The Art of Dressage

When talking about horses and sports, you tend to think about the rambunctious fun of rodeo. Hundreds of people gathered together to watch man take a wild ride on a horse or bull, and hold on for dear life. There are actually boarding high schools across the country, that offer rodeo programs, but there is another sport with horses that is quite complex and is hardly considered to be a sport. Dressage.

There are many people who have never heard of dressage and what it consists of, but you can now find dressage at an equestrian event. It may not seem like much, but there is a lot of discipline between trainer and horse to work together as a team. Just like rodeo, there are dressage programs in boarding high schools as well.  

Dressage History

Dressage was founded centuries ago in Europe, and the purpose was to train a horse to be safe, reliable and obedient. In those times horses were expensive, many owners trained their horses with the art of dressage, so that the horse may be comfortable ride under any circumstance.

 Reasons For Dressage

Today, it is known as classical dressage and is done for the pure joy of training ones horse. Many boarding high schools are teaching their students how to be respectful towards animals by getting involved in equestrian programs, which allows them to work with these animals. Anything that is not considered to be in the best interest of the horse’s health, well being or happiness, is not considered to be classical dressage.

Another reason why dressage is an important training element is that it provides a connection between the rider and horse. When there is a mutual trust they both act in tandem, and are able to overcome any obstacle that may come in their way. If at any time the rider abuses the relationship, the horse becomes distant and will not listen. Just like a relationship with another human being, there needs to be mutual respect between both parties in order to work well with one another.

The great thing about dressage, is that is for every person and every horse. Anyone can take up dressage, including boarding high schools who have equestrian programs available. In rodeo, they look for a certain type of horse or bull to ride, but in dressage any rider can build a connection that helps train the rider and horse to become more compatible with one another. It is a great way to gain trust and build obedience for the horse.  It also gives the rider a sense of respect for animals and how they should be treated. 

Eric Simmons is an academic writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Wasatch Academy. Follow on Twitter.