From the United States Dressage Federation, an AQHA Alliance Partner
Dressage is one of the Olympic equestrian sports. The modern Olympics commenced in 1896, with equestrian events appearing in the 1900 Paris Games. It was the 1912 Stockholm Games where the “military test” first appeared and evolved into the separate Olympic disciplines of dressage, eventing and stadium jumping.
Horses have been used as mounts for the military since early history. As the horses had to be obedient and maneuverable, a system of training was developed, first documented in the writing of the Greek Xenophon. The system of training was built upon throughout the ages, with many well-known riding masters, military and civilian, writing books expounding their methods.
As the equine in the past centuries was used primarily by the military, it only stood to reason that a test of the military horse be the standard during the inception of the modern Olympics. The military test included obedience and maneuverability (or what would become dressage) and the ability to jump obstacles.
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