Dressage (pronounced like massage) is a French term meaning �training�. It is the basis for all disciplines of riding, with its roots going back to the Renaissance period in Europe. European riding masters of that time developed a training system that has been taken on by modern riders as the basis of dressage. The purpose of dressage is to develop the horse�s natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, maximizing its potential of a riding horse.
The current competitions involve the horse and rider performing a series of specified movements in an arena with up to five judges scoring each movement from a 0 (not complete) to a 10 (perfect). The final result is a percentage score. The tests include all three natural gaits of the horse: the walk, trot, and canter. Within those gaits, the horse performs circles, lateral movements (almost sideways), extension and collection of each gait, and the upper levels include the passage (trotting in slow motion), the piaffe (trotting in place), walk and canter pirouettes, and canter lead changes (looks like the horse is skipping).
Riders in the Olympic games perform the highest level of dressage called the Grand Prix. This level requires the most skill, concentration, and athletic ability of both the horse and the rider. The Olympics also requires the pair to perform a �musical freestyle�. Much like figure skating, the test is performed to music and the movements are choreographed to enhance each specific horse�s strengths. This crowd-pleasing event is as close to dancing that a horse and rider can come.
Most types of horses can achieve success in the lower levels of dressage with the correct training and riding. Success at the upper levels depends greatly on the conformation, or build, of the horse. A thoroughbred, for example, is built to race, with a lower neck set and a long, lean body. A Lipizzan is more compact with a higher neck set and stronger hindquarters, allowing the breed to perform the �high school� movements not seen in competition. These include the levade (a balanced rear on the hind legs), the courbette (the horse balances on the hind legs and jumps, keeping the forelegs off the ground), and the capriole (the horse leaps into the air and kicks out with his hind legs). These movements allowed the cavalry riders to use the horse as a shield or weapon in hand fighting. There are many breeds in between these two, which allow them to perform at various degrees of difficulty. The �warmbloods� are most common in the dressage ring, but you will also see the Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, Paints, Arabians, and Ponies. The best part about dressage is that anybody or any horse can enjoy and excel in this sport of competition or leisure. |
