Always be on the lookout for signs that your horse's topline is becoming fatigued, such as increasing mental agitation or fussiness, and allow for a stretching break before true resistance begins, or the horse will start to become resentful.
The key to success with any movement in the Dressage ring lies in how you ride the corner preceding the movement.
In a good, productive stretch - active energy travels over the horse's topline and into the rider's hands. If you don't feel at least a little power coming from behind up into your connection, your stretch is not correct!
“You need to produce a walk. So work at the walk as well as the trot and canter. Get a good feeling of the body working in the walk. The walk is a mirror of the training of the horse.” ~ Christoph Hess
In the sport of Eventing, ensuring that our horses are truly fit for our level of competition is one of the best ways to prevent unnecessary injuries.