It's past time to end the "pony envy"

[magical thyme]

88. dressage is not unnatural and is not painful

Everything in dressage is based on horse's natural movement and behavior in the wild and playing in their pastures. If it were painful, they simply would not do it, with or without a rider. The goal of dressage is to create harmony between horse and rider. Whether you are a backyard trail rider, a western cowboy, or are competing in any discipline, dressage simply facilitates communication between horse and rider, improves the horse's balance under a rider, and reduces the likelihood of injuries and muscle soreness for either party.

Horses are natural athletes; they like and need to use their bodies to stay healthy.

The high level dressage movements in the wild or in their pasture are an expression of exuberance. You will see it mostly among playing foals and youngsters, but also older horses with excess energy to burn off.

Here are some pictures that demonstrate horses performing upper level movements at play in their pastures:

Passage:


Pirouette:


Levade:


Dressage competition is not about amusing people; it's intended to test the quality of the horse's training. That some people enjoy watching it is a side effect.

Likewise, dressage performances are more for educating everyday people about horses, and horse people about specific breeds of horses. The Spanish Riding School periodically tours to educate and fund-raise. Vitor Silva, a portuguese master, puts on a couple performances each year, again to educate people about his beloved Lusitano horses.