Dr. Cesar Parra Talks Dressage Basics

Cesar Parra has spent years perfecting his dressage techniques. Dr. Parra shares his knowledge with up-and-coming dressage riders all over through his classes and clinics. He knows that the art of dressage takes patience and dedication to master. A student must work on getting the details down and feel willing to commit serious time and effort to the sport.

Dressage requires discipline, as rider and horse form an airtight bond allowing them to perform ballet-like movements together in the ring. These motions happen because of rider aides, but to a viewer these aides go unseen and the ballet-esque dance seems flawless and effortless. The horse and rider move as one succinct unit.  Dr. Cesar Parra trains students to perfect this technique.

To some it may appear as though the horse is doing all the work. The rider appears as though he or she is just along for an easy ride. But for a person who practices dressage, it’s overwhelmingly clear that this is not the case. The horse willingly performs tasks assigned by the rider, and the animal accomplishes these tasks with grace and style. Dressage is often described as a “conversation” between animal and human.

Modern dressage still contains many of the elements that existed in classical dressage, an art form founded nearly 2,000 years ago. It’s remarkable that this art has evolved and changed, yet also managed to keep many core fundamental elements the same.

Success in the sport is based on skill level tests, where horse and rider perform a series of different movements. Scores of zero through ten are assigned. A zero means, “not executed” and a ten equals “excellent.” The horse and rider team are not recommended to move to the next level until a score of 60 percent or higher is achieved in all requirements. This is because the sport is based on a “building block” philosophy, so proficiency in one level is demonstrated before the duo is permitted to a more advanced level.

Cesar Parra On the Art of Dressage

Dr. Cesar Parra knows how technical and precise dressage is. Cesar Parra understands that to an untrained person it might look like the animal is doing all the work. In reality, the horse and rider work as a tight unit to create beautiful movements in the ring. Dr. Cesar Parra has spent years perfecting his own technique, and shares his knowledge of this challenging and rewarding sport with others.