Dressage -- a definition

Dressage is one of the three Olympic equestrian disciplines. It is a programme of suppling, balancing and obedience work that prepares a horse for future pleasure-riding or competition, Western or English. One of the most popular horse sports, "combined training", includes a dressage test as part of the competition format.

In the modern world, dressage has two correct meanings:

  1. the basic schooling of every riding horse. Under the guise of "flat work", it is what hunter/jumper trainers do with their horses when they are not schooling over fences
  2. a type of rapidly growing competition, open to virtually every kind and size of horse and any age of rider.
It is true that when talented horses and riders compete, you will see a kind of beauty and poise that reminds you of top notch figure skating or gymnastics, and there may be moments when you think, "This has become an art; it is like ballet." As one dressage judge says, "You can hear the angels singing." But the sport of dressage has a far wider range than just angels singing.

In dressage training, the natural movements a horse can make on his own, free in the pasture, are repeated as exercises. These range from simple patterns and circles at the walk, trot and canter to movements in extreme collection, such as the piaffe (which is actually part of the showing-off of the stallion).

The idea is to gradually enable the horse to carry more of his own and his rider's weight over his hindquarters than over his forehand. This mobilizing and strengthening of the hindquarters (which provide the motive power as if the horse had rear wheel drive) results in lightening of the forehand and a horse that is much easier to steer and to stop. It is a matter of physics; the horse's immense strength becomes more available to him as he uses himself more efficiently. Because of the obedience required in the exercises, this strength is also instantly available to the rider.

In competition, horses perform tests, written by the National Dressage Committee. These tests reflect the movements used in schooling and so, assess the horse's correct progress towards the goals of suppleness, balance and obedience. Tests are of increasing levels of difficulty, and range from Basic levels (within the reach of every horse and rider) to the difficult demands of tests at the International level. At the Basic levels, you will see hunters, eventers, and pleasure horses, as well as horses destined for dressage competition as an end in itself. At the more advanced levels, you will see equine specialists (and dedicated riders), all athletes of the highest degree.

Another popular form of dressage competition which is included in most shows is the musical kur (free style) ride, composed of one, two or more horses performing to music. Many have expressed the opinion that in the kur rides, the sport of dressage comes closest to the art of ballet.

Exerpted from Dressage... The Training Aid, The Sport, The Art compiled by the Ottawa Area Dressage Group of CADORA and revised in 1986 and 1994.

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