Dressage is the equine event that combines the precision and athleticism of gymnastics with the grace and reserve of ballet. This event has been around for hundreds of years and became an Olympic sport in 1912.

Dressage is the french term that means "training". The roots of this discipline are from classical Greek horsemanship and was first recognized as an equestrian pursuit during the Renaissance in Western Europe. A sequential training system was developed by great European riding masters that have not changed a great deal since then and considered still the fundamentals of basic dressage.

Dressage is meant to develop through progressive training methods the horses natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse.

Dressage tests range in skill levels with the highest being the Olympic level - Grand Prix. This level of test requires the utmost skill and concentration from both the horse and the rider. Gaits and movements at this level include collected and extended walk, trot and canter, trot and canter half pass; passage ( slow motion trot); piaffe (trot in place); one and two tempi changes (lead changes appearing as a skip); canter "zigzags"; and pirouettes (360 degree circle, in place, at the canter).

Competing Dressage at the Olympics consists of scoring based on a panel of five international judges. Each movement in each test receives a numeric score and the resulting final score is then converted into a percentage, which is carried out to three decimal points. The higher the percentage, the higher the score.

The standard size dressage arena is 20 by 60 meters
( approximately 66 by 197 feet) . The small size dressage arena is 20 by 40 meters (approximately 66 by 132 feet). For more details on the dressage arena, including layouts and memorization methods, click here.