Piaffe ist eine Dressurlektion, bei der das Pferd auf der Stelle trabiert — mit maximaler Versammlung und ohne Vorwärtsbewegung. Es ist eine der schwierigsten Lektionen im Reitsport.

Wann wurde Dressurreiten olympisch?

Dressurreiten ist seit den Olympischen Spielen 1912 in Stockholm olympische Disziplin.

Wer ist die erfolgreichste Dressurreiterin?

Isabell Werth aus Deutschland ist die erfolgreichste Reiterin der olympischen Geschichte mit 6 Goldmedaillen. Ihre Pferde Gigolo, Weihegold und Bella Rose wurden Legenden.

Was kostet ein Grand Prix-Dressurpferd?

Internationale Grand Prix-Pferde kosten 200.000 bis mehrere Millionen Euro. Totilas wurde 2010 für ca. 10 Millionen Euro verkauft.

Was ist die Grand Prix Kür?

Die Grand Prix Kür ist der Freestyle im Dressurreiten — Pferd und Reiter performen ihr Programm zu selbst gewählter Musik. Es ist die emotionalste und kreativste Disziplin im Dressursport.

Dressage: Rules, Lessons & German World Class

Dressage is the oldest equestrian discipline in the world and at the same time one of the most demanding. What appears from the outside like elegant dancing is the result of years of intensive training — for both horse and rider. No other discipline demands such deep communication between human and animal, no other combines performance and aesthetics in such a unique way.

Overview hide

History: From Military Craft to Olympic Sport

Competition Classes in Germany

The most important dressage lessons

Germany’s dressage riders: World class for decades

International Stars

What does a serious dressage commitment cost?

Common Questions About Dressage

History: From Military Craft to Olympic Sport

The roots of dressage lie in the military. Xenophon, the Greek general, described fundamental principles in his work “On Horsemanship” as early as 400 BC, which are still valid today. In the Middle Ages, the Haute École — the classical high school — developed at the courts of European princes into an art form. Since 1912, dressage has been an Olympic discipline.

Competition Classes in Germany

The German competition system is the most structured in the world:

Class E: Entry level, basic gaits (walk, trot, canter)
Class A: First lessons (transitions, turns, circles)
Class L: Light class — first gathering, shoulder-in
Class M: Medium class — traverse, renvers, flying change
Class S: Heavy class — piaffe, passage, pirouette
Intermediaire I + II: International classes below Grand Prix
Grand Prix + Grand Prix Special: Highest Olympic class
Grand Prix Freestyle: Freestyle with music — the most emotional discipline

The most important dressage lessons

Piaffe: Trotting on the spot — the horse trots without moving forward, with maximum collection
Passage: Very collected, floating trot with a long floating phase — the “floating of the horse”
Pirouette: The gallop turns on the smallest space around its own axis
Flying change: Gallop changes with every jump (one-turn change)
Shoulder-in: The basis of all lateral movements

Germany’s dressage riders: World class for decades

Germany is an undisputed world power in dressage. The most important personalities:

Isabell Werth: 6 Olympic gold medals, 7 world champion titles — the most successful rider in Olympic history. Horses: Gigolo, Weihegold, Bella Rose.
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl: Three-time Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo 2020, two-time world champion. Horse: Dalera.
Dorothee Schneider: Team Olympic champion, Top 10 world ranking with Showtime.
Ingrid Klimke: Successful in dressage and eventing, daughter of riding icon Reiner Klimke.

International Stars

Charlotte Dujardin (GB): Historical world record holder (Valegro), 3× Olympic gold
Edward Gal (NL): World record holder with Totilas (2009), sold for ~10 million euros in 2010
Carl Hester (GB): Trainer of Dujardin, multiple Olympic champion himself

What does a serious dressage commitment cost?

Suitable dressage horse (L–M level): 25,000 – 100,000 euros
Grand Prix Horse: 200,000 – 5,000,000 Euro
Trainer (Professional Level): 80 – 200 Euro/hour
National Competitions (S-Level): 1,500 – 5,000 Euro/event (including transport, entry)
International Competitions (CDI): 3,000 – 15,000 Euro/event

Common Questions About Dressage

Which breeds are best for dressage? KWPN (Dutch Warmblood), Hanoverian, Westphalian and Oldenburg are the dominant breeds in international Grand Prix.
At what age can you start dressage? Horses are typically started at 3–4 years old and prepared for higher classes at 7–9 years old.
What is the difference between dressage and western riding? Western riding has American roots, uses different equipment and evaluates different movement qualities. Dressage follows the European classical riding theory.