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127:, but not the walk. This is the current position of the USDF. Others differ, however. Oliveira described impulsion as necessary at all paces: "If your horse goes from walk to trot without changing the head and neck position, the walk had good impulsion." Outside the world of competitive dressage, impulsion is considered necessary at all gaits, encouraged in
42:, impulsion helps a horse effectively use the power in its hindquarters. To achieve impulsion, a horse is not using speed, but muscular control; the horse exhibits a relaxed spinal column, which allows its hindquarters to come well under its body and "engage" so that they can be used in the most effective manner to move the horse forward at any speed.
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described impulsion as, "...a mental and physical state of the horse to obey the rider's demands as fast as possible, to move forward, and to maintain his forward impulsion without support from the aids..." and ""Impulsion means to maintain the energy within the cadence." Another definition is that
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states that impulsion is "the transmission of an eager and energetic, yet controlled propulsive energy generated from the hindquarters into the athletic movement of the horse. Its ultimate expression can be shown only through the horse’s soft and swinging back to be guided by a gentle contact with
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as follows: "The piaffe must always be animated by a lively impulsion and characterized by a perfect balance. While giving the impression of being in place there may be a visible inclination to advance, this being displayed by the horse’s eager acceptance to move forward as soon as he is asked."
103:" horse is said to have impulsion when the energy created by the hind legs is being transmitted into the gait and into every aspect of the forward movement. A horse can be said to be working with impulsion when it pushes off energetically from the ground and swings its feet well forward." The
221:. Because the walk has no moment of suspension, it is a difficult gait to perform with impulsion. Impulsion at various gaits may not always appear the same. In the walk, it is seen when the hindquarters are engaged and the gait is "purposeful yet relaxed." The
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Good riding is needed to create impulsion in any horse, although some horses may be built in such a way that they can more naturally create impulsion (such as those with an "uphill" build). The horse must be forward, yet relaxed, and coming correctly
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rule book defines it as "...Thrust. Releasing of the energy stored by engagement. The energy is transmitted through a back that is free from negative tension and is manifested in the horse's elastic, whole-body movement. The
158:. It not only makes the horse's gait more elastic, light, and expressive, but provides the animal with the power needed to perform the required movements. This is especially true for those requiring
69:. Within the dressage world, there is an unresolved debate whether impulsion can only occur in gaits which have a period of suspension, the
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to be more elastic and light, and also provides the animal with the power needed to perform complex movements, including the
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citing The
Principles of Riding, The Official Instruction Handbook of the German National Equestrian Federation – Book 1,
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circles, impulsion is defined by the German
Training Scale, which states that impulsion is only possible in
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disciplines, because good impulsion allows the horse to effectively utilize the power in its hindquarters.
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Impulsion can only occur if the horse is coming properly up through the back and hindquarters, as seen here.
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Whittington, Beverly. "Working the Walk: Using the Walk to
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when it is going forward with controlled power. Related to the concept of
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poor impulsion is often linked to horses failing to clear obstacles
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