Home / Equestrian sports / Para dressage
Other FEI disciplines
Para dressage is dressage for athletes with disabilities. It is a Paralympic sport, not an Olympic one.
| Group | Other FEI disciplines |
|---|---|
| Also called | para-equestrian dressage, para equestrian |
| Olympic | Paralympic Games |
| Governing body | FEI |
| Where it is popular | Para dressage is developed across Europe and in the United States, Canada and Australia. |
Athletes are placed in five grades (I to V) according to how their impairment affects riding: Grade I rides mostly at walk, while Grade V includes canter, flying changes and lateral work. Lower grades ride in a 20 x 40 m arena, higher grades in 20 x 60 m. Judges mark each movement from 0 to 10, the total becomes a percentage and the highest wins. The Paralympic Games have an individual test, a team test and a freestyle to music, with three riders per team.
Horses are chosen first of all for a calm, obedient and reliable temperament rather than flashy movement, so breeds vary widely. Competition horses must be at least six years old.
Standard dressage tack and a mandatory helmet. Approved compensating aids are allowed, such as special reins, foot reins, handholds and straps on the saddle and magnetic stirrups, as long as they give no advantage over rivals.
The main events are the Paralympic Games (every four years), the FEI Para Dressage World Championships, the European Championships and CHIO Aachen.
Many people start through therapeutic and adaptive riding programmes, which have specially trained coaches and calm horses. To compete, an athlete goes through classification, which sets their grade.
Para dressage has been on the programme of every Paralympic Games since Atlanta 1996, and para-equestrian sport joined the FEI in 2006.
Sources: paralympic.org, en.wikipedia.org, madbarn.com, britishequestrian.org.uk