the art or method of training a horse in obedience and in precision of movement.
Origin
1935-40; < French, equivalent to dress(er) to dress + -age-age
Examples from the web for dressage
Riders take lessons in dressage and jumping, and can also ride through the countryside.
dressage consists of the lower levels first, second, third and fourth.
He was a master at dressage and made charity appearances at horse shows.
White is common in dressage, and is also seen in show jumping.
British Dictionary definitions for dressage
dressage
/ˈdrɛsɑːʒ/
noun
1.
the method of training a horse to perform manoeuvres in response to the rider's body signals
2.
the manoeuvres performed by a horse trained in this method
Word Origin
French: preparation, from Old French dresser to prepare; see dress
Word Origin and History for dressage
n.
1936, from French dressage, from dresser "to train, drill" (see dress (v.)). Middle English had dress (v.) in the sense of "to train or break in" a horse or other animal (c.1400), but it died out.