The word “dressage” comes from the French word for “training,” and its genesis goes back over 2000 years when the Greeks used the word dressage to mean training for war. At that time fighting was done on horseback and it was vital that the horse and rider be in sync. Assyrians later used cloths around the horses’ girth which developed into what are now reorganized as dressage saddles.

During the Middle Ages when soldiers began to protect themselves with armor their horses were also covered in heavy armor weighing from 50 to more than 150 pounds. The saddles that then evolved were stronger and could reliably support active soldiers without hindering the complex movements involved in classical dressage or training. The pommel and cantle were high preventing the rider from being unseated and the seat was padded with horsehair or wool and covered in leather, much like the saddles of today.

Because the rider sits more erect and has stirrups longer than those of a hunter’s seat, the saddle flap is also longer and straighter and goes down behind the horse’s shoulder. The rider’s center of gravity is kept in place because the seat is closer to the horse’s withers. The pommel is also a speck higher and the deepest area of the seat is more forward to allow for long leg positions.

Today’s dressage began with the principles of Olympic sports during the Twentieth Century, where instead of an activity of war, dressage became a competitive sport practiced around the world. Competitive dressage still involves many of the original movements like piaffes, pirouettes, and courbettes. Moreover, it is an activity that is enjoyable and fulfilling for women and men of all ages.

Dressage is part of a long-established tradition encouraging balance, lightness and harmony between horse, saddle and rider. Check out great dressage saddles with prestige dressage saddle or Wintec dressage saddle.

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