Dressage by Vivian Vallarsa
Dressage is one of the three equestrian events in the Olympics. Competitive dressage involves progressively difficult levels incorporating multiple tests within each level. Each test is a series of movements that must be performed by the horse and rider. Each movement is scored by a panel of judges on a scale of 0-10. The judging scale consists of 10 being excellent, 9 being very good, 8 being good, 7 being fairly good, 6 being satisfactory, 5 being marginal, 4 being insufficient, 3 being fairly bad, 2 being bad, 1 being very bad, and 0 being not executed.
The International Equestrian Federation describes dressage as “the highest expression of horse training where horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements.” Dressage is extremely difficult and is known as one of the hardest equestrian disciplines. Competitions are held from amateur levels all the way up to the Olympics and World Equestrian Games. Its purpose is to develop, through standardized progressive training methods, a horse’s natural athletic ability and willingness to perform.
There are many different breeds of horses trained in dressage, but some of the most common ones are Hanoverians, Holsteiners, Westphalians, Oldernburgs, and, by far the most common breed, Dutch Warmbloods.
Dressage has history in the ancient writings of Xenophon. Modern dressage has been evolving since the Renaissance in which Federico Grisone wrote “The Rules of Riding” in 1550, which was the first book on equitation for over a thousand years since Xenophon’s “On Horsemanship.”
The International Equestrian Federation describes dressage as “the highest expression of horse training where horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements.” Dressage is extremely difficult and is known as one of the hardest equestrian disciplines. Competitions are held from amateur levels all the way up to the Olympics and World Equestrian Games. Its purpose is to develop, through standardized progressive training methods, a horse’s natural athletic ability and willingness to perform.
There are many different breeds of horses trained in dressage, but some of the most common ones are Hanoverians, Holsteiners, Westphalians, Oldernburgs, and, by far the most common breed, Dutch Warmbloods.
Dressage has history in the ancient writings of Xenophon. Modern dressage has been evolving since the Renaissance in which Federico Grisone wrote “The Rules of Riding” in 1550, which was the first book on equitation for over a thousand years since Xenophon’s “On Horsemanship.”