When one reads advertises on the internet of a horse for sale that is a “dressage, western pleasure or hunter” prospect, one has to wonder how is that possible?  At the low level of dressage, training or first level, a horse may move much in the same frame as an A show hunter, but if the horse is a prospect for upper level, he must be conformationally built to handle the demands of greater collection.

If you are looking for a young dressage prospect that you can take up through the levels, picture the canter pirouette. The horse’s movement is often described as that of  “a coiled lion,” as he is able to “sit” more in his rear, his front end lighter and lighter. This is what you want to achieve in the upper levels. Think of the old paintings of George Washington and others on their war horses that are coiled and ready for battle.

In competition dressage at the upper levels, horses that are not built appropriately will be unable to perform the movements or will have great difficulty, if not break down. In a dressage prospect, look for:

• Uphill build—the withers are higher than the croup
• Higher neck set, allowing the horse to carry himself uphill. Where the neck meets the whither, is the muscle strong or concave? Will it require building that muscle to achieve the advanced upper level frames in dressage?
• Neck length that is capable of allowing flexion. A short thick neck is detrimental, but an extra long one can create difficulty in compacting the horse.
• Neck shape—the horse is not ewe-necked, either by natural build or due to incorrect early schooling. The presence of a well-defined, strong crest and a not overdeveloped under neck muscle is preferred.
• Back is straight, not hollow, as back is to be strong to allow the horse to work from back to front.
• Suspension—natural suspension at the trot and canter. Though it can be improved upon, the natural ability is preferred.
• A good walk—the hardest gait to improve upon. You can work on the trot and canter, but you’re ahead of the game if the horse has a naturally good, free, swinging walk.
• Other movement aspects to consider: straightness in and purity of gaits. Free shoulder, tracking well up behind or overtracking. The ability to extend and collect within each of the gaits.
• Bloodlines of upper level dressage champions. These horses have been bred for upper level dressage.

If you’re looking for a horse that can get you to the upper levels fast and allow you to learn more from him, buy or lease a schoolmaster. Schoolmasters have already competed at the upper levels and are often being moved down a level because they may be getting on in years and are not be physically able to handle the extremes of upper level movement anymore or because they could not progress beyond a particular level and the rider has a new horse to move further along. For example, a horse that is third level proven and fourth level trained may not have been performed those fourth level movements in shows to be competitive, though he has trained in the movements and was successful at third level.

If still unsure about a dressage prospect, attend dressage shows and watch the upper level horses to understand what you need to consider with regard to conformation and movement.