A Brief Guide to Dressage
To many people, dressage is just horse riding comprised of pretty figures and manoeuvres in an enclosed arena. Yet to contemplate dressage in that capacity is a disservice to the discipline and the benefits dressage offers any horse.
Dressage's Purpose
Dressage is advantageous for each horse as it has roots in improving a horse's flexibility, responsiveness, balance and strength. This is realized by following the center of dressage coaching, more commonly known as the Training Pyramid or the Training Scale. This comprises a series of 6 ascending levels
1. Rhythm
2. Suppleness
3. Contact
4. Impulsion
5. Straightness
6. Collection
Training Scale
The training scale is simple to follow. The horse is always working at 'collection ' as the final dressage goal, but will not be able to actually 'collect ' if the previous foundation levels aren't prepared. Collection doesn't occur quickly, and takes years to develop, but the riders must always guide their horses according to their individual wants and not according to what they feel their horses should be attaining. Skipping steps in the pyramid or scale will forestall a horse from really achieving collection.
Dressage Tests
So , what is the right way to tell if your coaching is on track? Perform a dressage test. Dressage tests are ridden in one of 2 sorts of arenas, the standard sized arena (20m x 60m) or the small arena (20m x 40m). The arenas have letters around the outside of the arena to tell the rider when to perform a movement. Riders know their tests ahead of time and can have a reader call their test or perform them from memory, though upper-level riders are not allowed to have a caller.
Dressage tests always follow the coaching scale of what a horse's ability should be at that level. a lower-level test and an upper-level test will test a horse's balance, but do it in a vastly different way.
Dressage is a training method which continuously improves the horse's overall way of going. It's a process which can simply be incorporated into a horse's training to improve its overall way of going and responsiveness to the rider.
Dressage's Purpose
Dressage is advantageous for each horse as it has roots in improving a horse's flexibility, responsiveness, balance and strength. This is realized by following the center of dressage coaching, more commonly known as the Training Pyramid or the Training Scale. This comprises a series of 6 ascending levels
1. Rhythm
2. Suppleness
3. Contact
4. Impulsion
5. Straightness
6. Collection
Training Scale
The training scale is simple to follow. The horse is always working at 'collection ' as the final dressage goal, but will not be able to actually 'collect ' if the previous foundation levels aren't prepared. Collection doesn't occur quickly, and takes years to develop, but the riders must always guide their horses according to their individual wants and not according to what they feel their horses should be attaining. Skipping steps in the pyramid or scale will forestall a horse from really achieving collection.
Dressage Tests
So , what is the right way to tell if your coaching is on track? Perform a dressage test. Dressage tests are ridden in one of 2 sorts of arenas, the standard sized arena (20m x 60m) or the small arena (20m x 40m). The arenas have letters around the outside of the arena to tell the rider when to perform a movement. Riders know their tests ahead of time and can have a reader call their test or perform them from memory, though upper-level riders are not allowed to have a caller.
Dressage tests always follow the coaching scale of what a horse's ability should be at that level. a lower-level test and an upper-level test will test a horse's balance, but do it in a vastly different way.
Dressage is a training method which continuously improves the horse's overall way of going. It's a process which can simply be incorporated into a horse's training to improve its overall way of going and responsiveness to the rider.
About the Author:
Ashley Kantter is an established independent author and columnist concentrating on subjects linked with horses and equestrian matters.Harthill Stud is a horse studfarm based in Britain. Focusing on breeding eventing horses it offers a selection of sport stallions at stud in modern facilities.
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