What is Dressage?

Claire Lilley

What is Dressage?

Dressage training is fundamental to horse riding. It is all about being safe and in control of your own reactions to your horse. If you are physically and mentally in control of yourself, and take time to develop an understanding with your horse, you will be able to ride safely, and harmoniously.

The word “dressage” developed from the French expression of “dressing” or training the horse. In this country it is commonly called “flat work” but it is basically one and the same thing.

Developed by the Greeks for cavalry officers, dressage evolved as a means of controlling the horse in battle. Warriors needed control of their horses to enable them to fight. Riding without saddles, and with a sword in one hand, they controlled their horses with their posture and weight aids. The great riding master of the era was Xenophon.

During the Renaissance, dressage developed as a means for the noblemen of Europe to demonstrate their training skills, some better at it than others! The Spanish Riding school of Vienna, and the French cavalry school at Saumur have upheld their traditions to this day, some 400 years later. The “airs above the ground” performed by the great riding schools of Europe today were originally ridden to intimidate the enemy, and increased the cavalry riders’ fighting skills in battle.

In the 1700s, the trainer Robichon de la Guerniere was a driving force behind the development of the training and the understanding of the horse that forms the basis of dressage today. Carousels and quadrilles displayed the riders’ skills in the royal palaces of Europe.

Dressage competitions evolved as early as 1806 to test the ability of cavalry officers. These competitions were usually a combination of jumping and dressage skills. It was first included in the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912.

All the movements performed in dressage are natural to the horse. It is interesting to watch your own horse free in his field. You will see him perform perfect circles and patterns, super flying changes, and so on quite naturally. The art of dressage is to learn the signals (aids) and the riding position to maintain to be able to ride these movements from the saddle! Dressage is more about training the rider to understand his horse than teaching the horse the movements.

Every horse can “do dressage” and reach a better level of training. He can become more supple, attentive and interested in his work. If your aids are clear and correct, you will be a lot safer on your horse’s back because he will understand you. If, for example, your horse won’t turn to the left, try and work out what you are doing wrong before you reprimand him. Horses that do not respond or are sulky or naughty generally misunderstand what is being asked, and so have not been trained with correct aids in the first place. By correcting the rider, usually the horse becomes better trained, unless there is an underlying physical problem, or badly fitting tack.

Competition horses (and riders) generally have an aptitude for dressage to reach the higher levels and be able to perform the more demanding movements required. Like ballet training, exercising our muscles and improving our skills does not mean we can all realistically perform in Swan Lake!

Look at Dressage as a means to improve your riding skills, whether your pleasure is hacking, jumping or simply enjoying training yourself and your horse.

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