Chapitre 1
Sand Lines & Meters
Ordre impair
Leader : les cotes (également appelées 1) sont toujours le leader de la ligne d'origine.
Vague : pour les mouvements de vague, allez toujours à gauche, sauf indication contraire.
Lignes de niveau : Lorsque vous coupez sur des lignes de niveau, les chances vont à la ligne de niveau la plus éloignée.
Fil : toujours aller en premier pour les mouvements de fil, sauf indication contraire.
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
Lors de l'arrêt, le commandant précisera dans quelle formation il souhaite que la ligne de coureurs s'arrête.
Si aucune formation spécifique n'est appelée, la ligne de coureurs arrêtera simplement NTT avec le coureur devant.
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
Lors de l'arrêt, le commandant précisera dans quelle formation il souhaite que la ligne de coureurs s'arrête.
Si aucune formation spécifique n'est appelée, la ligne de coureurs arrêtera simplement NTT avec le coureur devant.
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
Les lignes de sable mesurées sont nommées à partir du nombre de mètres à partir de X et du mur dans lequel la ligne est la plus proche et parallèle à.
Par exemple, dans ce diagramme, la ligne rose est la "ligne de sable C de 10 mètres" car elle est à 10 mètres de X et elle est parallèle et la plus proche du mur C.
Pour nommer une ligne de sable mesurée, comptez simplement la taille du mètre de X vers l'un des murs de l'arène. Au total, il y a 32 lignes de sable mesurées : 8 mètres au total (2,5, 5, 7,5, 10, 12,5, 15, 17,5, 20) et 4 murs dans l'arène, ce qui signifie 8 lignes de sable mesurées par mur de l'arène.
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.
Lors de l'arrêt, le commandant précisera dans quelle formation il souhaite que la ligne de coureurs s'arrête.
Si aucune formation spécifique n'est appelée, la ligne de coureurs arrêtera simplement NTT avec le coureur devant.
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.
Lignes de sable mesurées
Point 5 Mètre : Vu comme les lignes solides rose clair sur le diagramme. Les lignes de sable de 5 mètres de point tombent sur le point médian, ou ligne d'espacement, entre chaque ligne de sable pointillée dans l'arène.
Compteur entier : vu comme les lignes pointillées blanches sur le diagramme. Les lignes de sable d'un mètre entier tombent sur les lignes de points brillants de l'arène.
Il y a 4 virgule cinq lignes de mètre : 2,5, 7,5, 12,5, 17,5.
Il y a 4 lignes entières de mètres : 5, 10, 15, 20.
Au total, il y a 32 lignes de sable mesurées dans l'arène. 8 lignes de sable par mur du manège (4 murs).
Diagrams
Lors de l'arrêt, le commandant précisera dans quelle formation il souhaite que la ligne de coureurs s'arrête.
Si aucune formation spécifique n'est appelée, la ligne de coureurs arrêtera simplement NTT avec le coureur devant.
2.5 Meter Sand Lines
La ligne centrale et médiane dans l'arène ! La ligne médiane fait référence à la longue ligne du mur A au mur C et la ligne médiane fait référence à la ligne la plus courte du mur E au mur B.
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
Ordre impair
Leader : les cotes (également appelées 1) sont toujours le leader de la ligne d'origine.
Vague : pour les mouvements de vague, allez toujours à gauche, sauf indication contraire.
Lignes de niveau : Lorsque vous coupez sur des lignes de niveau, les chances vont à la ligne de niveau la plus éloignée.
Fil : toujours aller en premier pour les mouvements de fil, sauf indication contraire.
Additionally, you can visit the PDM Study Tools chapter to test your meter knowledge.
Study Tools: