Dressage rules rules, for watching
Start with the rules you see all the time, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 13 rules
- What is dressage, and what are the horse and rider doing?
- How big is a dressage arena, and what are the letters for?
- What happens between the bell and the start of a dressage test?
- How are dressage movements marked?
- How is a dressage percentage worked out?
- What happens if a dressage rider goes wrong or forgets the test?
- What small penalties are there in dressage apart from riding mistakes?
- What gets a horse and rider eliminated from a dressage test?
- How is the dressage freestyle to music judged?
- How do the team and individual competitions work at a dressage championship?
- Who judges dressage, and can a judge's marks be corrected?
- What do dressage riders have to wear, and what equipment is allowed on the horse?
- How old must a dressage horse and rider be, and who is allowed to ride the horse at a show?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| FEI Dressage plus article number | Fédération Équestre Internationale, Dressage Rules 2026 (clean version 6). Read for this set: articles 400, 401 (opening), 402, 404, 407 (opening), 411, 419 to 426, 429 (opening), 431, 433 to 439, 441 (paragraphs 1 to 4) and 442 |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
All checked on 14 October 2026.
Not covered: the test sheets themselves (the movements of each test, the freestyle time limits and required movements), which the FEI publishes separately; the definitions of the movements and paces, which are in the FEI's dressage handbook and not in these rules; the Olympic format, which is in the Regulations for the Equestrian Events at the Olympic Games; entries, draws, warm-up arenas and prize-giving (articles 412 to 418, 427 and 428); the FEI Tack and Equipment Requirements document; the General Regulations and Veterinary Regulations (inspections, medication, abuse, protests); para dressage.
Not covered: the test sheets themselves (the movements of each test, the freestyle time limits and required movements), which the FEI publishes separately; the definitions of the movements and paces, which are in the FEI's dressage handbook and not in these rules; the Olympic format, which is in the Regulations for the Equestrian Events at the Olympic Games; entries, draws, warm-up arenas and prize-giving (articles 412 to 418, 427 and 428); the FEI Tack and Equipment Requirements document; the General Regulations and Veterinary Regulations (inspections, medication, abuse, protests); para dressage.