Childress 1

Diana Childress

Mrs. Smith

AP English IV

9 November 2016

Dressage

Over the course of many centuries, the art of dressage has been seen as being beneficial to the

horse and rider in more ways than one. The bond created alongside rigorous training leads to the

enhancement of the horses maneuverability and agility while being ridden. Consequently, the use of

dressage movements while riding enables the horse to carry themselves more efficiently. When a horse

and rider connect with one another, the pair is not only able to ride more efficiently in the dressage

discipline, but they also enhance their riding ability in other various disciplines.

The origin of horseback riding begins in wartime thousands of years ago with the Greek

philosopher, Xenophon in the city of Athens. Being in the cavalry, Xenophon began implementing his

own thoughts on horsemanship on the battlefield and compiling them into a treatise titled On

Horsemanship. Within the treatise Xenophon discussed the necessity of training horses to trust humans

while teaching the horse to enjoy itself when achieving the complex cavalry maneuvers. During

combat in the early modern era, officers during battle would use dressage maneuvers to navigate the

battlefield with ease. Movements such as the capriole (a leap) and levante (a sudden halt) subsequently

caused dressage to be revolutionized on the battlefield.

The use of horses in combat led to the initial creation of a military test. The horses were tested

on their ability to maneuver and respond to their riders commands during battle. The intensity of the

military test evolved over many years, eventually incorporating the horses ability to jump over

obstacles. For instance using the movement, capriole to jump over small barriers or clear lines of
 Childress 2

infantry (The 15th Hussars). As the military test became included in modern Olympics, by 1912 the

test itself had diverged into the modern disciplines of Dressage, Jumping, and Eventing. All of which

are combined to challenge a horses mind and agility.

As Dressage shifted from being predominantly militarized to being primarily a civilian

competition, the increased knowledge and enthusiasm led to the creation of the United States Dressage

Federation founded in 1973 by Lowell Boomer (USDF). The United States Dressage Federations

mission statement is to promote dressage, educate riders, and recognize achievement.

Modern competitive dressage has nine progressive levels incorporating multiple tests in each

level. Horses are judged on their rhythm, regularity, relaxation, contact, impulsion, straightness, and

collection. In order to properly perform a dressage test a rider must be balanced and have proper

position in the saddle to be able to use their aids (leg, seat, hand). From the side, proper position would

have the riders shoulder in line with their hip and heel. A rider with proper position is able to shift

his/her weight and use other aids to enact certain movements required in a dressage test. The tests

themselves are a way to see a horses progress as they move up in training levels. Dressage arenas are

primarily 20x40 meters or 20x60 meters, allowing just enough space for the horse and rider to

complete their dressage test. Certain places in the arena are marked with letters (K, F, V, P, E, B, S, R,

H, M) to signal where a rider needs to complete certain actions depending on the particular dressage

test they are performing.

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) takes its role as a governing body over

equestrian events very seriously to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the horse and rider, The object

of dressage is the development of the horse into a happy athlete through harmonious education. As a

result, it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus

achieving perfect understanding with the rider (USEF Handbook, DR101)

 Childress 3

To help ensure the wellbeing of the horse and rider, as well as adequate judging during the

dressage test, a judge must be licensed by the USDF for all recognized dressage horse shows. In order

to become a licensed dressage judge a person must complete an L program sponsored by a Group

Member Organization (GMO) of the USDF. During the training program, the judge must pass multiple

exams and evaluations. Participants that score an 80 percent on the practical exam are designated as

graduates with distinction, they must then apply for entry into a judging program and meet fourth

level riding proficiency. The judge must then be promoted in order to judge higher-level dressage

horse shows. Those who do not meet the requirements and take the L program are allowed to judge

at schooling shows. United States Equestrian S (senior) judge Peter Lert states the tasks one must

complete in order to become a licensed dressage judge, While the process to become a judge and to

be promoted may seem cumbersome to some, it is necessary to ensure quality judging (Lert).

The training level test is the foundation for the following tests in the later levels. The test

includes 20-meter circles and standard transitions (walk, trot) along with free walk, showing that the

horse is able to reach towards the ground and stretch. Until the rider is able to successfully pass the

training level test, it is best to not continue on to the next level due to the advanced movements. Every

horse is unique when it comes to their mental progression during training, pushing a horse past the

point where they are comfortable can cause psychological damage and consequently set their training

behind. Within the first dressage level, the 20-meter circles from the training level become 10-meter

circles and require more advanced movements of the horse and rider. The judges begin to look for a

horse that is beginning to reach for the bit and show connection, while having controlled impulsion

from behind. The second level requires the rider to have collected movements with impulsion from the

horse's hindquarters, while remaining supple and relaxed into the bridle. Levels three and four tests

expect the horse to have all of the skills required in previous tests, as well as straight and energetic
 Childress 4

advanced movements such as half passes and flying lead changes, while still relying on the bit and

remaining supple and collected. As the levels increase, so does the difficulty. The movements required

to complete the first level tests are built upon to create the more difficult movements in the higher

levels. For example, despite the differences in the movements, throughout all levels of dressage the

judges look to see if your horse is supple and relaxed while completing the movements required for the

test (Church)

Riders that compete in international competitions (fourth level and higher, controlled by the

FEI) must be able to do more complex movements such as: piaffes, passage, tempi changes, pirouettes.

The objective in higher-level dressage is to show physical, mental balance and development enabling

the horse to carry out the exercises with ease and showing the complete development of impulsion

with a complete absence of resistance, as stated in the USEF handbook.

Although dressage tests are seen as the basis to all disciplines of riding, horses are very

unpredictable when it comes to having a human on their back. Every action a rider makes is a

judgment call and can not be dictated by a rulebook, so the rules applied during dressage tests do not

always accurately reflect the rider or horses ability. Yet, the communication and development of a

partnership between the horse and rider during training goes beyond the assessment a judge might

have. In order to accurately depict the progression a horse is making, a judge must also be aware of the

situations the horse and rider face outside of the arena, which makes it practically impossible to

properly judge a horse and riders connection.

Compared to other riding disciplines, such as showjumping and eventing, dressage does not

allow the use of extra training devices (martingales, boots, etc. ) because the goal of dressage is to

show how efficiently the rider and horse connect without the use of those items. The horse is

traditionally shown in a simple snaffle bridle to show an absence of other training devices that might
 Childress 5

enhance the riders aids, paired with a white square pad. The horses mane is usually braided down its

length and the tail is often left down with a sharp, banged cut to it. Traditional attire for the rider

includes light colored breeches, white or black gloves, black or navy show coat, shad bellies, black tall

boots, and requires long hair to be worn in a hairnet underneath the helmet.

Although helmets are required in all USEF competitions, the Fdration Equestre

Internationale competitions allow riders to wear top hats instead. The tradition for men in dressage is

to wear a top hat instead of a helmet. Recently, with multiple riders having accidents resulting in brain

injuries, a majority of riders are tossing this tradition out of the window and are making safety a

priority (Glavan and Leiser).

While watching dressage the less you see the rider do, the better, because the goal is to show

that the horse is extremely attentive to the rider. The absence of using a whip, spurs, or voice shows

the connection between the horse and rider. For the riders that choose to use their voice to

communicate during a dressage test, points are deducted. Within any dressage test, the lines and circles

completed must be true to their geometrical shape and the horse should have a consistent tempo in all

of their gaits (walk, trot, canter). Success in showing consistent tempo and straightness during a

dressage test indicates that the horse is progressing in their training and is ready to move on to the next

test (USDF).

The suppleness and collection learned by training in dressage can be beneficial in other

disciplines such as show jumping and cross-country. Dressage is considered flatwork (not jumping or

work in between fences) and if a rider is unable to have successful flatwork they will not be able to set

their horses up correctly to go over an obstacle, for example in showjumping. Dressage teaches the

horse to be more obedient to the riders commands and the training allows the horse to develop

stronger hindquarters for them to push off of when going over a jump. USDF gold medalist, Beth
 Childress 6

Glosten explains how learning dressage can benefit riders in other disciplines, By moving precisely

with the horse at each gait, the rider can then influence the gait, i.e., increase or decrease or steady the

tempo or increase or decrease ground cover. Riding then becomes more refined on the flat or over

fences (Glosten). Practicing dressage movements, such as shortening or lengthening strides, while

training over fences allows the rider to hone their skills of seeing distances to fences in a jump course.

By being able to properly lengthen or shorten their horses stride, the rider is able to make difficult

distances work well. The smooth transitions necessary in dressage tests can also be implemented on a

jumping course, including flying lead changes to lessen the amount of time on course (in jumpers, the

less time you have on course, the better the score you receive). Dressage is the foundation of training

for horses and once the horse is more attentive to the riders aids, other disciplines become much

easier. The USDF also states that dressage is beneficial to both the rider and the horse in their training,

Dressage can help improve any horse's performance because the goal of training is improving the

horse's gaits and ability (USDF).

For those looking to get involved with dressage, finding a barn or trainer in close proximity is

the first thing a person can do to get involved. Learning about dressage and volunteering at events

helps the rider understand the basics of dressage, and once a person has begun to ride with an

instructor they can begin practicing training level dressage tests with assistance from the instructor.

After attending a dressage show, the judge writes on the scorecard what the rider has done wrong

during the test and what they need to improve on. By attending dressage shows and practicing the

dressage tests, the rider is able to eventually move up in the levels of dressage.

In conclusion, dressage has revolutionized they way people have communicated with horses

over multiple centuries. The heightened communication skills developed between the horse and rider

over the course of their dressage training, leads to a better ride in the other disciplines as well. When
 Childress 7

Xenophon first wrote on how the bond between horse and rider affects their performance, ...the horse

should enjoy himself in his work, otherwise neither the horse not the rider would be able to give an

elegant performance, not many people understood how much these words would ring true in modern

dressage.
 Childress 8

Works Cited

CHAPTER DR DRESSAGE DIVISION SUBCHAPTER DR-I DRESSAGE GOVERNING

REGULATIONS (n.d.): n. pag. Usef.org. USEF. Web. 2016.

Church, Terry. "Dressage Levels for the Everyday Horseman." DRESSAGE LEVELS FOR THE
EVERYDAY HORSEMAN, PART I. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.

Church, Terry. "Dressage Levels for the Everyday Horseman." DRESSAGE LEVELS FOR THE
EVERYDAY HORSEMAN, PART II. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.

Church, Terry. "Dressage Levels for the Everyday Horseman." DRESSAGE LEVELS FOR THE
EVERYDAY HORSEMAN, PART III. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.

The 15th Hussars. "Dressage." Dressage - How It All Began. N.p., 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2016.

Glosten, Beth. "How Do I Make Dressage More Appealing?" Ask the Experts | Dressage Today. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2016.

Lieser, Sara, and Ann Glavan. "Tradition vs. Safety: The Helmet Discussion Continues At The U.S.
Dressage Festival Of Champions." The Chronicle of the Horse. The Chronicle of the Horse, n.d.
Web. 18 Dec. 2016.

http://usdf.org/