sand lines have many uses, they are used to create metered circles, cross-hair markers, and to name many different sand lines within the arena. Metered sand lines allow for an extremely precise use of sand lines within dressage.
PQL created Metered Sand Lines to allow for nearly any sand line within the arena to be named, which helps the riders to know exactly where they are within the arena and allows for more markers to be used in routines. The common sand lines do not cover the entire Riding Arena, whereas metered sand lines do. Therefore, metered sand lines help to improve accuracy and precision.
Metered sand lines are named after the meter distance from X as well as the wall the sand line is related to. There are 4 walls within the arena and 8 meter sizes, therefore there are 32 metered sand lines (4 walls x 8 meter sizes = 32).
This diagram showcases all 32 metered sand lines.
Starting from X, the metered sand lines are named in accordance to their meter distance from X and the wall the sand line is paralel and closest too.
The diagrams below showcase the metered sand lines in relation to their wall.
When breaking down the diagram, you can better see how the metered sand lines function. Each wall of the arena (A, B, C, and E) has 8 metered sand lines.
Point 5 Meter:
Seen as the light pink solid lines on the diagram above. The point 5 metered sand lines are the middle point between two bright dotted lines (aka: spacing line). Spacing lines are between every bright dotted sand line in the arena.
Whole Meter:
Seen as the white dotted lines on the diagram above. The whole metered sand lines are the bright dotted sand lines in the arena.
There are 4 point five metered sand lines for each wall: 2.5, 7.5, 12.5, 17.5
There are 4 whole metered sand lines for each wall: 5, 10, 15, 20
Each meter size has 4 sand lines, one metered sand line per wall.
Diagrams
The slide below showcases all of the metered sand lines in separate diagrams, allowing you to see exactly where the sand lines are within the riding arena.
All of the whole meter sand lines are shown as the white dotted lines on the diagrams, and all of the point 5 meter sand lines are shown as the pink lines on the diagrams.
2.5 Meter Sand Lines
There are 4 sand lines per meter size, one for each wall of the arena.
20 meter is the largest size because the 20 meter sand line for E and B wall lands on the E and B Wall Line. For A and C wall, the 20 meter sand line is the bright dotted line before the quarter line.
Counting Method
Metered sand lines can be found by using the counting method. This method is based on counting a certain number of bright dot lines or spacing lines away from X. The counting method is also used to find metered circle markers.
The markers for each meter size can be found by counting its bright dots or spacings. To do this, riders will stand on X facing center or midline, and count a certain number of bright dot lines or spacing lines away from X towards one of the four walls of the arena.
In the diagrams above the counting method is demonstrated. Starting from X, count towards one of the arena walls. 1 spacing from X is 2.5 meters, 1 bright dot from X is 5 meters.
For example, to find the 10 Meter Sand Line for E wall, count 2 bright dot sand lines from X towards E wall.
In the diagram above, the pink line is the 10 Meter sand line for E wall. It is 10 meters from X towards E and the sand line is parallel to E wall.
Counting Chart
2.5 Meter
Count 1 spacing line from X.
7.5 Meter
Count 2 spacing lines from X.
12.5 Meter
Count 3 spacing lines from X.
17.5 Meter
Count 4 spacing lines from X.
5 Meter
Count 1 bright dot line from X.
10 Meter
Count 2 bright dot lines from X.
15 Meter
Count 3 bright dot lines from X.
20 Meter
Count 4 bright dot lines from X.
Visit Chapter 7 - Circles for the metered circles Counting Method explanation.
Crosshairs Method
A specific method can be used to name any dot or spacing marker within the arena, this method is called the Crosshairs Method.
PQL designed this method so that we could name any marker within the arena for our routines, as our routines are mostly marker-based rather than using go. The Crosshairs Method allows riders and commanders to name any marker within the arena and use that marker for specific moves or formations.
To name a specific marker: select any bright dot or spacing and then find the two metered sand lines the dot or spacing falls onto. The name of the crosshairs marker is the two metered sand lines sizes and their related wall: meter+wall/meter+wall
Crosshairs Example
The green circle is on the crosshairs of the 15 meter sand line for C wall and the 5 meter sand line for E wall - therefore the bright dot is: 15C/5E
