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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.

Monday, May 10, 2010

PW

Pikksie Wish is continuing her lessons and really starting to enjoy them! She is very clever and likes to please. As long as we do not cause sensory overload she is 100% willing and trying to get an A+ on every lesson. She is wearing her cute little bridle, not completely sure what to do with the bit, but she is accepting the idea! Her work in hand lessons are going very well and her trot is looking quite fancy. Raymundo is very patient with her and she is giving him all of her attention during the lessons. We are hoping to do some breed shows in the summer, I think she will do quite well! Also will take her to her Hanoverian Inspection in July.
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