| At the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games, you are | | | | horses dance this ancient training method with the help |
| bound to see many beautifully matched and dressed | | | | reins only. |
| harness teams, four by four, prancing about during | | | | The cross country leg of the driving contest will find |
| testing and practice sessions before the three | | | | the four in hand teams journeying masterfully along |
| competitions involving them come under way. These | | | | just under 18 kilometers of natural trail obstacles and |
| are the driving teams, and their jobs are quite difficult, if | | | | timed maneuvers. Time faults will occur for every |
| they do say so themselves. The very first challenge | | | | predetermined increment over the allotted time frame |
| with developing and perfecting this type of unit is | | | | for the course. During this phase, the teams will be |
| finding the four horses that have the qualities that they | | | | judged on their endurance, confidence, strength, and |
| need in order to work together and do it well. The | | | | ability to perform under tiring and potentially stressful |
| mental strengths of a front anchor horse, for instance, | | | | conditions. The driver will be judged on his ability to |
| may need to be a bit higher than those of the horse | | | | encourage, guide, and control his horses with the use |
| behind it. | | | | and mastering of horsemanship skills. |
| One could never simply hitch four random horses | | | | Finally, agility, coordination, balance, and skill will be |
| together and make them go well at the drop of a hat. | | | | tested on a stadium obstacle course comprised of |
| And these teams are meant to go well under some | | | | cones. These cones are placed in a stationary maze, |
| extremely tiring and rough work. The first phase of | | | | and on top of each one is perched a ball. Drivers will |
| their competition will be driven dressage, wherein each | | | | guide their horses through this timed obstacle course, |
| of the horses individually and as a team will be graded | | | | and for each ball knocked off or cone disturbed, faults |
| for their suppleness, lightness, comprehension, | | | | will be added to the overall, three phase score. The |
| movement, skill, and for the way that they bend and | | | | lowest score will determine the winner of the driving |
| arch on the move. If you thought watching the individual | | | | competition, but each team is commended on making it |
| horse and rider teams practice and perform the | | | | to these, the most exciting and prestigious equestrian |
| beautiful art of dressage, just wait until you see four | | | | games in the world. |