Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Dressage has a lot ot offer, but remember it is ridden on the Flat and in
a groomed arena.

Ridecampers (bear with me on this story):
OK.  I have one final story on taking dressage lessons.  First, know that
I HATE arena work and avoided it with contempt for 45 years of my life. 
True DQ's (dressage queens for those of you who don't know the term) make
me sick.  That being said, I kept reading about people like Becky Hart and
Valarie Kanavy (and many more top riders) who swore that dressage and
centered riding techniques made the difference in their horses and their
personal riding.  About this time I met a local dressage instructor who
actually rode her dressage and event horses cross country, as far and as
fast as I rode my endurance horses for their conditioning.  I had a new
endurance horse that I really wanted to start correctly and keep sound and
decided it was time to experiment and see if taking dressage lessons would
really improve/benefit me and the horse in my sport of endurance.  Since I
already had over 6,000 miles in the sport at that point, most folks
thought I was crazy (especially my husband who says dressage is like
watching water boil!) for wasting my money on "riding lessons."  So, about
three years ago I began my life as a closet, want-to-be DQ.

During this same time frame I was having serious physical problems and
underwent a series of surgeries that would have made any sensible person
give up endurance riding for a while.  I truly believe that my lessons are
the only reason I was able to keep riding endurance during that time.  The
improvements in my personal balance and core muscles and my understanding
of the horse's balance and the ability to "place" my horse where I wanted,
when I wanted, at the pace I wanted made all the difference in the world
to me.  At the last ride I attended this month, a well-known rider
actually said to management...I have no control over this horse's speed,
all I do is try to navigate.  Well, I've been there and I'm too old for
that **** any more.  The top riders that I admire never look like they are
out of control.  They look secure and balanced and focused.  That's my
ideal.

Yes, my dressage work is in an arena on a smooth surface.  But now, I can
practice my leg yields, lead changes, half-halts (invaluable at the start
of a ride), etc. in that controlled arena environment, then head out to
the trail later in the week and practice it out there on the fly.  The
horse needs to be able to do these things in a calm, secure environment
first before he can do it in the excitement of a ride start.  My husband
no longer laughs, either.  He rode my mare on a trail ride a few months
back and was blown away by her responsiveness.  He admitted that we'd
never owned a horse with such light and responsive control.  Now, I have a
very hot 5 year old gelding coming up and he is on the edge of being more
horse than I want to deal with at my age!  He and I are doing dressage and
jumping lessons (jumping on a green, hot horse is great two-point
practice) on a regular basis as his foundation for endurance.  He's going
to still be a handful for me, but he will head into his first 50 with a
very sound foundation and the ability to change leads on cue, leg yield on
the trail, and be balanced on both diagonals and leads.

So, I still HATE arena work, but believe that it is the very best thing
I've ever done for me and my horses.  It's been worth every dime.  Thanks
for listening.  Cindy



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At the end of the day maybe the definition of endurance isn't the length of
the ride but rather the spirit in which it is ridden. 
~  Maryanne Stroud Gabani

ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/

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