Nebraska Dressage Association

A non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to foster a high standard of horsemanship through employment of classical dressage principles.

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What is dressage?

Dressage is a word drawn from the French verb for “to train.” (It rhymes with “massage.” ) Dressage is both a method of training horses and a competitive sport.

With a centuries-old history, dressage training is based on a series of progressively more difficult movements introduced to the horse gradually. This take-it-slow approach enables the horse to develop the musculature and understanding necessary for the extreme physical and mental demands of higher-level dressage movements.

Dressage competitions incorporate this gradual training approach into “levels” of competition. Young or “green” horses start out at Introductory Level or Training Level, which emphasize large circles and straight lines at trot and canter and an unconstrained walk known as a “free walk.” Horses competing at these levels are urged to move freely forward in a relaxed, rhythmic fashion.

As they progress up the levels, horses become more and more “collected.” That is, they learn to shift more of their weight to their hindquarters, to shorten their frames, and to engage their hindquarters underneath them. In this way, they begin to “carry” themselves, and they are able to perform challenging movements such as canter pirouettes, piaffe (trot in place), passage (a version of the trot characterized by a slow and deliberate yet very energetic tempo), and changes of lead every stride.

In between Introductory Level and Grand Prix, there are eight progressive levels of competition. Horses who are in the dressage event at the Olympics compete at Grand Prix, while those participating in the combined training event (which is principally a jumping sport) perform mid-level dressage tests.

Because it is a method of training designed to develop correct movement in the horse, dressage at the lower levels (up to Second or Third Level) can be of benefit to horses from all disciplines, both western and English.