Dressage has been featured in the Olympics for a century now, and yet, for all its history many spectators are baffled by the allure of a horse prancing about in a ring to music.
Unlike some of the more flashy Olympic sports, you won’t find glitter, spandex or bulging muscles here — save of course for those on the horse. Dressage is an exercise in restraint, in beauty of form and synergy between horse and rider. Here are some things to keep in mind while watching.
Less is More
Once the horse and rider enter the ring, all movement should come from the horse. The less the rider appears to be doing, the better the score.
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No Route
In show jumping there is no set route, only a list of jumps to be cleared in order coming from an assigned direction.
This means that it is the rider’s job to decide how they will get from one jump to the next. Tight turns and inside routes mean seconds off the clock, but can result in crashes and missteps if the horse doesn’t have time to see where it is going.
