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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. more...

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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.

Breeds of Dressage horses

Horse breeds most commonly used at the Olympic level and at other international FEI competitions are in the warmblood category, which includes breeds such as the Hanoverian, Trakehner, Oldenburg, and Dutch Warmblood. However, Dressage is an egalitarian sport in which all breeds are given an opportunity to compete successfully. Thoroughbreds, American Quarter Horses, Arabians, Morgans and many other breeds are all seen at various levels of competition. A horse of any breed can benefit from use of Dressage principles and training techniques.

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.

Read more at Wikipedia.org