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Dressage


Dressage (a French term meaning "training") is a path and destination of competitive horse training, with competitions held at all levels from amateur to the Olympics. Its fundamental purpose is to develop, through standardized progressive training methods, a horse's natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse. At the peak of a dressage horse's gymnastic development, it can smoothly respond to a skilled rider's minimal aids by performing the requested movement while remaining relaxed and appearing effortless. Dressage is occasionally referred to as "Horse Ballet." Although the discipline has its roots in classical Greek horsemanship, mainly through the influence of Xenophon, dressage was first recognized as an important equestrian pursuit during the Renaissance in Western Europe. The great European riding masters of that period developed a sequential training system that has changed little since then and classical dressage is still considered the basis of trained modern dressage.

Early European aristocrats displayed their horses' training in equestrian pageants, but in modern dressage competition, successful training at the various levels is demonstrated through the performance of "tests," or prescribed series of movements within a standard arena. Judges evaluate each movement on the basis of an objective standard appropriate to the level of the test and assign each movement a score from zero to ten - zero being "not executed" and ten being "excellent." A score of nine (or "very good") is considered a particularly high mark, while a competitor achieving all sixes (or 60% overall) should be considering moving on to the next level.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

PW

Yesterday was Pikksi Wish's first lesson! Pikksie Wish was purchased from Horses Unlimited as a weanling in 2007. She is by their stallion Pik L and out of a Wolkenstein 2 mare. She spent last winter with us and in Florida and then went to Nancy Sharpless beautiful farm in North Carolina to grow up on the hills. Last week she arrived back in Florida as a 3 year old! and we will begin to break her in. Yesterday April 9 was her first lesson and I am not sure she was a fan. She is still learning about the cross ties, but because she is shedding so much it is not hard for to figure out she needs to stand to get this nice brushing. The bridle was not as much fun for her, but she handled it. I do not think she loved the bit in her mouth but by the end of the lesson she was relaxing. We went to the arena for our first lunge and without some assistance this process was not going anywhere, so Raymundo helped to walk her around the lunging circle and they even did a couple of rounds of trot.
From this point of view she was looking very beautiful. She has very good hind legs and a very elastic gait. I am excited to see what she will grow into.
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