If we are looking for a great dressage horse, we have to ask ourselves what will set it apart from a normal horse? Two things—the way it moves and its ability to collect. So what do we look for in terms of movement?

A lot of people look for the horse with the big gaits, especially the horse that can extend the trot and impress their relatives. I believe the most important gaits are the walk and the canter. They are the hardest to change whereas the trot is the easiest to improve. The gaits don't have to be big, but they need to be upward and “light footed”. The hocks have to bend, the horse must be able to lift its front knees and overall must give an athletic impression. For upper level piaffe and passage the horse must have some knee action and show more bend in the hocks. In general a longer front leg is more likely to move off the ground in a more upward manner with some knee action. A long front leg will also make the horse look more as if it is moving uphill. The horse must be able to lift the knee upwards and forward—forward only is not sufficient. A horse with a short front leg will almost always appear to have not enough front—a neck you can develop but you can't make the front leg longer.
For the lateral movements we need athletic ability and the horse must be able to flex. A short horse which stands more in a “square” will, in general, have more difficulty flexing sideways than a horse that stands in a “rectangle”. The first has a shorter back which does not bend as easily. Too long a back is certainly not desirable either. Such a back is likely to be weak causing problems with collection.

As to the hocks, if there is too much angle, the horse will look as if it is bending its hock well but the hock will be weak and not powerful enough. A lot of good show jumpers have a tendency to a straighter hind leg which is stronger.

Speaking of power, a horse that elevates the front end does not have to be collected. Many horses have a spectacular front leg and move uphill but are never collected—they are simply very strong in the shoulders. When a horse jumps, he lifts his front end up at least 10 inches before the hind legs even touch the ground after the jump. This has to be the case because the hind leg lands over the imprint of the front leg. That’s why you never see a good show jumper with weak shoulders. And you should ensure that your dressage prospect doesn’t have weak shoulders either.

A horse who is built uphill with a long front leg will be able to rock his weight back more but this will only work if the horse has a strong back. The young horse with an impressive front and front leg won’t be able to collect if he can’t match his back to his front and he can only do that by way of the bridge which is his back. The back has to be strong, well developed but also flexible. Strong but stiff backs make for a lot of weight in your hand.

Overall, I believe that a lot of the qualities we are looking for in a dressage horse are the same as we would look for in a show jumper. What are the similarities?

A show jumper has to have a good canter which is easy to shorten and lengthen. He has to have a good front leg, which means he must be able to bend in the knee (knee action), he has to be electric—quick in his reactions, his canter has to move off the ground, he has to have strong shoulder, back and hind quarters. All these qualities we would like to see in a dressage horse as well. It is no wonder that a lot of top dressage horses have a lot of jumping blood in them. Caution: not every show jumper will do. Show jumpers do not necessarily have to be built uphill. Some very good ones were overbuilt and short in the front legs with a very poor trot.

When I search for dressage horses for clients these are the most important physical characteristics I look for. But without the right character or mentality even the most talented horse will not reach the top.