Training Spanish Horse

Training the spanish horse in dressage or high school work is rewarding. Teaching spanish walk and the airs above the ground takes time and care, but is worth the effort. What does your horse need to succeed?

Training a Spanish Horse in Dressage and High School - Alta Escuela work

The andalusian in training shows a willingness and a desire to please that spanish horse owners know well.

The Iberian horses - PREs and Lusitanos - are especially suited to the work that demands collection.

• Piaffe and Passage are considered of the school of classical dressage.
• The spanish walk, as well as being a part of the horse culture in spain, is seen to open up the shoulder movement.
• Levade, courbette, capriole and jambette are the ’airs above the ground’ of Alta Escuela - High School.

The high school movements develop from the classical. A rider can choose to concentrate in one or the other, or to enjoy both.

Airs Above the Ground

A spanish horse being trained in the airs above the ground is likely to give the best results - and remain a healthy horse for the long-term - when he

• has learned the basics correctly, including how to carry himself, and how to correctly collect and engage the hocks. The natural high movement of the spanish horse can sometime make it look as though a horse is engaged, when in fact he is simply moving high.


• has the conformation that empowers him to perform the movements desired. Just as with people, not everyone is morphologically a gymnast. With the horses, some are more suited than others to the airs above the ground. Even at the Royal School, not every horse performs every movement - they are allowed to shine at what they are best at.


• has the correct muscle development, built up through correct training. These are demanding and taxing exercises.

At the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, a Rider will spend two years training his horse in levade, and another two years perfecting this under saddle.

A video showing the result of patience in training a spanish horse in spanish walk