ENGLISH AND WESTERN DRESSAGE

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Having ridden both English and Western, I have a special place in my heart for both styles of horsemanship.

Wikipedia defines dressage as:

A French term, most commonly translated to mean “training” is a competitive equestrian sport, defined by the International Equestrian Federation as “the highest expression of horse training”, where “horse and rider are expected to perform from memory a series of predetermined movements.”

It goes on to say: “At the peak of a dressage horse’s gymnastic development, the horse will respond smoothly to a skilled rider’s minimal aids. The rider will be relaxed and appear effort-free while the horse willingly performs the requested movement.”

I really enjoyed this simultaneous presentation of both styles of ‘classic’ dressage:

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Well done, boys! (And horses!)

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