Re: dressage and endurance

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

One of the greatest demos I've ever seen was during the dressage part of
the Olympics in Georgia.  A top dressage rider and a top reiner rode at the
same time demonstrating the similarities between the two disciplines.  It
was a treat to watch!  In the dressage circles, reining is known as "cowboy
dressage". <g>

My husband, Steve, has a gorgeous buckskin dun QH mare who is green (and so
is he) that he would like to do trails on...but, most importantly, would
like to learn reining with her.  (He has ridden a little on the trails with
us and has done just fine.)  I've threatened him with a Christmas present
of lessons or professional reining training for her.  When he found that
out, his interest in riding greatly increased and he is earnestly working
with her on her groundwork basics.  In the meantime, he has actually *paid*
for 2 lessons from me on one of our other horses to get him started with
the dressage part.  (And, as our caretaker, George, told him..."when she
tells you something, you can't argue with her! <eg>")  He occasionally
audits student lessons when I'm teaching so he's got a pretty good idea of
a lot of the basics.  

I'll definitely be going with him on occasion when he takes his reining
lessons...not to watch him so much as to learn more about that discipline
myself.

Sue

>Cindy and Sue,  Wow, that's what I've been trying to tell people;  that
>dressage is SUCH a complement to endurance riding;  When you ever get
>bored with the slow, precise dressage stuff, find a good reining
>instructor and try that stuff.  Wowee, done right, it is dressage done
>FASTER, on a loose rein.  I am blessed to have an instructor up here
>where the dressage riders go to make better dressage horses;  She
>understands the concepts so well, and does reining in competition, that
>the dressage riders go to her to fix problems that occur from being "on
>the bit" too much.  Good training is good training, no matter what type
>saddle you sit on.  YOU GALS GO!!  Renie
>