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 Dressage
is a French word meaning "training". 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.
For this reason, dressage is occasionally referred to
as "Horse Ballet." Although the discipline has its roots
in classical Greek horsemanship, mainly through the
influence of Xenophon, dressage was first recognized
as an important equestrian pursuit during the Renaissance
in Western Europe. The great European riding masters
of that period developed a sequential training system
that has changed little since then and classical dressage
is still considered the basis of trained modern dressage.
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