SOUTH AFRICAN PONY CLUB
Dressage Arena Achievement Badge
WORKBOOK
Picture of badge
Objectives:
Key points:
Additional
reading:
NAME
BRANCH
To learn the dressage arena, and something of it’s history
•
•
•
•
Know the dimensions of a small dressage arena
Know the dimensions of a large dressage arena
Know the letters and positions of the dressage markers
Know the origins of the letters of the dressage arena
The additional reading contains more information than is required for the badge,
but it provides good background knowledge.
LESSON ONE: What is Dressage?
Dressage is the training of the horse to move well, in a balanced,
obedient and rhythmic way. A well-trained horse is a pleasure to ride, and
is generally a stronger and more supple mount. You want your horse to
listen to you, to speed up or slow down when you ask (and only when
you ask), to turn left or right or move over if you want him to, and
dressage training will teach him to do all these things. No matter what
you want to do with your horse, he needs to learn these things.
Even if you want to do show-jumping, realise that more time is spent
riding from one jump to the next than actually in the air, so dressage
training will still come in useful. If you want to just ride your horse out and
about, dressage training will still come in useful if you want to open and
close a gate without dismounting, or when something scary comes along
and you need your horse to be obedient to you and not race off.
Dressage as an Equestrian Discipline and Competition Sport
Some horse and rider combinations turn dressage training into an art
form! In a dressage competition, horse and rider perform a set series of
movements (called the dressage test) in a designated space (called the
dressage arena), and try to perform those movements to the best of their
ability. A judge gives them a score (out of 10) for each movement, these
scores are accumulated, and a final % is awarded for the test, by which
the horses in the competition are ranked. There are a number of
dressage tests, grouped by levels of difficulty. The easiest are called
Preliminary Tests, and can be obtained from SANEF’s website,
www.horsesport.org.za Click on dressage, and then tests. Choose the
test you want and print. Try riding it! It may not be as easy as you expect.
You will need to know the layout of the dressage arena in order to ride
the test, and that is the purpose of this achievement badge.
Dressage Arena Achievement Badge Workbook
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LESSON TWO: The Dressage Arena – Dimensions and Markers
Children (under 14) and pony riders ride dressage in an arena that is
20m wide by 40m long.
Juniors (up to 18) and adults ride in an arena 20m wide by 60m long.
Below is a picture of the large arena.
From the corner to H
(and M) is 6m. ↕
From H to S (and M to
R) is 12m.
From S to E (and R to
B) is 12m.
From E to V (and B to
P) is 12m.
From V to K (and P to F)
is 12m.
From the corner to K
(and F) is 6m.
Note that C and A and all the markers in between are in the centre of the
short side, ie, 10m from each long side.
E and B are in the centre of the long side, or 30m from each short side.
You need to memorize where each letter is in the arena, and their placing
in terms of distances from corners and each other. This will take some
effort on your part, but it may help to memorise the small arena’s letters
first (see over the page), with the help of a ‘memory phrase’, and then fill
in the extra letters of the large arena afterwards.
Dressage Arena Achievement Badge Workbook
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The small arena measures 20m by 40m, and has fewer letters or markers
in it. See below how it compares to the big arena.
From the corner to H
(and M) is 6m. ↕
This marker disappears!
X
From H to E (and M to
B) is 14m.
This marker disappears!
X
From E to K (and B to F)
is 14m.
From the corner to K
(and F) is 6m.
Note that C and A (and G,X, and D) are in the centre of the short side, ie,
10m from each long side.
E and B are in the centre of the long side, or 20m from each short side.
Here is an example of a ‘memory phrase’ to help you remember the
letters in order (starting at A and going clock-wise around the arena):
All King Edward’s Horses Can Make Best Friends!
You can use this phrase, or try and make up your own. Write it below:
Perhaps you can even think up a phrase for all the letters of the large
arena! Write it below.
If you did, well done!
Dressage Arena Achievement Badge Workbook
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Assignment One:
Draw the small arena below, giving dimensions, distances between
letters, and the letters in the right positions. Don’t peek back to the
previous page!
Draw the large arena below, giving dimensions, distances between
letters, and the letters in the right positions. Don’t peek back to the
previous pages!
Dressage Arena Achievement Badge Workbook
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LESSON THREE: HISTORY OF THE LETTERS
By now you’re probably wondering why dressage riders have made the
arena markers so difficult to remember. Surely it would have been easier
to remember if the markers had just gone A, B, C … in order around the
arena. This is where we go into the history of why they are where they
are. The generally accepted history follows.
The letters come from the markers around the old Imperial German
Palace stables courtyard which doubled up as a schooling arena
as it was so huge. I assume this was the Prussian Court originally, as
prior to Bismark's Unification of Germany, (19thC), it did not exist as
one single nation, but as a group of more or less allied Germanspeaking kingdoms, principalities, palatinates etc. Whether you call
it German or Prussian, around the Palace stable courtyard were
markers where the grooms would wait with the mount for the
individual in the Imperial retinue, prior to the 'grand imperial hack'!
So, at K, would be found the king’s horse, at B the banner bearer’s
horse, etc. The full list is given below.
K
F
V
P
E
B
S
R
H
M
Kaiser/Konig
Furst
Vassal
Pferdknecht/Ostler
Edeling/Ehrengast
Bannertrager
Schatzkanzler
Ritter
Hofmarschall
Meier/Meister
emperor/king
prince
servant
groom
guest of honour
standard bearer
chancellor of the exchequer
knight
lord chancellor
steward
Apparently, however, the letters were not used in schooling arenas until
international competitions began with the Olympics in the 1900’s. The
first competition in 1912 did not have letters. No Olympics were held in
1916 because of World War I. The letters just “appeared” in the 1920
Olympics
Dressage Arena Achievement Badge Workbook
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LESSON 4: Just for Fun!
How To Erect A Dressage Arena
Requirements:
Method:
Minimum of two people, and at least a thirty metre tape.
Preferably three people and two tapes
Place a peg on the ground at one corner of the arena (1)
and measure off a long side, be it 40 or 60m, placing pegs at
the appropriate marker measurements on the way with the
help of someone sighting to keep your line straight.
← 40 or 60 metres →
(1)
(2)
↑
20 metres
⁄ 25 metres
↓
(3)
On this long side, place a temporary peg at 15m (2) from start
corner (1).
Once long side is completed, measure across 20 m at
estimated right angles from start corner (1), placing temporary
peg at (3).
Measure from the 15m peg (2) to the 20m peg (3) and adjust
until it measures 25m
NB: If you have three people and two tapes it will be easier as you can place the
corner peg on the intersect at 20m from peg 1 and 25m from peg 2.
Repeat this procedure at opposite end and then measure off remaining markers
remembering to remove temporary peg (2) when finished.
Dressage Arena Achievement Badge Workbook
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Assignment Two
Answer the questions below:
1.
Who should be doing dressage training with their horses?
2.
What is a dressage test?
3.
What is a dressage arena?
4.
Where do the dressage arena letters come from?
Answers:
1.
Everybody!
2.
A set series of movements.
3.
The marked area in which dressage tests are ridden
4.
From the old German (or Prussian) Imperial Court or Palace
stable courtyard. It is where the horses belonging to certain
persons or office bearers were kept waiting prior to being ridden.
Dressage Arena Achievement Badge Workbook
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