The History of Dressage

As people flocked to the Olympics this year, record crowds were drawn to view the ballet of riding, the art of dressage.  But where did this tradition with its intricate moves and magnificently graceful horses come from?

It is known that the earliest record of classical dressage being ridden was a treatise by the Greek general Xenophon (430-354 BC).    Xenophon was a highly respected trainer.  He is best known for his belief in which he claimed that the rider must first concern themselves with acquiring the cooperation and the friendship of the horse, otherwise the schooling has no value and the performance will reflect this.  This idea is as important today as it was 2500 years ago. 

The Art of Dressage was all but lost during the rise of the Roman Empire and during the Dark Ages. 

King Dom Duarte (1391-1438) wrote a book called “Livro da ensinanca de bem cavalgar toda sela.”  Translated it means:  The Instruction of the Art if Riding in Every Saddle.  It was published in 1438.  Dom died of the plague before the book could be finished, and more than a century later, dressage resurfaced in Italy.   Italy had become the hub for politics, economics, culture and the arts in Europe, therefore, the sons of wealthy families were often sent to academies in Naples, Florence, Rome, Ferrara, and Bologna to learn dancing, fencing, riding and classic literature. 

 

One of the most famous early Italian riding instructors was Federigo Grisone of Naples, whose book “Gli ordini di Cavalcare” was published in 1550 and translated and sold throughout Europe.   He was of the mind that the trot was the most important gait for developing the physical musculature of the dressage mount.  He claimed that the goal objective of the trot was to make the horse light, with a straight carriage and soft in the mouth, which is the basis for the entire art form.  He understood that a rider must carry their hands low and connect the neck to the shoulders.  This in turn allowed the rider to align the equine’s hips and shoulders on a track, which in turn created straightness.    He believed, as did Xenophon, that the correct posture created an effective seat, and that patience and kindness were the best training methods.

During this time the Barb, the Spanish, and the Lusitanian horses were preferred rather than other breeds for their ability to perform the classic airs above the ground.  In Spain and Portugal, Bullfighting became a way to keep the Iberian horses sharp and in high school training when they were not being used in war.  Consequently, horses with “cow sense” were chosen for breeding.   Those bloodlines later became the foundation for the modern day Quarter Horse.

 In 1534 Cesare Fiaschi created a riding academy in Ferrara.  In his book “Trattato dell’ imbrigliare maneggiare a ferrare cavalla” he brings forward the idea that the steady rhythm and tempo must be attained or nothing can be accomplished.  He goes on to state that balance and suppleness form the basis for impulsion and collection.  This is a truth that has lasted through the ages and has proven to be as important for today’s dressage riders as it was 500 years ago.  In fact, rhythm and tempo turned out to be the first building block in the training scale that the German cavalry created in their training manual.  The 1912 training manual became the guide book for the German National Federation and the United States Dressage Federation.  

Giambattista Pignatelli was the dressage teacher who never published a book, but was given the credit for understanding and teaching the importance of riding circles on a single track.  One of his students, Salomon de la Broue (c. 1530-c.1610) is the first person to mention the need to protect the horse’s mouth and the importance of beginning the training of a young horse in a snaffle bit.  He maintained that the lightness of the mouth must come from the steady rein contact and the overall posture with a vertical head position was of utmost importance.  Other authors later pointed out the importance of even weight distribution on all four legs by aligning the horse’s body correctly to create proper posture, and how this then allows the horse to remain in contact on the bit without leaning.

One of the most respected horsemen of all time was Anoine de Pluvinel (1555-1620).  He began studying under Pignatelli at the young age of ten.  He became the premier ‘ecuyer to the Kings of France.  He was authorized to create a riding academy called, Acade’mie d’equitation.  It was situated close to the royal stables.  He wrote a manuscript that creates a dialogue of questions and answers between himself and the king.  .”  The young royal, Louis XIII (1601-1643), is the king that the book is based upon.  He ascended the throne after his father was assassinated in 1610.  Because of his young age, his mother took the position of regent until he could actually take his position, as king, in 1617.  Although Pluvinel passed away before he was able to edit the book, his dear friend Menou de Charnizay, published the book called, “L’Instruction du RoyPluvinel was most remembered and admired for his treatment of the horses.  He saw them as intelligent beings that needed to be taught with gentleness and kindness.  His work emphasized suppleness through the use of gymnastics.  Turns on the forehand, working on two tracks, voltes and passades, as well as the development of the piaffe and the levade.

The moves that make up the art form of dressage were used for military purposes.  The piaffe was  a spring forward for sudden advance,  the levade, which is a half halt that is highly collected, was created to give the rider the opportunity to slash with a sword, or the aim of a pistol, or as an evasion movement.  The pirouette turned a horse and rider away or towards the enemy, and the courbette, which causes a horse to tower high in the air was effective in scattering foot soldiers.  The beautiful, graceful capriole, which causes the horse to bound high into the air, was a means for escape over the heads of the soldiers. 

Lippizanners began being imported by the Imperial Austrian Stud in 1580.  In 1735 the Spanish Riding School in Vienna was created by King Charles VI. 

 In actuality, this famous riding school was first established in 1572 by the Austrian Empire.  Initially the riding was done in a wooden arena.  In 1729, the Emperor Charles VI commissioned the building of a white riding hall that is still used today.  Originally the hall was only used for ceremonies; however, now it is open to the public so that they can enjoy watching the training of the stallions.  It was named the Spanish Riding School in honor of the Lippizzaner horses, which are the only breed of horses used for the classical dressage training at this institution. U.S. Army General, George Patton, is recognized for rescuing and protecting the Lippizzaner mares and the Spanish Riding School during World War II.  

Germany, Austria and Hungary were under the same Imperial Crown; therefore, the schools of classical dressage were tightly linked.  From 1618-1648 the need for lighter and more athletic cavalry horses, during the thirty year war, caused them to start breeding more hot blooded horses.   At the end of the eighteenth century Germany had created its own idea of what traits were needed in a cavalry mount:  obedience, which is reflected in collection, agility for combat, and safety for cross-country, and speed for galloping forward to attack.  The results of their breeding efforts have created the modern day Warmbloods.

It was their dedication to this end that caused the Germans to build a systemic and highly organized approach to breeding which shows in the tremendous success that they enjoy today in competitions. 

   

The first Olympic Games that included dressage were held in Sweden in 1912.  At that time, only cavalry officers were allowed to compete.  In 1948, the U.S. cavalry was disbanded and the shift from military to civilian competition became the focus of dressage.   

In 1973 the United States Dressage Federation was established to advance, educate and acknowledge achievements in this sport.  

The history of dressage proves that it is the basis for all modern day riding.  Many of the principles that were practiced thousands of years ago still hold true for riders today.  Always the voices of Xenophon and other great masters must be remembered.  The singular way to achieve balance, lightness, and harmony is to develop the horse in a methodical, humane way while keeping it happy while working.