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OCTOBER 2006 • VOLUME 14 • © Copyright HORSES For LIFE™ Publications
Past, Present, and Future
By Sarah Gately-Wilson Dressage has undergone many changes since the Renaisannce Era. Originally dressage was an art, in which, nobility rode square horses, Iberian horses, that moved upwards and danced from side to side, performing ballet like maneuvers, such as the airs above the ground. Today, such riding can only be found on the Iberian Peninsula, at the circus, and in some remaining schools still dedicated to classical riding, the most famous being the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. When we attend a dressage show today, the riding differs drastically from what it once was. The horses and training are different as well. No longer are we seeing noble men riding square horses and performing the art of the classical school, instead we are witnessing forward going rectangular horses that take your breath away with their long, ground-eating strides competing in a sport that is dominated by women. The following is an attempt at an un-biased study of the history of dressage, the Andalusian horse, and the part he has played in classical dressage and the development of the FEI standards, and also, the rectangular horse these standards are designed for. The object of dressage is the harmonius development of the physique and ability of the horse. As a result, it makes the horse calm, supple, loose and flexible, but also confident, attentive and keen, thus achieving the perfect understanding with his rider. From the the FEI statement. First, let us consider two kinds of horse used for dressage: the square horse and the rectangular horse. ...
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