How To Dress Up In a Horse Dressage Competition?

Categories: Horse Dressage | April 24th, 2011 | by micmac07 | 2 comments

Horse Dressage-How To Dress For A Successful Horse Dressage Competition

As horse dressage is the most graceful and elegant sport, horse dressage rider must dress up professionally to carry the perfect image. Though it’s very true that rider will not get extra marks from the judges because of  perfect attire, still it’s very much required to keep up the elegance, confidence and professionalism in horse dressage. Also, improper attire has one disadvantage: while rider is participating in horse dressage competition, it’ll be easier for the judges to watch seat, back and jiggling hands of the rider minutely. Let’s get a brief idea how to dress up in horse dressage competition.

Horse Dressage-Lower Level Competition

When horse dressage riders are in lower level of the horse dressage competition, they should wear a clean white shirt with collar, stock and stock pin, a pair of breeches, a covering jacket of dark color above the shirt, gloves, helmet and nicely polished field boots or hunt. horse Dressage Riders’ jacket should fit them well as well as should be tailored around the middle to flatter their form. If the jackets would be baggy, the it may seem that the riders are moving around or slouching in the saddle. Horse Dressage Riders can wear white, beige or cream colored breeches but obviously those should be properly clean. For curvy figured riders, breeches with front pleats will be really good. Also, they should wear dark and simple leather belt if the breeches have belt loops. Gloves should be dark colored, so that riders can disguise their hand movements. If they have long hair, then they should tuck it properly so that it won’t be visible. For the riders under the age of 18, there is one constraint for helmet in many shows and that is helmet must meet the standard of ASTM or SEI and has fastened harness.

Horse Dressage-Don’t forget about your Horse

Remember, while dressing up for a horse dressage competition, riders have to dress their horses perfectly as well. Horses’ coat should be well groomed and clean. Riders should plait their thin and shortened mane into couple of tidy braids and can wrap them with white coloured adhesive tape, if their horses have firm head set. Generally, braids are not mandatory in lower levels of Horse Dressage competitions, but it carries the image of respect. They should upbraid the horses’ tails. They should polish clear or black coloured hoof polish to their horses’ hooves. Riders must make sure that the bits of their horse are simple snaffle as curb bits are not accepted in the lower levels of the competitions. Also, they should attach the bits to a plain leather made bridle. They should keep leather saddle on their horses’ back and the color can be between any shades of brown and black. Also, they need to keep saddle blanket under the saddle. The color of the blanket can be white or black and its shape can be either square cut or the same shape of the saddle to follow its line.

After reaching the higher levels in the dressage competition, riders have to change few things in their attire like a pair of white colored breeches, longer shad belly, white colored gloves etc. They cannot wear hunt coats any more. Likewise riders, horses also require some changes in their outfit for example, black colored bridle is mandatory; horses must have two bits in their mouth; curb and snaffle bits; braids are mandatory; saddle must have dressage cut and black color etc.

Hence, keep all these tips in mind while dressing up for next horse dressage competition.
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Tips for Horse Dressage

Categories: Horse Dressage | March 30th, 2011 | by micmac07 | no comments

Tips For Horse Dressage

Training a Dressage horse has been a profession from old times. There are many ways of doing this and one of the ways is the use of turn on the haunches methods. This is actually a systematic way for training the horse dressage. In this way, the horse takes a 180 degree turn when it is walking. It completely bends towards the direction of turn. Its haunches come in front of its forehead and it faces the opposite direction. We can easily see the movement of the outside hind foot into the inside hind foot. In this condition, it forms a pivot. We will discuss the horse dressage further in this article.

Horse Dressage-Its All In The Rhythm

Within horse dressage there is one very important point to remember when you are training your horse dressage is that the regular rhythm of the walk should be maintained by your horse . You must try to keep the distance very smooth and very precise, each time when it picks up or puts down its legs. It should not be at the same position as before and it is necessary to change the position each time. In order to manage the bending of the hind legs of the horse, you must turn on the haunches engagement very perfectly. When you do this, you will see that the body of the horse is more compressed and packaged and it can walk easily. So, whenever you are working on the horse dressage, keep these points in your mind.

Horse Dressage-Basic Training Exercise

This Horse dressage training exercise is very basic for the horse and it is also different from many other difficult methods of horse dressage. If we talk about the pirouette, that is done from a collected walk, while the turn on the haunches methods uses the shortened medium walk. So, the methods for training a horse in dressage can be different and those are used by adopting different techniques. If you want to train your horse dressage with turn on haunches methods, then there are some tips for you to follow. You will feel easy and comfortable by using these basic horse dressage tips.

First of all, you will put your whole weight on the inside seat which is also termed as the seat bone. Now, you will use the girth for bending purpose. When you put your left leg on the girth, it will be engaged into horse’s inside hind leg. You will do the same with your right leg. After this, you will turn you wrist. The turn of the wrist should be +1 flexion for left rein. You will do the same for right rein but doing this, you will also bend your neck. The movement of hands is very important in this method. You will keep a steady and side by side movement of hands. The distance should be equal between the hands. This method of horse dressage is very easy to learn but you should also keep in mind that a sequence in all these aids is very necessary. If you don’t maintain the sequence, it is possible that you lose control over the horse. So, be very careful while doing any kind of horse dressage training.

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Types of Horse Dressage:

Categories: Horse Dressage | March 24th, 2011 | by micmac07 | one comments

Horse Dressage – Types of Horse dressage

Horse taming is a very old profession but there is a French word used for training the horses and that is ‘dressage’. Horse dressage is an old terminology which was used in the times of wars and crises to train the horses. Mainly, there are two types of dressage. One is competitive dressage and the other is classical dressage. When you talk about competitive dressage then, you will know that this is a very tough kind of dressage and it needs a professional approach. It includes all kinds of competitions which can start from your local level and can go up to Olympics. This is a full sports category in which people learn and compete in an arena. This arena is called Dressage Arena and riders come along with their horses and perform tricks. They are rated on the basis of their tricks and the quality of those tricks is judged by the neatness and effort which they had put in the tricks. On this basis, riders are ranked and are given prizes.

Horse Dressage – Different Dressage Horse Breeds

Lots of different horse breeds can participate in this sport but most favorite is continental Warmblood horse. Warmblood horses are very smart, intelligent and beautiful horse breed. They are very athletic in nature and you can train them with lot of ease unlike some other ordinary horse breeds which will pose lot of difficulty for you in terms of training and learning tricks. They have an instinctive nature of learning quickly and they also possess some very extra ordinary smartness which gives them some extra points for being number one in horse dressage. These days, there are some ultimate dressage programs developed for these kinds of horses and special trainers are hired to train these horses.

Horse Dressage – Classical Horse Dressage

Second type of dressage is classical dressage which dressage was developed by the military people when they trained their horses for combat. This is more ancient than competitive dressage and in fact, this was the first type of dressage known to men. In this dressage, horses are trained for the air movements like jumps and schools. These techniques were helpful for the riders to avoid all sorts of traps and horses could flee easily from the traps. In classical horse dressage rider and horse work equally and they need to synchronize their movements very carefully. Baroque horses are used for this type of dressage. These types of horses are being used for classical dressage from centuries and all the ancient forces which fought with bravery used these horses for war. In baroque horses, there are further more groups which are Andalusian, Lusitano and the famed Lippizan. These horses are very intelligent and athletic and they possess a great sense of war and are very fearless in their training approach which makes them perfect choice for combat. These are the two types of horse dressage which are being implemented in the world. Competitive dressage is more on the rise these days because combat has taken another way and horses are not used these days in combat which has almost finished the classical horse dressage.

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Introductory Dressage Tests

Categories: Dressage Tests | January 24th, 2011 | by micmac07 | 4 comments

Introductory Dressage Tests

The introductory dressage test A is the easiest of the tests which is designed for new riders and horses. All of the movements are performed at walk and trot. The step by step instructions of a dressage test are as follows:

1.      Enter the arena at letter A in a walk and then halt at X. Lower one hand and nod your head in salute.

2.      When you reach C turn to right and continue until you reach M and then pick up to trot. Continue until B and then make a 20 meters circle to the right.

3.      Continue trotting until you pass B, then transition to walk before F. Continue to walk until you reach K.

4.      At K allow horse to stretch head, neck and topline into a free walk across X and then to M. Before M pick up your reins to medium walk.

5.      When you reach C, pick up the trot until you reach E. Turn 20 meters circle to left.

6.      Reach A, turn up canter line, transition to walk, turn right to X then halt and salute.

7.      Leave the arena.

It shows more attention and a more positive attitude to dress and present yourself and the horse for the occasion, even though there are no points of dressing.

For your horse the following guidelines are of help:

• There should be no shavings in the horse’s tail.
• Clip the bridle path.
• Braiding improves the look of the neck.
• Trim the fetlock.
• Put all bridle pieces and girth billets into their keepers.
• Polish your bit.
• Saddle pad should not be dirty or shrunken.
• Trimming ears and muzzle is optional.
• Pin the number on the saddle so that it is not covered by your tails.

For the rider the following would be help:

• Polish your boots.
• Spur straps should fit and hold the spurs in the proper position.
• Don’t wear long dangling earrings.
• If you have a new hat make sure it is pinned properly.
• Show up on time for the test.
• Make sure your reader is also in time. He should be there before you start.
• Know your test well before you start.

While taking the test establish the halt before saluting; be sure to come to C before you turn; be sure to touch the rail on the start and after your turn. Pay attention at the corners.

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