Dressage is a word for the French language; it simply means “to train.”
In its purest form, dressage is meant to improve the horses balance, and quickness of response to the clear communication of the rider. All styles of riding come down to these two elements, balance and connection. If one of them is missing, riding ceases to be fluid and graceful.
This may sound so simple on paper but, to execute this type of fluid graceful motion from the horses back side; a totally different story. Here are some simple but all important tips to follow in riding dressage:
First, one must accomplish the ability to go with the motion of the horse to such a degree, you become as one and the horse moves as if you are not even there. After all, dressage is meant to enhance the natural beauty, fluid and graceful movement of the horse.
Secondly, a young, or green horse that does not understand or accept the contact with the bit, will try to find a position of carriage where that contact no longer exists. Since horses are truly creatures of habit, they will repeat whatever movement or specific carriage provided them with even just a moment of escape from the contact with the bit. Therefore, to encourage confidence and acceptance of the bit, a rider must work to keep the contact as much the same at all times, no matter where the horse places its head. Once the contact is accepted, the horse will no longer try to negotiate or escape the consistent pressure of the bit and will carry its head and neck in a position that is comfortable for that horse in relation to its conformation. The amount of consistent pressure is not necessarily important, within reason of course, but the lighter the contact; the more difficult it is to keep exactly the same.
Thirdly, when you have arrived at that place where the horse has accepted the contact; maintaining a steady carriage, with a fluid consistent gait. You need to continue to build confidence with your steady feel and motion, creating one singular mood. This is the beginning of a connection. With a connection, you are now able to effect and improve the balance. Young or green horses frequently lose their balance, especially if the rider is over zealous in their demands on the horse. Such as, riding too deep into the corners or circles that are too small or requesting collection when the ability for the horse to be in self carriage and shifting weight to the rear is not present. At this stage of training, the rider just needs to concentrate on the steadiness, performing mostly straight lines connected by gradual curves. The amount of time spent in this stage of training is of course, dependent upon the horse's conformation and the rider's ability to be steady and consistent. Confirming the connection is something that is a must even when the horse has progressed to a higher degree in its training.
The fourth point of this discourse is about, beginning to work with the horses muscles like a rubber band. This would be referred to as, working to develop the longitudinal suppleness of the horse. Once there is a degree of suppleness combined with obedience, the horse can begin to build the increased muscle power for carrying; compression and thrust. The horse must be able to move quickly from a light squeeze of the calf and in turn understand he is to stop or slow down from a slight resistance to the motion from the rider and a little pressure on the bit. The objective here is to develop obedience and confidence to the aids so the horse is able to lengthen and shorten the stride within a particular gait.
Lastly, we will address what I call lateral suppleness. This is in reference to the side to side balance the horse needs to be able to maintain during circles, corners and particular dressage movements. The spine of the horse does not bend as humans. Instead, their spinal column is rather ridged and there is more bend being achieved just behind the fore legs and in front of the hind legs. As long as the requests of the rider are not extraneously beyond the horse's capability, the horse will continue to gain confidence in the rider and be willing to yield its massive body to their request. The horse must continually be pushed as in, “pushing the envelop,” otherwise no progress would be made and both horse and rider would eventually fizzle out from shear boredom. Lateral suppleness then increases with the use of smaller circles, deeper corners and particular dressage movements.
Main point to remember, balance and connection need to be maintained first and foremost. It is not sheer repetition that gets results, it is practicing perfect repetition. If the quality, freedom, graceful fluid movement is lost when performing any exercise with the horse, then you know one of the elements has been lost. Once the horse is confirmed in the connection, it is generally the balance that has been lost first, and if this is not recognized and restored immediately, the loss of connection will soon follow. This is riding (training) dressage in a nutshell, without delving into the description and elements needed to perform movement's particular to dressage.
