Timed Ease of Handling — more commonly known as the speed test — is undoubtedly the most thrilling event in working equitation, both for competitors and the audience! But don't be mistaken, the one who wins the speed contest isn't necessarily the fastest... So how can you excel in the speed test in working equitation? We reveal the 3 key ingredients to become unbeatable in the arena!

Don't confuse speed with haste

First of all, keep in mind that speed and haste don't always go hand in hand. The one who wins a speed test is not necessarily the quickest, but rather the one who loses the least amount of time.

There's no need to charge headlong into the obstacles, risking making mistakes that will cost you time penalties. What will save you time is your ability to slow the horse down just before the obstacle, and then accelerate at full speed just after. In other words, the quality and speed of your downward transitions.

Here are two exercises to improve your horse’s responsiveness:

1. Braking distance 🛑  

You need to know the distance required to approach the obstacle at the correct canter, neither too fast nor too slow. Practice counting the number of strides necessary to brake at the right distance. With practice, you will gain accuracy and reduce this braking distance.

2. Re-acceleration 🚀  

Once the obstacle has been cleared, your horse must be able to accelerate fully in a minimum number of strides. Work on stop/canter starts, counting the number of strides needed to reach maximum speed. Gradually, you should be able to gain one or two strides each time.

Optimize the trajectories

Once your horse has well integrated these two exercises, he will be ready for the third ingredient: tight turns 🔁. The goal is to train your mount to effectively navigate around cones, barrels, and other very tight turns, maximizing the efficiency of the trajectories.

The more collected their canter and the more mobile their shoulders, the better they will handle these curves at full speed.

Keep a cool head

Your horse must be able to ramp up his speed rapidly 🏎️ and return to a calm state just as quickly 🧘. To achieve this, practice chaining a galloping obstacle (straight slalom, parallel, jump, figure eight, etc.) with a control obstacle (jug, gate, bell, side poles, etc.).

Now you know that responsiveness and calmness are the key elements of the speed test. With these exercises, you'll be able to shine in the arena 🔥 So go for it, but… keep it cool! 😉

Want to go further? Dive into our online courses! Our videos provide detailed exercises to master the speed test and all aspects of Working Equitation 😉