Acronym Definition
SAZDA Sind Arid Zone Development Authority
SAzDA Southern Arizona Dressage Association
Dressage (a French term meaning "training") is a path and destination of
competitive horse training, with competitions held at all levels from amateur to
the Olympics. Its fundamental purpose is to develop, through standardized
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. Dressage is occasionally referred to as "Horse
Ballet" (cf. ). Although the discipline has ancient roots, dressage was first
recognized as an important equestrian pursuit in the West during the
Renaissance. The great European riding masters of that period developed a
sequential training system that has changed little since then and classical
dressage is still considered the basis of trained modern dressage.
Early European aristocrats displayed their horses' training in equestrian
pageants, but in modern dressage competition, successful training at the various
levels is demonstrated through the performance of "tests," or prescribed series
of movements within a standard arena. Judges evaluate each movement on the basis
of an objective standard appropriate to the level of the test and assign each
movement a score from zero to ten - zero being "not executed" and 10 being
"excellent." A score of 9 (or "very good") is considered a particularly high
mark, while a competitor achieving all 6s (or 60% overall) should be considering
moving on to the next level.
Dressage horses
Enlarge picture
An Andalusian at the collected trot
Any riding horse can benefit from use of dressage principles and training
techniques. However, horse breeds most often seen at the Olympics and other
international FEI competitions are in the warmblood horse breeds category.
Dressage is an egalitarian sport in which all breeds are given an opportunity to
successfully compete. Therefore, many other breeds are seen at various levels of
competition.
In non-competitive performances of classical dressage that involve the "Airs
above the ground" described below, the "Baroque" breeds of horses, most notably
the Lipizzaner, are most often seen.
There are two sizes of arenas: small and standard. Each has letters assigned to
positions around the arena for dressage tests to specify where movements are to
be performed.
The small arena is 20 m by 40 m, and is used for the lower levels of three-day
eventing in the dressage phase. Its letters around the outside edge, starting
from the point of entry and moving clockwise, are A-K-E-H-C-M-B-F. Letters also
mark locations in the middle of the arena: Moving down the center line, they are
D-X-G, with X in the center. Since the combination of Equine Canada (EC) and
United States Dressage Federation (USDF) tests in 2003, the small size arena is
no longer utilized in rated shows in North America.
The standard arena is 20 m by 60 m, and is used for tests in both dressage and
eventing. The standard dressage arena letters are A-K-V-E-S-H-C-M-R-B-P-F.
(There is speculation as to why these letters were chosen. Most commonly it is
believed because the German cavalry had a 20 x 60 meter area in between the
barracks which had the letters posted above the doors) The letters on the long
sides of the arena nearest the corners are 6 m in from the corners, and are 12 m
apart from each other. The letters in the middle of the arena are D-L-X-I-G,
with X marking the center.
At the start of the test, the horse enters at A. There is always a judge sitting
at C, although for upper-level competition, there are up to five judges at
different places around the arena—at C, E, B, M, and H—which allows the horse to
be seen in each movement from all angles. This helps prevent certain faults from
going unnoticed, which may be difficult for a judge to see from only one area of
the arena. For example, the horse's straightness going across the diagonal may
be assessed by judges at E and H.
The dressage arena also has a centerline (from A to C, going through X in the
middle), as well as two quarter-lines (halfway between the centerline and long
sides of each arena).
Competition
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 levels, with tests of increasing difficulty at each level,
until the most accomplished horse and rider teams compete at the Grand Prix
levels and international competition, such as the Olympic games.
Dressage consists of the lower levels: Introductory, Training, First, Second,
Third and Fourth;(In Australia the levels are as follows Prep, Preliminary,
Novice, Elementary, Medium and Advanced.) and the FEI (Federation Equestrian
International) levels: Prix St. Georges, Intermediare I, Intermediare II and
Grand Prix.
Apart from competition, there is a tradition of classical dressage, in which the
tradition of dressage is pursued as an art form. The traditions of the Old
Masters who originated Dressage are kept alive by the Spanish Riding School in
Vienna, Austria and the Cadre Noir in Saumur, France. This type of schooling is
also a part of the Portuguese and Spanish bullfighting exhibitions.
Olympic level
Enlarge picture
Dressage at the 1980 Summer Olympic games
The dressage tests performed at the Olympic Games, which were accepted as sport
in 1912, are those of the highest level: Grand Prix. They are judged under the
rules of the FEI. This level of test demands the most skill and concentration
from both horse and rider.
Gaits and movements performed at this level include collected and extended walk,
trot, and canter; trot and canter half-pass (a movement where the horse travels
on a diagonal line keeping its body almost parallel with the arena wall while
making both forward and sideways steps in each stride); passage (a slow-motion,
suspended trot); piaffe (an approach to "trot in place"); one, two, & three
tempi changes (where the horse changes from one lead to the other in the
canter); and canter pirouettes (a 360-degree circle that is almost in place).
Tests ridden at the Olympic Games are scored by a panel of five international
judges. Each movement in each test receives a numeric score from 0 (lowest) to
10 (highest) and the resulting final score is then converted into a percentage,
which is carried out to three decimal points. The higher the percentage, the
higher the score.
Olympic team medals are won by the teams with the highest, second highest, and
third highest total percentage from their best three rides in the Grand Prix
test.
Once the team medals are determined, horses and riders compete for individual
medals. The team competition serves as the first individual qualifier, in that
the top 25 horse/rider combinations from the Grand Prix test move on to the next
round. The second individual qualifier is the Grand Prix Special test, which
consists of Grand Prix movements arranged in a different pattern. For those 25
riders, the scores from the Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Special are then
combined and the resulting top 15 horse/rider combinations move on to the
individual medal competition-the crowd-pleasing Grand Prix Musical Kur.
For their freestyles, riders and horses perform specially choreographed patterns
to music. At this level, the freestyle tests may contain all the Grand Prix
movements, as well as double canter pirouettes, pirouettes in piaffe, and
half-pass in passage. For the freestyle, judges award technical marks for the
various movements, as well as artistic marks. In the case of a tie, the ride
with the higher artistic marks wins. [1]
The Training Scale
The dressage training scale is arranged in a pyramid fashion, with “rhythm and
regularity” at the bottom of the pyramid and “collection” at the top. The
training scale is used as a guide for the training of the dressage horse (or any
horse, for that matter). Despite its appearance, the training scale is not meant
to be a rigid format. Instead, each level is built on as the horse progresses in
his training: so a Grand Prix horse would work on the refinement of the bottom
levels of the pyramid, instead of focusing on only the highest level:
“collection.” The levels are also interconnected. For example, a crooked horse
is unable to develop impulsion, and a horse that is not relaxed will be less
likely to travel with a rhythmic gait.
Rhythm and Regularity (Takt)
Rhythm, gait, tempo, and regularity should be the same on straight and bending
lines, through lateral work, and through transitions. Rhythm refers to the
sequence of the footfalls, which should only include the pure walk, pure trot,
and pure canter. The regularity, or purity, of the gait includes the evenness
and levelness of the stride. Once a rider can obtain pure gaits, they are ready
to learn difficult movements such as the piaffe, when the horse trots in place
raising the front legs to where the hooves are level with the cannon bone.
Relaxation (Losgelassenheit)
The second level of the pyramid is relaxation (looseness). Signs of looseness in
the horse may be seen by an even stride that is swinging through the back and
causing the tail to swing like a pendulum, looseness at the poll, a soft chewing
of the bit, and a relaxed blowing through the nose. The horse will make smooth
transitions, be easy to position from side to side, and will willingly reach
down into the contact as the reins are lengthened.
Contact (Anlehnung)
Contact—the third level of the pyramid—is the result of the horse’s pushing
power, and should never be achieved by the pulling of the rider’s hands. The
rider drives the horse into soft hands that allow the horse to come up into the
bridle, and should always follow the natural motion of the animal’s head. The
horse should have equal contact in both reins.
Impulsion (Schwung)
Enlarge picture
An upper level dressage horse at the canter.
The pushing power (thrust) of the horse is called “impulsion,” and is the fourth
level of the training pyramid. Impulsion is created by storing the energy of
engagement (the forward reaching of the hind legs under the body).
Proper impulsion is achieved by means of:
* Correct driving aids of the rider
* Relaxation of the horse
* Throughness (durchlässigkeit): the flow of energy through the horse from front
to back and back to front. The musculature of the horse is connected, supple,
elastic, and unblocked, and the rider’s aids go freely through the horse.
Impulsion can occur at the walk, trot and canter. It is highly important to
establish good, forward movement and impulsion at the walk, as achieving
desirable form in the trot and canter relies heavily on the transition from a
good, supple, forward walk.
Impulsion not only encourages correct muscle and joint use, but also engages the
mind of the horse, focusing it on the rider and, particularly at the walk and
trot, allowing for relaxation and dissipation of nervous energy.
Straightness (Geraderichtung)
A horse is straight when his hind legs follow the path of his front legs, on
both straight lines and on bending lines, and his body is parallel to the line
of travel. Straightness causes the horse to channel his impulsion directly
toward his center of balance, and allows the rider’s hand aids to have a
connection to the hind end.
Collection (Versammlung)
At the apex of the training scale, collection may be used occasionally to
supplement less vigorous work, but is only focused on (through the collected
gaits and more difficult movements, such as flying changes) in more advanced
horses. Collection requires greater muscular strength, so must be developed
slowly.
When a horse collects, he naturally takes more of his weight onto his
hindquarters. The joints of the hind limbs have greater flexion, allowing the
horse to lower his hindquarters, bring his hind legs further under his body, and
lighten the forehand. A collected horse is able to move more freely. When
collected, the stride length should shorten, and increase in energy and
activity.
Airs above the ground
The pesade.
These are a series of higher-level dressage maneuvers where the horse leaps
above the ground. These include the capriole, courbette, the mezair, the
croupade, and levade. None are typically seen in modern competitive dressage,
but are performed by horses of various riding academies, including the Spanish
Riding School in Vienna and the Cadre Noir in Saumur. Horses such as the
Andalusian, Lusitano and Lipizzan are the breeds most often trained to perform
the "airs" today, in part due to their powerfully-conformed hindquarters, which
allow them the strength to perform these difficult movements. There were
originally seven airs, many of which were used to build into the movements
performed today.
There is a popular conception that these moves were originally taught to horses
for military purposes, and indeed both the Spanish Riding School and the Cadre
Noir are military foundations. However, while agility was necessary on the
battlefield, most of the airs as performed today would have actually exposed
horses' vulnerable underbellies to the weapons of foot soldiers. It is therefore
more likely that the airs were exercises to develop the military horse and
rider, rather than to be employed in combat.
The capriole (above), and working at the piaffe between the pillars
The pesade and levade are the first airs taught to the High School horse, and it
is from these that all other airs are taught. In the pesade, the horse raises
his forehand off the ground and tucks his forelegs evenly, carrying all his
weight on his hindquarters, to form a 45 degree angle with the ground. The
levade was first taught at the beginning of the 20th century, asking the horse
to hold a position approximately 35 degrees from the ground, making it much more
strenuous. It is also a transition movement between work on the ground and the
airs above the ground, and it requires enormous strength of the horse — not many
horses are capable of a good quality levade.
The horse is asked to enter the pesade or levade from the piaffe. At the
beginning of the movement, the hind feet come under the horse's center of
gravity with the hocks coming lower to the ground, so that the horse appears to
sink down in back and rise in front. The position is held for a number of
seconds, and then the horse quietly puts the forelegs back on the ground and
proceeds at the walk, or stands at the halt. These movements are the pinnacle of
collection, as the horse carries all of his weight on his back legs. They are
also excellent to test that the horse is truly straight and obedient. Video of
the Pesade Video of the Levade
In the capriole (meaning leap of a goat), the horse jumps from a raised position
of the forehand straight up into the air, kicks out with the hind legs, and
lands more or less on all four legs at the same time. It requires an enormously
powerful horse to perform correctly, and is considered the most difficult of all
the airs above the ground. It is first introduced with the croupade, in which
the horse does not kick out at the height of elevation, but keeps his hind legs
tucked tightly under, and remains parallel to the ground. The horse is then
taught the ballotade. In this movement, the horse's hind hooves are positioned
so one can see its shoes if watching from behind, but the horse is not asked to
kick out. When the horse demonstrates proficiency in the ballotade, the capriole
is introduced. Video of the Capriole
In the courbette, the horse raises his forehand off the ground, tucks up his
forelegs evenly, and then jumps forward, never allowing the forelegs to touch
down, in a series of "hops". Extremely strong and talented horses can perform
five or more leaps forward before having to touch down with the forelegs,
although it is more usual to see a series of three or four leaps. The courbette,
like the capriole, is first introduced through the easier croupade. Video of the
Courbette
In the mezair, the horse rears up and strikes out with its forelegs. It is
similar to a series of levades with a forward motion (not in place), with the
horse gradually bringing its legs further under himself in each successive
movement and lightly touching the ground with his front legs before pushing up
again. The meziar was originally called the courbette by the old dressage
masters, and it is no longer practiced at the Spanish Riding School.
Are you interested in
mult-player online internet games? Such as runescape and neopets?Internet
Game Online-games, tips, cheats and kids forumsAnother
good forum is the Internet Junction For Gamers IJFG.COM
Internet Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and
More IJFG.COM Jokes, Pranks, Runescape and other cool games at IJFG.COM.
RuneScape is set in a medieval fantasy world, similar to "Guild Wars" or
"EverQuest", where players control character representations of themselves. As
with most massive multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPG), there is no
overall objective or end to the game. Players explore, form alliances, perform
optional tasks, and complete quests for rewards and to build character's skills.
RuneScape has often been one of
the top massive online role playing games. It is a unique game. But, with a
unique game, comes unique players. Players get bored, and then try to develop
cheats....autos or bots that will help them achieve success in their beloved
games of Runescape 2.
RuneScape is a virtual world which
is divided into two part: Members Areas and Non-Members areas. People who pay to
play (p2p), receive access to the special areas. They also have access to the
free areas. The members' places are much larger, offer "better" items for the
gameplay of rs2, and much, much more. The character that you create when you
first start playing runescape, moves around the game on foot; either by running,
or walking. Players are challenged to their utmost skills by fighting new
monsters, completing difficult quests, and manipulating marketing. As Runescape
2 is an RPG (Role playing game), there is no set path a person must take to play
rs. They can choose what to do, and when, whether it be training their
money-making skills, or fighting another player. Players usually interact with
each other by chatting through public chat, or private chat.Internet
Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and More IJFG.COM IJFG.com was a
runescape 2 based site. They have now, however, taken another look....
Of course the king of all game
cheating websites is
trick
the trik (otherwise known as RPG Cheats Site), where you can find cheat
forums, mmorpg topsite, arcade games and any mmo game related topics.
The master of massive multiplayer
online role-playing games (MMORPG) cheats can be found at Trik.com
Trik.com; this site is one of the best today. The forum section,
Trik.com forum, originally came from IJFG.com (Internet Junction For
Gamers) , which was one of the best websites that discussed various gamers'
issues. The full name was Internet Junction For Gamers, Runescape Market and
More. This site had Jokes, Pranks, RuneScape and other cool games. RuneScape is
set in a medieval fantasy world, similar to "Guild Wars" or "EverQuest," where
players control character representations of themselves. As with most MMORPG,
there is no overall objective or end to the game. Players explore, form
alliances, perform optional tasks, and complete quests for rewards and to build
characters' skills.
Trik.com continues IJFG.com's
success, but Trik.com has more to offer. Trik Topsite can be found at
Trik Topsite; the TopSite is a great addition if you want to find the best
MMO RPG site(s) or raise your site in the rankings. Trik.com also has a
viciously competitive Arcade. If you want to be the #1 Arcade on Trik, then come
prove yourself at Trik.com arcade:
Trik arcade. Trik.com ?Trik.com/topsite ?Trik.com/forum/arcade.php
With the rising popularity of
commercial MMORPG games came the desire from ardent players of these games to
run their own servers beside the ones run by the game's creator. Since the
original server software is not usually available, the behavior of the server
has to be re-engineered. This can be done by analyzing the data stream with the
original server, or by disassembling and analyzing the client which is
available.
Ultima Online was one of the first
large MMORPGs. Due to its openness in implementation, server emulators arose
very quickly, even during the beta stage of development. The destination to
which the client connects was changeable by simply editing a text file. In beta
stage the client-server data stream was not encrypted yet. The term server
emulator became known through Ultima Online server reimplementation such as UOX,
which was the pioneer. Many forks and reimplementations followed UOX, because
its source code was released under the GNU General Public License relatively
early. RunUO is today the most widely used UO-server emulator. After RuneScape
implemented anti-cheating measures, many gamers left and started their own
private servers. The best place to discuss the private server is at
Trik- The Master of Private Server.
Another useful site is
Rune
Web ruwb.com . This site is about more serious RuneScape gold trading,
account exchange, gold for real life cash and many services. It includes tips on
how to avoid getting lured/scammed while using the marketplace. For programming,
visual basics, java, C/C++, scar and all other languages such as PHP, HTML, ASP,
Delphi. There are also sections for graphics talents, plus many cool videos and
fun stuff.
A defining moment in internet
gaming history was when a group of gamers called (hygo 7) decided to start an
ultimate game forum, which they named
hygo.com. It has the best financial backing, the friendliest game community,
and the highest quality of information. Currently Hygo.com has entered a new
phase...Hygo.com is offering the best private server game. With thousands of
members, Hygo.com is your next place to visit, as they have an amazing game with
a community and economy.
Hygo.com - The Online Adventure Game. is definitely one of the top sites you
want to join right now!
EZud is another popular site.
ezud.com. It has the best runescape bug abuse, bugs and trik.
ezud.com - The runescape bugs. is definitely one of the best sites you want
to join right now!
Contact Information
Call our office today to set up an appointment. Learn more about how we can
help you, and learn more about the other services that we can offer you. All
messages we receive will be answered as soon as possible. We look forward to
hearing from you.
- Electronic mail
- General Information:
