Happy horse: the foundation of modern dressage

In light of recent animal abuse scandals, the media and news media are increasingly focusing on the concept of the "happy horse".

According to Section 401.1 of the International Dressage Competition Rules, the purpose of dressage is the harmonious development of the horse's physical abilities and capacities. As a result of dressage a horse becomes calm, flexible and supple, relaxed and obedient, but at the same time trusting, attentive and energetic, in order to create a good rapport between the rider and the horse.

The goals of the "happy horse" concept are:

Achieving a harmonious relationship based on trust between horse and rider;

Development of each horse's individual character;

Development of the horse's natural abilities.

You must remember that obedience should not mean submission, but obedience. The interaction between rider and horse should be harmonious, easy and relaxed. The very concept of the "happy horse" implies achieving sport performance based on mutual trust, not by suppressing the horse by force and obeying commands under pain of punishment.

Unfortunately, horses cannot tell us their state of mind. Therefore, it can be difficult to determine a horse's mood and attitude. What are the signs to determine that your horse is happy with his work?

The main signs of a happy horse are:

Lack of tension and tightness;

Relaxed muzzle expression and calm gaze;

Willingness to obey the actions and aids of the rider without any coercion;

Willingness to move forward;

Harmonious picture of horse and rider during performance (from outside the rider's actions should remain invisible).

That said, there are still no strict criteria by which to assess whether a horse is a "happy athlete". And the only thing an athlete can do is to learn to pay attention and understand the signs the horse is giving him.

Achieving all of the goals set by the concept itself will require not only systematic training, but also the ability to thoughtfully analyze one's actions. The rider must develop and improve the horse's fitness with encouragement and rewards - once the horse gets used to it, it will cooperate. In the end, without rudeness and cruelty, you can come to harmony with the horse, which should be the goal for every athlete.