Is a rider moving in dressage a bad thing?

Answer 1

A rider's movements in dressage should be as subtle as possible - a small movement of the heel, a flexing of the fingers. Ideally, the horse and rider should be almost a single coordinated unit, with the rider's requests being very inconspicuous and the horse's responses immediate. Bouncing on the horse's back indicates that the rider is not moving fluidly with the animal. This tends to be caused by stiffness or tension in either the horse, the rider, or both. The lowest levels of dressage (Introductory Level, which is walk and trot only, and Training Level, which is walk-trot-canter) can be ridden by people (and horses) with very little experience, and at those levels there is likely to be considerable movement of the rider, regarding both directing the horse and bouncing or moving in the saddle. However, even there, the goal is to be as "quiet" on the horse as possible.