Ballet on Horseback

Dressage is the classical art of training a horse to perform highly controlled movements in response to subtly applied cues.  Sometimes referred to as horse ballet because of its grace and beauty, dressage has roots that date back to ancient Greece.  In dressage events, the horse and rider complete a series of events that are designed to measure the horse’s athletic and cerebral abilities.

First documented by the Greek Xenophon, these training techniques were used out of necessity on battlefields where athletic and obedient maneuvering was crucial at all times. During the Renaissance and through the centuries, the sport has progressed while maintaining its classical heritage.

Today, High Star Ranch riders perfect the ability to effortlessly control a beautiful steed with the lightest of touch.  Dressage is a highly prized art form, and it allows you to enjoy riding your horse with safety, ease, and grace. Unlike most sports, where a uniform set of rules standardizes competition at all levels, dressage offers a unique progression.  Dressage competitions may begin in local communities with introductory level classes where riders need only walk and trot.  Horses and riders advance through a graduated series of nationally defined levels, with tests of increasing difficulty at each level.