What's the best horse for Classical Dressage?      by Susan Armitage
Although Vitor Silva, a Portuguese classical dressage riding master, imports and sells Lusitano horses, which are bred for classical dressage, he will be the first to tell you that the best horse is one you can ride.

"For most riders, the breed of the horse doesn't matter as much as having a horse they can ride," he said. "I tell my students to get themselves into the saddle and ride. There is no substitute for gaining confidence, learning balance and developing a secure seat than riding." However, he cautions that it is necessary to ride with proper instruction.
"Classical dressage, like many other disciplines, requires the regular use of an instructor because you can't always believe what you think you are feeling, " he said. "For example, a rider may be so used to riding crooked that he or she just keeps doing because it is what feels 'right' ". Your horse will tell you but most people need an instructor to help them interpret what the horse is saying. Physical problems in the horse such as sore backs, tight shoulders and soundness issues often trace back to a crooked or unbalanced rider. The horse develops its own problems as it tries to compensate for the rider!"
vitbw.jpg (44787 bytes) He added that he sees many people buy horses that are not right for them and then are afraid to ride them. So they don't. "They come and watch me ride them or their trainer ride them," he said. "Or they read books, they hang out at the barn, they even attend clinics. But they don't ride. That’s fine if that what you want to do. But the only way to become a good rider is to get on a horse and ride. You need to spend time, a lot of time, in the saddle and support it with good instruction. Then as the rider develops the basics we can begin to polish it up and they will get the finesse that is what makes the difference between being an ordinary rider and a good one. Anyone can become a lovely rider who is able to bring out the best in his or her horse but it does take determination and discipline, along with effective instruction." However, Silva did say that riders need to be selective when buying a horse.
"There are some horses that would be too expensive even if someone gave them to me, " he said. "Often, these are horses who have had problems with early training. I think the horse's tendency is to go back to the first things it learned. It can often be a challenge, even for professionals, to retrain some horses so they are suitable for a novice rider. Over the years I have seen many people buy horses that are inappropriate for them. Then they are stuck with them, paying for board and training for years. They never give themselves or the horses a pleasant ride.
"All horses can benefit from the basics of correct classical dressage training--leg yields, circles, shoulder-in, and so forth," he added. "These are suppling movements to help the horse learn to move straight and in balance. These basics improve any discipline as well, including western pleasure and hunter/jumpers. Very few horses move straight naturally. It isn't a problem in nature because they aren't carrying a rider. But add the weight of a rider and it is a whole different story. The aim of classical training for the horse is to physically condition it and teach it how to use itself more effectively."
Silva works with many different breeds of horses both at his Sons of the Wind Farm in Deerfield, New Hampshire, as well as in clinic settings throughout the United States, Europe and South America.
"I love the Lusitano because they excel at the high school movements and have wonderful temperaments. But classical dressage training can help improve virtually any horse and rider. In my school and clinics I work with many different breeds and levels of riders. The important thing is to know what your goal is and to be willing to work on yourself as well as with your horse. Classical dressage is a sport that requires physical and mental discipline for both the horse and rider. What makes it an art is when the work results in the horse and rider becoming one."
To contact Vitor Silva call 603- 463-9952 or e-mail vsilva@lusitanofarm.com or see his website at http://www.lusitanofarm.com