Dressage
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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. For this reason, 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 10 being "excellent." A score of 9 (or "very good") is considered a particularly high mark.
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[edit] Dressage horses
Any riding horse can benefit from use of Dressage principles and training techniques. However, horse breeds most often seen at the Olympics and other international FEI competitions are in the Warmblood horse breeds category. In the non-competitive performances of Classical dressage that involve the "Airs above the ground" described below, the "Baroque" breeds of horses, most notably the Lipizzan, are most often seen. However, Dressage is an egalitarian sport in which all breeds are given an opportunity to successfully compete. Therefore, many other breeds are seen at various levels of competition.
[edit] The arena
There are two sizes of arenas: small and standard. Each has letters assigned to positions around the arena for dressage tests to specify where movements are to be performed.
The small arena is 20 m by 40 m, and is used for the lower levels of dressage and three-day eventing dressage. Its letters around the outside edge, starting from the point of entry and moving clockwise, are A-K-E-H-C-M-B-F. Letters also mark locations in the middle of the arena: Moving down the center line, they are D-X-G, with X in the center. Since the combination of Canadian Equestrian Federation (CEF) and United States Dressage Federation (USDF) tests in 2003, the small size arena is no longer utilized in rated shows in North America.
The standard arena is 20 m by 60 m, and is used for tests in both dressage and eventing. The standard dressage arena letters are A-K-V-E-S-H-C-M-R-B-P-F. (It is unknown who began the lettering system or why the arrangement was chosen.) The letters on the long sides of the arena nearest the corners are 6 m in from the corners, and are 12 m apart from each other. The letters in the middle of the arena are D-L-X-I-G, with X marking the center.
At the start of the test, the horse enters at A. There is always a judge sitting at C (although for upper-level competition, there are up to five judges at different places around the arena).
The dressage arena also has a centerline (from A to C, going through X in the middle), as well as two quarter-lines (halfway between the centerline and long sides of each arena).
[edit] Competition
Dressage competitions may begin in local communities with Introductory level classes where riders need only walk and trot. Horses and riders advance through a graduated series of levels, with tests of increasing difficulty at each level, until the most accomplished horse and rider teams compete at the Grand Prix levels and international competition, such as the Olympic games.
Apart from competition, there is a tradition of Classical Dressage, in which the tradition of dressage is pursued as an art form. The traditions of the Old Masters who originated Dressage are kept alive by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria and the Cadre Noir in Saumur, France.This type of schooling is also a part of the Portuguese and Spanish bullfighting exhibitions.
[edit] Olympic level
The dressage tests performed at the Olympic Games, which were accepted as sport in 1912, are those of the highest level-Grand Prix. This level of test demands the most skill and concentration from both horse and rider.
Gaits and movements performed at this level include collected and extended walk, trot, and canter; trot and canter half-pass (a movement where the horse travels on a diagonal line keeping its body almost parallel with the arena wall while making both forward and sideways steps in each stride); passage (a slow-motion trot); piaffe (an approach to "trot in place"); one and two tempi changes (where the horse changes from one lead to the other in the canter); and pirouettes (a 360-degree circle that is almost in place).
Tests ridden at the Olympic Games are scored by a panel of five international judges. Each movement in each test receives a numeric score and the resulting final score is then converted into a percentage, which is carried out to three decimal points. The higher the percentage, the higher the score.
Olympic team medals are won by the teams with the highest, second highest, and third highest total percentage from their best three rides in the Grand Prix test.
Once the team medals are determined, horses and riders compete for individual medals. The team competition serves as the first individual qualifier, in that the top 25 horse/rider combinations from the Grand Prix test move on to the next round. The second individual qualifier is the Grand Prix Special test, which consists of Grand Prix movements arranged in a different pattern. For those 25 riders, the scores from the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special are then combined and the resulting top 15 horse/rider combinations move on to the individual medal competition-the crowd-pleasing Grand Prix Freestyle.
For their freestyles, riders and horses perform specially choreographed patterns to music. At this level, the freestyle tests may contain all the Grand Prix movements, as well as double canter pirouettes, pirouettes in piaffe, and half-pass in passage. For the freestyle, judges award technical marks for the various movements, as well as artistic marks. In the case of a tie, the ride with the higher artistic marks wins. [1]
[edit] The Training Scale
The dressage training scale is arranged in a pyramid fashion, with “rhythm and regularity” at the bottom of the pyramid and “collection” at the top. The training scale is used as a guide for the training of the dressage horse (or any horse, for that matter). Despite its appearance, the training scale is not meant to be a rigid format. Instead, each level is built on as the horse progresses in his training: so a Grand Prix horse would work on the refinement of the bottom levels of the pyramid, instead of focusing on only the highest level: “collection.” The levels are also interconnected. For example, a crooked horse is unable to develop impulsion, and a horse that is not relaxed will be less likely to travel with a rhythmic gait.
[edit] Rhythm and Regularity (Takt)
Rhythm, gait, tempo, and regularity should be the same on straight and bending lines, through lateral work, and through transitions. Rhythm refers to the sequence of the footfalls, which should only include the pure walk, pure trot, and pure canter. The regularity, or purity, of the gait includes the evenness and levelness of the stride. Once a rider can obtain pure gaits, they are ready to learn difficult movements such as the piaffe, when the horse trots in place raising the front legs to where the hooves are level with the cannon bone.
[edit] Relaxation (Losgelassenheit)
The second level of the pyramid is relaxation (looseness). Signs of looseness in the horse may be seen by an even stride that is swinging through the back and causing the tail to swing like a pendulum, looseness at the poll, a soft chewing of the bit, and a relaxed blowing through the nose. The horse will make smooth transitions, be easy to position from side to side, and will willingly reach down into the contact as the reins are lengthened.
[edit] Contact (Anlehnung)
Contact—the third level of the pyramid—is the result of the horse’s pushing power, and should never be achieved by the pulling of the rider’s hands. The rider drives the horse into soft hands that allow the horse to come up into the bridle, and should always follow the natural motion of the animal’s head. The horse should have equal contact in both reins.
[edit] Impulsion (Schwung)
The pushing power (thrust) of the horse is called “impulsion,” and is the fourth level of the training pyramid. Impulsion is created by storing the energy of engagement (the forward reaching of the hind legs under the body). It is a result of:
• Correct driving aids of the rider
• Relaxation of the horse
• Throughness (durchlässigkeit): the flow of energy through the horse from front to back and back to front. The musculature of the horse is connected, supple, elastic, and unblocked, and the rider’s aids go freely through the horse.
Impulsion only occurs in the trot and canter—not the walk—because it is associated with the moment of suspension found in these two gaits.
[edit] Straightness (Geraderichtung)
A horse is straight when his hind legs follow the path of his front legs, on both straight lines and on bending lines, and his body is parallel to the line of travel. Straightness causes the horse to channel his impulsion directly toward his center of balance, and allows the rider’s hand aids to have a connection to the hind end.
[edit] Collection (Versammlung)
At the apex of the training scale, collection may be used occasionally to supplement less vigorous work, but is only focused on (through the collected gaits and more difficult movements, such as flying changes) in more advanced horses. Collection requires greater muscular strength, so must be developed slowly.
When a horse collects, he naturally takes more of his weight onto his hindquarters. The joints of the hind limbs have greater flexion, allowing the horse to lower his hindquarters, bring his hind legs further under his body, and lighten the forehand. A collected horse is able to move more freely. When collected, the stride length should shorten, and increase in energy and activity.
[edit] Airs above the ground
These are a series of higher-level dressage maneuvers where the horse leaps above the ground. These include the capriole, courbette, croupade, and levade. None are typically seen in modern competitive dressage, but are performed by horses of various riding academies, including the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the Cadre Noir in Saumur. Horses such as the Andalusian, Lusitano and Lipizzan are the breeds most often trained to perform the "airs" today, in part due to their powerfully-comformed hindquarters, which allow them the strength to perform these difficult movements. There were originally seven airs, many of which were used to build into the movements performed today.
In the capriole (meaning leap of a goat), the horse jumps from a raised position of the forehand straight up into the air, kicks out with the hind legs, and lands more or less on all four legs at the same time. It requires an enormously powerful horse to perform correctly.
In the courbette, the horse raises his forehand off the ground, tucks up his forelegs evenly, and then jumps forward, never allowing the forelegs to touch down, in a series of "hops". Extremely strong and talented horses can perform five or more leaps forward before having to touch down with the forelegs. It is more usual to see a series of three or four leaps.
In the levade, the horse rises on his haunches to an angle of approximately 35 degrees from the ground, with both forelegs tucked up evenly, and balances in that position. At the beginning of the movement, the hind feet come under the horse's center of gravity with the hocks coming lower to the ground, so that the horse appears to sink down in back and rise in front. The position is held for a number of seconds, and then the horse quietly puts the forelegs back on the ground and proceeds at the walk, or stands at the halt. The purpose of the levade was to raise the rider out of reach of an enemy's sword. It is also a transition movement between work on the ground and the airs above the ground, and it requires enormous strength of the horse — not many horses are capable of a good quality levade. To see a clip of the levadade: [2]
The croupade is similar to the capriole, but the horse does not kick out at the height of elevation, but keeps his hind legs tucked tightly under.
The ballotade is similar to the croupade, but the horse's hind hooves are positioned so one can see its shoes if watching from behind. It appears as if the horse is ready to kick. The back of the horse is almost parallel to the ground. This is a transition movement to the more difficult capriole.
In the mezair, the horse rears up and strikes out with its forelegs. It is similar to a series of levades with a forward motion (not in place), with the horse gradually bringing its legs further under himself in each successive movement and lightly touching the ground with his front legs before pushing up again.
[edit] Dressage Masters
- Xenophon (427-355 BCE): the first recognized master, the Greek General wrote The Art of Horsemanship which advocated the use of gentle training of the horse. Despite living over 2000 years ago, his methods and ideas are still widely praised.
- Frederico Grisone (mid-1500s)
- de la Boure
- Antoine de Pluvinel (1555-1620): The first of the French riding masters, author of L’Instruction du Roy en l’Exercise de Monter a Cheval, tutor to King Louis XIII, and is the first notable writer to advocate for gentle training since Xenophon.
- William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle (1592-1676): Master of Horse to Charles II of England.
- Francois Robichon de la Gueriniere (1688-1751): Taught the classical position still used today, introduced the flying change, and had great impact on the Spanish Riding School.
- Francois Baucher ( 1796-1873): introduced the one-tempi flying change, his method, which is still hotly contested, was based on the fact that the horse's jaw is the source of all resistance. His methods include some which relate to the rollkur training practices of today.
- Count D'Aure
- James Fillis
- Gustav Steinbrecht (1808-1885)
- Nuno Olivera
[edit] Tack and dressage
Dressage horses are shown in minimal tack. They are not permitted to wear boots (including hoof or bell boots) or wraps (including tail bandages) during the test. Nor are they allowed to wear martingales or training devices such as draw or running reins or the gogue anywhere on the showgrounds during the competition. Due to the formality of dressage, tack is usually black leather, although dark brown is seen from time to time.
An English-style saddle is required for riding dressage, specifically a "dressage saddle" which is modeled exculsively for the discipline. It is designed with a long and straight saddle flap, mirroring the leg of the dressage rider, which is long with a slight bend in the knee. The saddle is usually placed over a square, white saddle pad. A dressage saddle is required in FEI classes, although any simple english-type saddle may be used at the lower levels.
At the lower levels of dressage, a bridle includes a plain cavesson, drop noseband, or flash noseband. As of 2006, drop nosebands are relatively uncommon, with the flash more common. At the upper levels a plain cavesson is used on a double bridle. Figure-eight nosebands are rare, and usually only seen in the dressage phase of eventing. Riders are not allowed to use Kineton nosebands, due to their severity.
The dressage horse is only permitted to be shown in a snaffle bit, and the rules regarding bitting vary from organization to organization. The loose-ring snaffle with a single- or double-joint is most commonly seen. Harsher snaffle bits, such as twisted wire, corkscrews, slow-twists, and waterfords are not permitted, nor are pelhams, kimberwickes, or gag bits. Upper level and FEI dressage horses are shown in a double bridle, using both a bradoon and a curb bit with a smooth curb chain.
[edit] Turn-out of the dressage horse
Dressage horses are turned out to a very high standard, as competitive dressage is descended from royal presentations in Europe. It is traditional for horses to have their mane braided. In eventing, the mane is always braided on the right. In competitive dressage, however, it is occasionally braided on the left, should it naturally fall there. Braids vary in size depending on the conformation of the horse, but Europeans tend to put in fewer, larger braids, while horses in the United States usually have more braids per horse (possibly from the influence of hunter-style riding in the country). Braids are occasionally accented in white tape, which also helps them stay in throughout the day. The forelock may be left unbraided; this style is most commonly seen on stallions.
Horses are not permitted to have bangles, ribbons, or other decorations in their mane or tail. Tail extensions are permitted in the United States and Australia.
The tail is usually not braided (although it is permitted), because it may cause the horse to carry the tail stiffly. Because the tail is an extension of the animal's spine, a supple tail is desirable as it shows that the horse is supple through his back. The tail should be "banged," or cut straight across (usually above the fetlocks but below the hocks when held at the point where the horse naturally carries it). The dock is pulled or trimmed to shape it and give the horse a cleaner appearance.
The bridle path is clipped or pulled, usually only 1-2 inches. The animal's coat may or may not be trimmed. American stables almost always trim the muzzle, face, ears, and legs, while European stables do not have such a strict tradition, and may leave different parts untrimmed.
Hoof polish is usually applied before the horse enters the arena. The horse should be impeccably clean, with a bathed coat and sparkling white markings. Foam should not be cleaned off the horse's mouth before he enters the arena.
Quarter marks are sometimes seen, especially in the dressage phase of eventing, however they are not currently in style for competitive dressage.
[edit] The rider's clothing
Dressage riders, like their horses, are dressed for formality. In competition, they wear white breeches, that are usually full-seat leather to help them "stick" in the saddle, with a belt, and a white shirt and stock tie with a gold pin. Gloves are usually white, although less-experienced riders or those at the lower levels often opt for black, as their hand movement will not be as noticeable. The coat worn is usually solid black with metal buttons, although solid navy is also occasionally seen. For upper-level classes, the rider should wear a shadbelly with a yellow vest or vest points, rather than a plain dressage coat.
Riders usually wear tall dress boots, although field boots may be worn at the lower levels. Spurs are required to be worn at the upper levels. A whip may optionally be carried, though its length is regulated.
If the dressage rider has long hair, it is typically worn in a hair net. Lower-level riders may use a hunt cap, derby, or helmet with a safety harness. Upper-level riders are required to wear a more formal top hat, matching their coat.
[edit] Dressage Scribing
Scribing is the writing down of the scores and comments of Judges at dressage events, so that the Judge is able to concentrate on the performance. In addition to this the scribe should check the identity of each competitor, and ensure that the test papers are complete and signed before handing them to the scorers. The scribe should have some knowledge of dressage terminology, be smartly dressed and have legible handwriting. The scribe should also be professional in manner, neutral and not engage in small talk or make comments. It is permissible to use abbreviations provided they are accepted and intelligible - See [3] and [4]
[edit] External links
- US Dressage Federation
- Dressage Canada
- DressageNews.com
- Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI)
- Dressage Scholarships
- Spanish Riding School
- A Passion for Dressage (On-line book)
- Classical Dressage
- Classical Dressage Notebook
- British Dressage
- Dressage Daily
- Dressage Unlimited
- Video of a Grand Prix Test
- Musical Freestyle Videos
- Oregon Dressage Society
[edit] Resources
- Advanced Techniques of Riding (1987) (Official Handbook of the German National Equestrian Federation) English Edition, Half Halt Press.
- Burns, T. E. and Clayton, H. M. (1997) Comparison of the temporal kinematics of the canter pirouette and collected canter. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 23, 58-61.
- Blackfern (2005) Printable Arena Diagram
- Clayton, H. M. (1997) Classification of collected trot, passage and piaffe using stance phase temporal variables. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 23, 54-57.
- Clayton, H. M. (1995) Comparison of the stride kinematics of the collected, medium, and extended walks in horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 56, 849-852.
- Clayton, H. M. (1994) Comparison of the stride kinematics of the collected, working, medium, and extended trot. Equine Veterinary Journal 26, 230-234.
- Clayton, H. M. (1994) Comparison of the collected, working, medium, and extended canters. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 17, 16-19.
- Herbermann, Erik. Dressage Formula. Great Britain: J.A. Allen and Company Ltd., 1993
- Minetti, A. (1998) The biomechanics of skipping gaits: a third locomotion paradigm? Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B.
- Video of horses performing advanced dressage movements
