The ancient art of equitation, for millennia an essential discipline of nobles, is still practiced as the most highly perfected form of communication and cooperation between horse and rider. Images of the famous Lipizzaner stallions may seem remote, and unrelated to modern horseback riding, yet the sport of Dressage (French for "Training") continues to educate riders in the skills of classical equitation.

From the Spanish riding School, Vienna:

"The Renaissance of Classical Equitation"

Even today the daily routine at the Spanish Riding School is still shaped by the philosophy of classical equitation, a philosophy based on the writings of the Greek commander Xenophon, which were rediscovered in the 16th century:

• The Hipparchus, a tract on the duties of a cavalry commander
• On Equitation

In terms of equine mentality, acceptance of the equine psyche and mental attitude, these works are still considered standards today.

Two centuries later, other figures also brought their knowledge and experience to bear on the overall development of the Spanish Riding School, among them were:

The Italian Frederigo Grisone, who founded the first riding academy in Naples in 1532 and published his first instructional work Ordini di cavalcare in 1550.

Works published by two Frenchmen, Antoine de Pluvinel around 1623, and Francois de la Gúerinière around 1730. 

Field Marshall Franz Holbein
published, together with the Senior Rider Johann Meixner, the work Directiven für die Durchführung des methodischen Vorganges bei der Ausbildung von Reiter und Pferd in der k.u.k. Hofreitschule (Guidelines for Executing a Methodical Approach in Training Rider and Horse at the Imperial Riding School) in 1898.

Alois Podhajsky
managed the Riding School during the war up until 1964. He put all of his knowledge to paper in his work Die Klassische Reitkunst (Classical Equitation), which still serves as a standard textbook for dressage riding today. (Here is his Full Description of The Seat, from The Complete Training Of Horse And Rider.)

The Training Programme (of the Spanish Riding School)

The Training of the Élèves

The candidates must:

• Be of minimum age (approx. 15 years)
• Have completed compulsory schooling
• Be a citizen of an EU member state
• Be athletically and creatively talented

If these requirements are deemed met in the candidate's written application, the applicant is invited to an interview and a riding audition, following which the managing director of the Spanish Riding School and the Senior Riders discuss their initial impressions. If their verdict is positive, the candidate is allowed to begin the 10-year, and very demanding, training programme to become a Rider.

The Élèves' duties include:

• Working in the stables
• Training on school stallions
• Theoretical fundamentals of equestrian science, veterinary medicine, etc.
• Morning exercises and performances in the "Young Stallions" department
• Additional auxiliary duties
• If the Élève is able to present an already trained school stallion in all of the gaits and dressage movements of the haute école, he becomes a Student Rider

The Training of the Student Riders

A Student Rider is assigned a young stallion for training in all of the manoeuvres of the haute école and he must be able to participate in the Spanish Riding School's performances.
Horse and rider complete their training after five years at the earliest, qualifying the Student Rider as a fully-fledged Rider at the Spanish Riding School.

It takes about 10 years for an Élève to fully complete training and become a Rider.

In classical horseback riding, the ranks that may be achieved progress through that of Bereiteranwärter (student rider) to Bereiter (rider) to Oberbereiter (chief rider).