Contributors

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.

Friday, July 13, 2018

Dressage Student's Handbook continued

              Understanding how your horse moves:

                                           Each horse will have positive attributes and even the most athletic horse will have a weak link. It is important to constantly be aware of the optimum gait on each given day.
                                           Knowing some basic conformation and how the energy moves through the horse will help you better influence your horse when riding. Watch horses move live. Get familiar with the four beats of the walk, two beats in the trot and three beats in the canter. This should become natural to watch over time and positive attributes should start to be noticeable quickly as you become more fluent. Does the horse move in balance front and hind? Are the steps rhythmical and the same size?  Is there relaxation in the joints? Does the hind leg reach under the balance of the horse or push out behind? Does the horse move over the shoulder?
                      No matter what movement the horse is doing pure gaits should persist.
                                           We add lateral work and upper level movements to clean, good gaits. The gaits are improved in suppleness and impulsion with movements, however, they need to be clean and relaxed before you add difficulty. Relaxation is built on understanding, so when tension creeps in causing rhythm problems step back, connect the dots for your horse and then move forward. When you have a particular area that you know your horse gets tense think of ways ahead of time to present the information in understandable chunks and make it possible for your horse to do it right. More small questions that get the right answers will benefit the training better than a big question that creates confusion and refusal. When you take your lessons be aware that your focus is just as much on communicating correctly with your horse as it is with making your instructor happy. Your instructor seeing your horse understand you will be happy!! When something does not make sense it is best to ask a question during a break rather then put extra miles on your horse in confusion.

                                           In the next chapter we will go into the gaits more thoroughly. So be sure to stay tuned. If you have questions please comment below, or email me nancylaterdressagehorses@gmail.com

         Be youthful in your approach, know anything is possible, connection is the key!

                                                To be continued.....
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