The classical art of dressage is not new. What we see today as a highly technical and exacting discipline, had its origins in the cavalries of ancient Greece and Rome. Dressage is a French word which roughly translates as "training". The classical method of training the horse dressage goes back many centuries. The very spectacular jumps and gymnastics of the "haute ecole" (high school) which entertain thousands of visitors to the Spanish riding school, had far more practical applications: horses were trained to leap and kick out to free themselves from the melee of surrounding foot soldiers.
These horses responded to weight and leg signals from the rider, leaving both hands free to wield weapons. Hence the more highly trained the horse, the better the chance of survival for its rider. From the cavalry parade ground with its display of military horsemanship to the art of dressage as we know it today. The knowledge bequeathed by the great masters of riding has been retained and it is to Europe, especially to Germany, that the rest of the world looks for guidance and development of this sport.
What is a dressage competition?
Competitive dressage takes the form of a series of tests of ever increasing difficulty. Each test is a rigorous routine of set gymnastic movements which are performed with absolute exactness in front of judges. Not only must the test be performed with accuracy, but also none of the inherent power and beauty of the horse's movement must be lost; rather, it should be enhanced. The sequence of movements are designed to demonstrate the horse's suppleness, obedience and strength.
What do judges look for?
There are a number of basic qualities that a dressage judge wants to see in a horse during a competition. One of the first things a dressage judge looks for is rhythm. The horse's paces must remain totally regular. Each horse has its own rhythm for its walk, trot and canter. At a certain tempo, the horse will move in its optimum natural rhythm. When this happens the animal is using its body effectively and will carry the rider with the most ease. Judges look for impulsion, the horse must carry the rider along with power and ease. It must take springy strong steps without rushing and bend its whole body around curves and circles. Calmness, obedience and submission are further criteria.
The rider must be relaxed and supple, moving in comfortable harmony with the horse's motion. Movements should appear effortless and the rider must sit erect, with their arms close to the body. They must also be well balanced.
A horse must be able to move forward and sideways without distorting the rhythm of its movements. The most difficult exercises in dressage are the piaffe, a stationary trot, and the passage, a slow, elevated trot where the horse lifts its legs much higher than usual, appearing to hover over the ground. A dressage horse is often compared to a ballet dancer or gymnast. Riders must not talk to the horse. At higher levels at major events, riding whips are forbidden but spurs must be worn. Penalty points are deducted from the total points for errors.
At Grand Prix level, opportunities for impressive movements are reflected in the majestic passage, the powerful piaffe and the rhythm of the half-pass, where the horse travels forward from one side to the other with legs crossing in front each other. Flying changes conjure up some interesting images - to the uninitiated it looks like skipping. What is actually happening is that the horse is changing its legs mid air and can do this every stride.
How is dressage judged?
As one of the sports to be judged "subjectively" dressage relies on a body of well educated dedicated judges who are required to sit in cars, booths or other structures by the side of the dressage arena. Grand Prix dressage at Championships utilise five judges; lower level "official" tests use two or three judges, while an unofficial Preliminary test may only have one judge.
Each rider presents to the judge at the designated time, and the judge indicates that the rider should enter the arena and start the test, by way of a car horn or bell. As soon as the horse enters the arena it is being judged. The arena has either a grass or a sand surface. It measures 60 m x 20 m for most tests, indicated by a low fence, and has certain points marked out around the edges with letters (such as "C", "M", and "F"). These letters are used as markers at which the horse must perform certain movements or change pace.
While accuracy is important (as in figure skating) it is by no means the only criterion by which dressage is judged. The judge actually judges the horse, not the rider, although the rider is given a mark out of 10 for position, seat, hands and effectiveness, at the end of the test.
Each movement is given a mark out of ten. Very important or difficult movements have a coefficient of 2. A score of 0 indicates the movement was not performed, while 10 indicates perfection and is rarely awarded. Next, the judges' marks are averaged and the competitor's average marks are converted into a percentage of the total possible marks for the test.
A score of 60% is considered to be good - winning tests often score upwards of 75%. At the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Isabell Werth & Gigolo received a score of 76.32% in the Grand Prix and Anky Van Grunsven & Bonfire scored 86.05% in the Freestyle section.
The Freestyle to Music ("Kür")
In Freestyle to Music, riders perform their own pattern of movements choreographed from a list of compulsory elements suitable for each level of competition. The scoring of the freestyle test is divided into technical execution and artistic impression.
In the Kür, the choreography is designed individually by the rider and the presentation is to each rider's selected music. The music can be big beat bands, floating classical themes, pop, country music, ballads, even novelty tunes, all cleverly interlinked to reflect the three time canter, two time trot and the four time walk. Competitors are given a score of up to ten marks for each of the judged elements shown. Some of these have a coefficient by which the initial mark is multiplied. In the event of two competitors having the same final score, the one with the higher marks for artistic impression is leading.
How long does it take to train a dressage horse?
It takes at least four years to train a horse to Grand Prix level. This is considered to be the fastest the horse can develop both physically and mentally, and can be done only by talented horses and experienced trainers. Many horses will take about seven years to go from Novice level to Grand Prix.
What type of people compete in dressage and why?
Dressage has such a well-developed philosophy and such a rational approach to training that many people find it intellectually satisfying, as well as physically demanding. It is an art as well as a sport, and is one of the few sports at which men and women are equally successful. A successful dressage rider needs only one horse. This puts the sport within the reach of most people. It is not a sport confined to the upper echelons of society. Underneath the formal-looking outfits worn in competitions, you'll find all sorts of people, from farmers and housewives to teachers, doctors and journalists.
Advanced Movements
The Passage
This is a measured, very collected trot, elevated and cadenced. It is characterised by a pronounced engagement of the quarters, a more accentuated flexion of the knees and hocks and the graceful elasticity of the movement. Each diagonal pair of feet is raised and returned to the ground alternatively, with cadence and a prolonged suspension.
The Piaffe
A highly collected trot, cadenced, elevated and giving the impression of being in place. The horse's back is supple and elastic. The quarters are slightly lowered, the haunches with active hocks are well engaged, giving great freedom, lightness and mobility to the shoulders and forehand. Each diagonal pair of feet is raised and returned to the ground alternatively, with even cadence.
The Pirouette
A highly developed form of lateral movement executed on a very small circle with a radius approximately equal to the length of the horse. It can be performed in walk, piaffe or canter. The most important aspect of a good pirouette is that the rhythm and tempo of the gait in which it is performed should be exactly maintained before, during and in the departure from the movement. This can only be satisfactorily achieved if a high degree of collection and impulsion is held.
In the canter pirouette, the hindquarters will be noticeably lowered, through there should be no apparent lifting of the horse's head or forehand which would imply a loss of collection and a consequent flattening of the back. The horse should remain slightly flexed in the direction of the turn throughout, the quarters remaining well controlled to form the true pivot of the movement. He must never show the smallest tendency to drift backwards. Between 6 and 8 strides are desirable in a well controlled canter pirouette, the quality of the movement being judged according to the suppleness, lightness, cadence and regularity.
Flying Change of Leg
In order to make a flying change from canter-left to canter-right, or visa versa, the horse has to reorganise the sequence in which his legs operate in the asymmetrical beat of the gait. This primarily involves the quick adjustment of the hind legs in exactly the same way a child changes its legs while skipping along the pavement. This adjustment can only be made in the very brief moment following the third beat when all four legs are off the ground. A good flying change should flow smoothly through into the first stride of the new lead without any sign of hesitation or of a shortening of a stride, and with no loss of balance. The horse should appear to make the change with pride and elegance. It is only a matter of acquiring sufficient balance and gymnastic freedom of action in order to master the flying changes every four, three, two and one stride.
Lateral Movements
Lateral movements, comprising all movements in a direction other than that on which the horse is aligned, are of four main varieties and all can be used in various forms in all three basic gaits of walk, trot and canter. The standard variations are leg yielding, shoulder-in, traverse (or quarters-in) and half-pass. Leg yielding is not in advanced dressage. All lateral movements share the same purpose of making the horse attentive and obedient to the aids of improving his balance, suppleness and powers of collection. In all of them it is expected that the rhythm of the stride will not be hurried or short.
The Shoulder-in
A valuable movement in its own right and is used in a subtle and almost invisible way in conjunction with other movements. It is an aid to true collection and also, paradoxically, to straightness. In a true shoulder-in, the hind legs should remain more or less straight on the original track while the forelegs are brought onto a separate track and have to cross. The horse is bent away from the direction in which he is moving.
The Travers
Despite some similarities with the shoulder-in, it is an easier and altogether less important exercise, aimed primarily at increasing lateral activity of the quarters. The forehand should remain more or less straight on the original track while the hind legs are brought onto a separate track and have to cross. The horse is bent in the direction in which he is moving.
The Half-pass
The half-pass is widely used is all advanced dressage, and when well performed, is a very elegant and impressive movement. When performed from one side of the arena to the other it is often referred to as 'traversal'. The half-pass is also shown in the form of a zig-zag or counter change of hand, requiring flying changes of leg when done in canter. The horse should be slightly bent in the direction in which he is moving.
