Dressage

The sport of dressage stems from the French word meaning 'training' and it is a sport that ranges from beginners' competition all the way to an Olympic sport. The idea behind it is to improve a riding horse's athleticism and willingness to do a job. In early forms of European dressage, horse owners showcased their mounts' training but today, horses are judged based on their ability to perform tests, or movement patterns performed in an enclosed arena before a panel. Movements are scored on a scale of ten to zero, ten being almost perfect execution and zero being incomplete. A nine score is exceptionally high in competition. Though any horse can theoretically compete in dressage trials, the most oft-seen breeds at the Olympics and FEI-sanctioned events are the European warmbloods, but Lipizzaners tend to excel in the non-competitive 'above the ground' performances.

Dressage competitions begin community-wide at the Introductory levels which require nothing higher than the trot. The lower levels of the sport are as followed, in an advancing list: Introductory, Training, First through Fourth. Australian levels go from Prep to Preliminary, Novice, Elementary, Medium and Advanced, while FEI (the Federation Equestrian International) progress from Prix St. Georges, Intermediare I and II, and Grand Prix. Competitive dressage is not the only area of the sport, however. In some places, it is continued as an art form rather than an event, most popularly in France and Austria.

At the Olympic Games, however, the level of dressage is strictly Grand Prix and was inducted officially to the games' roster in 1912. Olympic tests are scored by a panel of judges on a scale of zero through ten and the final score is made into a percentage. The higher the percentage, the higher the win. Olympic medals are given based on the team with the highest, second and third highest total percentage based on three rides. 'Above the ground' performances are a high-level dressage show where the horse is asked to actually leap into the air. These moves are called the levade, capriole, croupade and courbette, and none are seen in competitive dressage. Instead, several European riding schools showcase them as a performance, often using the Lipizzan, Lusitano and Andalusian breeds.

Dressage horses are shown without the benefit of fancy tack, as most commonly seen in Western events. Saddles are molded exclusively for the sport and are built long to accommodate the leg of the dressage rider. Horses are only allowed to perform in a snaffle bit. Horses in this event are expected to be immaculate in the arena and many have their manes braided. European horses tend to have fewer braids and sometimes taped down to keep them still throughout the competition.