Dressage
Dressage is a path and destination of competitive horse training. Competitions are held at all levels from amateur to the Olympics. Its fundamental purpose is to develop, through standardised progressive training methods, a horse's natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse.
At the peak of a dressage horse's gymnastic development, it can smoothly respond to a skilled rider's minimal aids by performing the requested movement while remaining relaxed and appearing effortless. Although the discipline has ancient roots, dressage was first recognized as an essential equestrian pursuit in the West during the Renaissance. The great European riding masters of that period developed a sequential training system that has hardly changed since. Classical dressage is still considered the basis of trained modern dressage.