Tomáš Sipos: Dressage is about the relationship between rider and horse

Graceful movement, elegance, style and perfect interaction between rider and horse. That's what dressage riding is all about. The French word dresser means training a riding horse. The foundations of modern dressage were laid during the Renaissance in Italy, but its history dates back to ancient Greece. Its goal is to achieve absolute harmony between the rider and the horse, while performing dressage tasks, the horse should give the impression that it does all the tasks voluntarily and "on its own". We spoke with one of the few dressage riders in Slovakia who has achieved international success. Meet Tomáš Sipos.

I got into horses and riding through my classmate in elementary school. She rode, I overheard her talking about horses with another friend and it got me interested. I signed up for a club, started learning the basics of riding and got hooked. It took about half a year before I started to distinguish the disciplines that are in riding. But basically, as soon as I saw dressage, I knew that was what I wanted to do. I was 12 years old.

When Tomáš started riding, there were so-called club horses, monthly membership fees were paid and there were some horses on which you could learn the basics. Now equestrian sport is much more expensive. If someone wants to learn to ride, they pay for individual lessons at a riding school. "I had my first horse in 2009, but I started racing in 2000. During my competitive career, I have ridden eight horses, and my current horse, Canturin, is 4.5 years old," says Tomáš.

Dressage first of all requires a lot of patience and perseverance, it is a living animal, and then, of course, last but not least, finances. The horses are always there, there are no weekends or holidays. Simply put, you have to dedicate yourself to it 7 days a week.

His horse Canturino is stabled in Máriakálnok, Hungary, where he trains almost every day. "There is a problem with trainers in Slovakia, which is why I am actually in Hungary. My trainer is there, he was in Germany for 15 years and he is the best in the area. There is no pure dressage station in Slovakia, which is why there are few dressage riders. This is also due to the fact that juniors who grow up in our country learn in jumping stables, of which there are many, and dressage is boring for them. For a child, jumping an obstacle is a greater adrenaline rush than playing with patience, repeating something over and over again. It is more challenging for the child, and because those areas are oriented towards jumping, they do not have the opportunity to get into it there."

Every horse must have the basics of dressage

Dressage is the foundation of every equestrian discipline, and the fact that Tomáš is a master at what he does is also proven by the fact that he trains jumping horses every day at the Bernolákovo riding area and gives them the foundation of dressage. "I teach them how the horse should carry the rider on its back properly so that it is as healthy as possible for it (the horse). So that it uses its back muscles properly to save its legs. In higher dressage, there are already exercises such as oversteps - the horse goes sideways, pirouettes at a gallop - the horse gallops and gallops in place, turns around its hind legs, etc. The horse's relaxation is important. It's not like in the circus - how to teach a dog to sit, lie down... It's more like gymnastics, so I'm more of a gymnastics coach, a fitness coach, a dance coach, I simply try to keep the body relaxed. Those exercises are based on the horse's relaxation. That's also the basis of dressage as such." Dressage tests and competitions are held on a dressage rectangle, which is divided by letters indicating the exact location where the specific exercise is to be performed. All riders perform the same prescribed tasks, for example, the horse must be able to lengthen and shorten the movement, have correct posture, arched back, back muscles, weight must be more on the hind legs... As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, the whole "performance of dressage tasks" should seem as natural as possible. So how does the rider "communicate" with the horse so that it is invisible? "First of all, the sitting aid is used, i.e. my weight, legs, shins and, of course, contact with the hand. We have learned some contact signals to which the horse reacts. But the thing is that the horse is a living creature, I cannot sit on it and start performing all the learned tasks. We need about 15-20 minutes to get moving. It is similar to a gymnast who, when he gets up in the morning, cannot immediately do 4 somersaults," explains Tomáš Sipos, who was significantly advanced by his time in Germany. He was there with his previous horse for three years and achieved even greater success. "Germany and the Netherlands are equestrian powerhouses, to make it there and achieve some placement is an achievement. I am quite satisfied with those," says Tomáš and continues to list his achievements: "As a junior, I was in first place in the overall junior ranking in Slovakia two or three times. But what I value most is the title of Slovak Senior Champion from 5 years ago. I believe that I will achieve similar successes with Canturin."

You need to build a relationship with your horse.

However, dressage is not only about competitions and training, but also about care and preparation for training. "Before I even sit on the horse, I have to clean it, check its legs to see if it has been injured in the box, it could get worse during training..., saddle it, rein it in, all of that takes, if you do it properly, about an hour. Then after riding the horse, you have to clean it, shower it in the summer, treat everything leather (e.g. the saddle), and take care of it regularly. You have to spend time with the horse outside of riding, go for a walk with it, pet it, build a relationship with it. Only then can you be successful," explains Tomáš Sipos.

Equestrian dress code

Elegance and style are as much a part of riding as grace. The prescribed dress code has become more practical over the years, but it still adds a touch of nobility to the entire competitive performance. The basis of a rider's clothing are white or light cream riding breeches and a dark tailcoat (black, dark blue or dark brown). In addition, a white shirt or polo shirt (the white collar is especially important), a tie or plastron (worn mainly by women) and high riding boots - black or dark, in the color of the tailcoat. For safety reasons, a helmet is worn on the head, which is much more comfortable than those of the past. At the highest level competitions, riders still wear a top hat instead of a helmet.