The word “dressage” is French, and is most commonly translated as “training.” On her website, Theresa Sandin defines dressage as: “The guiding of a horse through a series of complex maneuvers by slight movements of the rider’s hands, legs, and weight.” Dressage is a form of riding that focuses on a perfect partnership between horse and rider. The rider is not simply a passenger, but an active member of a horse-human duo.

It has been said that dressage is both a journey and a destination, with the core purpose of developing, “through standardized progressive training methods, a horse’s natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse.” In short, after a lifetime of studying dressage, a horse and rider make the strenuous look effortless.
So, how did this beautiful style of riding begin?

Dressage has its roots classical Greek horsemanship, evolving out of the necessity to train horses to fight in battle, and those training techniques, over time, have been employed to create an elegant dance in the show ring. It came to be considered an “important equestrian pursuit” during the Renaissance. By 1912, dressage had become an accepted form of training and riding, although it took many more years before men who were not in the military and women came into the picture as serious dressage riders and competitors.

Speaking of competition, what is a dressage show like?

The dressage arena is a rectangle, with letters placed at evenly spaced intervals around the perimeter. Competitors use the arena to present dressage routines, called “tests.” The letters are markers that dictate how and where particular moves are executed. Lower level tests are performed in a smaller arena, usually at a walk or trot. The movements are simpler and focus on lower level goals, like how well the horse bends around the rider’s leg (flexibility) whether the rider is on the correct diagonal while posting at a trot. Higher level tests are performed in a larger arena, and will include all gaits (walk, trot, canter, gallop), as well as more complicated movements, like flying lead changes or pirouettes.

Currently, competitive dressage has nine levels, with progressively more difficult tests in each level. There are also tests written for musical freestyle, sport horses, and for multiple horse and rider pairs. However, in all levels of dressage competition, judges will consider rhythm, regularity, relaxation, contact, impulsion, and collection.

If you would like to train in dressage, the first thing to do is find the right instructor. Ideally, it will be someone who has ridden at the Grand Prix level and has worked with other students with measurable, positive results. Check references!

You will also need the right tack, starting with a decent English dressage saddle, along with other items recommended by your instructor.

Most importantly, you will need the right horse! While there are many horses that are capable of performing dressage maneuvers (Quarter horses, Arabs, Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, and even some draft horses have all made it to the highest levels of dressage competition), you need the horse that is right for you. This is the trickiest part – the part that is the “art,” and emotion, because there is only so much science and breeding will tell you. Only you and your dedication to the relationship will determine if you and your horse will forge the deep bond necessary to go all the way. And finally, if you want to train all the way to the top, you must start with horse that is fairly young, say three or four years old. It takes years to train a horse properly (most Grand Prix and Olympic horses are in their teens).

From the perspective of the spectator at a dressage competition, the rider should not appear to be overtly directing the horse in any specific way. It should look as though the horse and rider have become one being, and are moving together in complete unity. Watching a high-level (Grand Prix or Olympic) should be like watching a ballet on horseback.

Author: Anita Lamb
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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