[header] How to teach your horse to piaffe [title] Understand what the ideal piaffe looks like. [step] The ideal piaffe will look like your horse is trotting in place, with only one hoof print landing forward in every step. Your horse should be bent at his haunches, with his pelvis tilted, his back arched, and his front legs lifted. 
When your horse does a piaffe, he should look like he is doing a rapid trot, with short, active and high steps. [substeps] He should move through four clear stages or steps to achieve the piaffe.