Horses have been helping humans for centuries – they’ve done everything from helping to pull carts, plough fields and even win wars. Given their athletic build, nowadays, horses are being entered into various exhibitions and competitions.
One such competition is dressage which is a French term that means ‘to train’. Dressage involves riding your horse in a simple and subtle manner where they perform tricks taught by their rider. Dressage is widely acclaimed and enjoyed by people worldwide, and is held from basic level to Olympics and world equestrian games as well. But, not all horses are suitable for this sport.
So, if you are planning on entering a dressage competition, you need to know which horse breed will be best. Below we’ve listed7 of the best horses for Dressage. Let’s take a look at a brief description of them.
#1. Paso Fino
The Paso Fino horse breed origin comes from Spain. These are medium-sized horses weighing around 700 to 1000 pounds and they are up to 1.7 m tall. Paso Fino has a medium neck and a short back. It has an evenly spaced lateral ambling gait with a thick tail and mane. This breed is very social and friendly and because of their friendly behaviour they are easy to train. Since there is very little up-down movement this breed is very smooth to ride. Nowadays they are used for trail riding and barrel racing.
#2. Shagya Arabian
The Shagya Arabian horse breed origins from Hungary. These are average sized horses and weighing around 1000 to 1100 pounds and their height is around 1.59 m. Shagya Arabian has a long neck and a long back. It has rhythmic and fine gait with a complementing tall stature and thick tail. This breed is highly intelligent and friendly. Initially they were used for riding and harnessing but nowadays they are used for Dressage and in jumping events.
#3. Westphalian
The Westphalian breed origin can be traced back to Germany. These are large-sized horses weighing around 1100 to 1300 pounds and are about 1.75 m tall. Westphalian has a long neck and a medium back with a thick mane and a long tail. Just like Paso Fino, this breed is very calm and friendly thus very easy to train and ride. These horses were used to pull carts and plough fields but nowadays, they are a good fit to enter Dressage and Jumping events.
#4. Lustiano
The Lustiano breed hails from Portugal. These are medium-sized horses weighing around 900 to 1000 pounds and their average height is around 1.6 m. Lustianos have a medium neck and a short back with a thick mane and tail which requires extra care and maintenance. Their grooming needs can be easily taken care of with the help of horse clippers. The breed's gait is agile and elevated, but generally comfortable to ride. This equine breed is very courageous, loyal and friendly. In olden days, these horses were used in wars. Today they are a likely choice for dressage and bloodless bullfighting events.
#5. Holsteiner
The Holsteiner breed comes from Germany. These are medium-sized horses weighing around 1000 to 1200 pounds and they are about 1.7 m tall. Holsteiner has a long arched neck and a long back and they have a thick mane and a long tail. This breed is known to be very bold and calm. Its strongest ability is to Jump. These horses have great balancing skills along with good suspension in movements. They were used in wars to pull artillery wagons.
#6. Andalusian
The Andalusian breed is from Iberian Peninsula. These are average-sized horses weighing around 850 to 950 pounds and are around 1.5 m tall. Andalusian has a slightly arched medium neck and a short back with an impressive mane and a thick tail. This breed is very sensitive, docile and friendly and their willingness to learn makes it very easy to train them. This breed was initially used to ride as they are very fast and no other breed could compete with them in speed.
#7. Hanoverian
The Hanoverian breed comes from Germany as well. These are medium-sized horses weighing around 750 to 1100 pounds and are around 1.7 m tall. Hanoverian has a slightly arched long neck and a long strong back. It also has a thick mane and a long swishy tail. This breed is very intelligent, sensible and easy to train. The Hanoverian breed is one of the oldest breeds of horses dating back to the 17th century. This breed underwent many changes to suit the needs of the people. Initially they were used for farm work and to pull carriages.
So, that concludes our list of the seven best horses used in dressage and other events. Now that you know of the breeds that are most suitable, go take your pick and place your bets wisely!
Posts
0 Comments