Ballet school for horses

With amazing grace, two horses take the art of dressage to the next level! Almonzor and Occle, the Spanish Andalusian horse breeds, are able to, as they say, pull the sock. There has been no classical dressage school in Great Britain for 300 years. The High School of Riding is a kind of ballet school for horses. The horse does an incredible amount of different choreographic tricks, movements and canters, which are called "flying over the ground."

(Total 14 photos)

1. In these amazing photos, these horses are performing a real ballet.

2. Amazing grace.

3.

4. The white post in the center of the arena is used to teach the horse to walk in a "shrinking" circle.

5. These photos were taken in Derbyshire - now the only place where the "high school of riding food" is practiced.

6. 19-year-old Ben Atkinson teaches 6-year-old mare Oakl to perform movements such as "cabriole", when the horse lifts all four hooves off the ground at the same time.

7. It is said that this discipline appeared on the battlefield in the 17th century, when cavalrymen had to carefully lead the horse among the infantry, but now historians are more inclined to think that, most likely, it came from exercises during which horses were prepared for war.

8. Three hundred years ago, the British were leaders in this sport. "High School" appeared in the country thanks to William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle and master of horsemanship at the court of Charles II.

9. However, once this art reached its climax, it began to die out in the UK, and now the Spanish and French are the leaders in this field.

10. Cavendish is still considered the father of this school.

11. Dressage was a real hit at the London 2012 Olympics, where the UK team won 5 medals.

12. Charlotte Dewarden charmed her compatriots with her performance on the Valegro horse, winning the gold medal.

13. This illustration shows dressage in the 17th century - the horse performs a perfect jump.

14. This is what a dressage hall in Derbyshire looked like 300 years ago.