Dressage Details

Achieve better harmony with your horse using dressage training.

- LAURA BOYNTON JOHNSON

The history of dressage has ancient roots. One of the earliest recorded trainers was Xenophon of Athens, a Greek military leader, philosopher, and historian born in 430 B.C. In his writings entitled On Horsemanship, he discussed the best qualities to look for in horses and non-abusive ways of training horses in classical dressage for the military and for general riding. Xenophon's book is still sold to this day.

Modern dressage evolved from Xenophon's philosophy, and today dressage competitions come in levels of tests where knowledgeable judges score each movement from 0 to 10, with o being "not executed" and 10 being "excellent." It's common to have a rider earn all 6s (or 60 percent overall) before moving up to the next level.

Dressage became an Olympic sport in 1912 at the Games in Stockholm, where 21 riders represented eight countries. Only military officers were eligible to compete until 1953, when the rules changed to allow non-military men and women to ride.

Dressage trainer Betsy Van Dyke (see "Meet the Trainer," pg. 31) feels that each horse has a different story and believes that understanding how they think is what best helps achieve harmony with them.

Learn the Basics

We asked Betsy what some important basics are that she has all beginners practice.

◆ The seat, the seat, the seat!

The seat is by far the most important tool of communication. It takes years to develop, so start now. Nothing great in your riding can come without a well-developed seat-a seat that is able to follow and not hinder the back swing of your horse's gait. Only then do you need to learn to positively influence the swing to enhance athleticism and harmony.

◆ Elastic elbows.

◆ Effective legs, without clamping or nagging.

◆ Understanding of true dressage principles and history.