(a French term, most commonly translated to
mean "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.
Dressage is occasionally referred to as "Horse Ballet" (cf.
nl:Dressuur). Although
the discipline has ancient roots, dressage was first recognized as an
important equestrian pursuit in the West during the Renaissance. The
great European riding masters of that period developed a sequential
training system that has changed little since then. 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" of 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 is considered "very good" and is considered a particularly
high mark, while a competitor achieving all 6s (or 60% overall) should
be considering moving on to the next level.
