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A Concise Overview - Dressage

Dressage, from the French for training, pronounced to rhyme with massage, educates horses in being keen, biddable, agile and alive. Dressage, when done well, is seen as like a ballet for horses. This may be because in dressage both the horse and its rider demonstrate the power, suppleness and joy related to ballet.

Dressage at its very best is full of artistry and grace, this is only achieved when rider and horse and in perfect harmony. In dressage the horse and rider need to be totally together to produce the perfect team. Dressage at all levels improves balance, suppleness, and obedience with the purpose of improving and facilitating the horse's performance of normal tasks.

Dressage as a discipline has its roots in classical Greek horsemanship, mainly through the influence of Xenophon. It was not until the renaissance that Western Europe identified the usefulness of dressage. Western European riding experts utilised a step by step training guide during that period that is today still recognised as the building blocks for dressage.

Due to the formality of dressage, tack is usually black leather, although dark brown is seen from time to time. A special saddle is needed for dressage riding, it is an English-style saddle developed solely for dressage use. Nowadays the saddle has lengthy and straight saddle flap, which as far as possible follows the contours of the rider's legs.

Dressage with a somewhat stuffy image may not be everyone's idea of a serious sport but there are hundreds of places throughout the world where horses and riders can compete. The biggest addition to dressage competitions was its entry into the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, this galvanised the levels of training and hence riding. Within the Olympics today dressage is included with eventing and jumping, all three going together for the three day event.

Dressage is undertaken in a 60 meter long, with the width a third of the length arena with letters, A-K-V-E-S-H-C-M-R-B-P-F. Riders use the letters to assist in judging distances but their primary purpose is to show specific locations for movements to be attempted. Once a horse has reached the required level, procedures should be undertaken easily and elegantly with only the merest assistance from the rider.

Dressage at competition level is judged on movements such as the piaffe, passage, extended trot, pirouette, and tempi changes. The aires above ground are not undertaken in competitive dressage, unlike classic dressage, due to the physical problems horses have in completing them. The highlight of a dressage competition is the Musical Freestyle in which the rider creates and choreographs to music an original ride of compulsory figures and movements. The tests within dressage represent an overall judgement; the purpose of dressage training is to enhance the horse physically and mentally, in total alignment with his normal methods of moving and thinking, and these tests are "reviews" to ascertain the standard of balance, power and compliance the training has brought him to.

I hope with this information you are sufficiently interested to look to learn more.

Article Source: http://articlesrightnow.com

Linda Crabtree has written several other superb articles that are very relevant to all things equine these can be found at myhorsenews.com

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