When is dressage dressage?

[Caol Ila]

I am throwing this to the denizens of HHO and seeing what they think. We'll call it international comparison.

Does dressage only begin when the horse is working in collection and schooling the more advanced movements, i.e. half-pass, changes, shoulder-in, travers, mediums/extensions, pirouettes, and the like, while everything prior to that is simply flatwork or basic horse training? Yes or no or kind of.

Discuss.

 

[chestnut cob]

"Dressage" is just flatwork training.

If you google "dressage", the top hit is:

Noun
The art of riding and training a horse in a manner that develops obedience, flexibility, and balance.
Synonyms
training

 

[Cortez]

Dressage is a French word which means "to train" (a horse); modern meaning is to do poncey riding.

 

[harrysmum]

As chestnut cob says^^^^^^ dressage simply means training.

 

[chestnut cob]

I think "dressage" is the means. it's up to the rider what the end is. You'd hope that most people were using dressage to produce a stronger, more supple and gymnastic (and therefore healthier) horse. In fact, in an ideal world that is everyone's end, because you need that if you compete.