Re: dressage riders

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>Dressage is beneficial to any horse. Some horses need more of this type
>training than others. Consider it "coordination training," which is the
>biggest benefit to endurance riders. Just as Michael Jordon doesn't need
>extensive ballet lessons, some horses don't need extensive dressage and
>some do.
>
This is true, Truman.  I also look at it in the sense that the riders are
the ones that really need the dressage training...they need to know how to
do the moves and with the correct cues.  It does no good to train a horse
and then have a rider who is clueless and just happy to ride with a poor
seat, ineffective legs, and still participating in the Kick and Jerk School
of Horsemanship philosophies.  Whatever the horse learns will be lost if
the rider does not know the movements as well.  I'm amazed at the number of
riders that have been riding for years and think they're good riders...and
they stand on their toes because their legs are too long and they can't get
their heels down, they stop the horse by standing up in the stirrups and
raising the reins up high, the see-saw the reins to get the horse's
attention, they don't turn their bodies at all around bends, they bounce
heavy on the horse's back, and so on.  The horses seem to be doing okay
because they're following a road or a trail and everything looks cool...but
they are not using their bodies as well as they could be.  We need educated
riders that can help their horses develop their bodies to their full
potential.

And yes, the trail is an excellent place to practice what you've learned.
There are long stretches where they can settle in to a nice trot, develop a
good rhythm, and work on some lateral work at the same time.  I will teach
a horse a movement in the arena but find the trail an excellent place to
really cement the new skill.  I also find that they do much better in the
arena after they've had a regular bunch of hills to negotiate...really gets
them using that rear end very well! ;-)  Their dressage skills improve
because of their time spent on the trail.

Sue 

sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.