I wanted to thank everyone for their emails in response to my inquiry about dressage and endurance. I also posted at my dressage bb and thought I would paste one of the reponses from there that I found "inspiring." Here it is. I hope this works!
I'm competing in endurance with an 8 year old Arab/Trakehner gelding. We started 50s last year (late bloomer, and I wanted to be sure his brain was engaged and that he was *really* done growing). This year we've done 200 miles (4 50s) so far. One more next weekend! (He did quite a bit of CTR as a 5, 6, 7 year old.)
We also school dressage and I did show last year. I'd say he's schooling first and second level stuff at home at this point. The canter has come a long way this year, so I'm really tickled about it.
The dressage has made him significantly more "driveable" and steerable on rides. I can shorten his stride, change leads (flying changes this year), get "sit" on hills and such without any fuss or muss. That's a nice side benefit. Most folks know right off the bat that he's a dressage horse, too.
I find each sport benefits the other, tho I've also found that having my horse "endurance fit" didn't necessarily mean he was "dressage fit."
Currently, I do endurance in my dres
sage saddle and a Little S hackamore. I like to stay out of his mouth for endurance rides, and it makes it a lot easier for him to drink to have no bit in his mouth. I school dressage in the same saddle and a KK french mouth snaffle. This seems to work for us.
I have gotten some of my best dressage work in endurance and conditioning rides. Usually about the point where he's no longer quite so 'fresh' but still very hot off the aids. Wonderful medium gaits, and fooling around with flying changes, including one magical day where we did three and four tempis. They were a little more "exuberant" than necessary, but they were clean and prompt and made me giggle with delight!
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