6 feet on the ground dressage

[Paks]

I’m curious if anyone has ever done this? A local show here has these classes and I’m tempted to enter my 2 year old in them. It seems like a good way to get youngsters out in a ring at an early age. More than just a triangle or hunter trot. This is the website for it. https://www.northamericanwesterndressage.com/ride/six-feet-on-the-ground/

If you were a dressage show organizer would you consider having such classes. Also how would you modify the tests to be more applicable to traditional vs western dressage.

[Aussie_2020]

I’ve always thought a handler type class would be good at a dressage show. Especially one that didn’t focus on ‘showmanship’. In the link they specifically say it’s not a typical western class. Could be fun!

[Pehsness]

Oh I just looked at a pattern - that does look like a showmanship class pattern but with more complexity.

[jvanrens]

Sounds like a great idea, but they obviously are belittling Showmanship at Halter if this is what they think it is all about. Showmanship is a lot about training! I forget the number of hours I spent working on getting the training put together, including working in sync with my horses. The holding the lead and the outfit were just the finishing touches. Sheesh, look at the matchy matchy discussion here where people are showing off their outfits…don’t be throwing shade on the western folks for doing their version of the same thing.

[Ajierene]

I think the first question to ask is why are you (facility owner) holding this class? Do people want it? Are there individuals with horses that cannot be ridden or individuals that cannot ride for some reason that you wan this? Will it be part of a division?

Growing up Western and Hunter/Equitation - in Western and Equitation we had showmanship classes and I understand Western has showmanship classes (and there are some hilarious videos of lead line-less classes that go awry) but they are (were when I was growing up and my understanding of Western) part of a division - so one class in 3 or 4 and then a Champion is crowned via points accumilated from the 4 classes.

I am struggling with trying to find a reason for this at a traditional dressage show. I think the concept is good but dressage shows do not generally have divisions.

The only person I can think of that really would be interested is with a horse not started yet or just started that they want to have show experience.

[Pehsness]

Agreed - showmanship can be won with plain halters and clothes if the turnout is excellent and the handling is excellent. At least it could be, back in the day.

[jvanrens]

@Ajierene

I am struggling with trying to find a reason for this at a traditional dressage show. I think the concept is good but dressage shows do not generally have divisions.

I imagine it’s to get solid ground work instilled before showing under saddle and to get your horse used to a show environment? But that can be done at any western show that offers showmanship classes, and most of the local club shows have showmanship classes (around here anyway) that are along the line of AQHA shows. You aren’t going to get through those well by only knowing how to hold your leadshank and wearing a bling outfit.

[jvanrens]

Agreed! I remember winning a few classes without a fancy outfit, but a heck of a lot of time spent working with my horse. I’d never say it was excellent, but it was solid workmanship and we laid down the pattern right.

[Ajierene]

Yeah, I think that’s where I’m stuck - ok, so yeah you can just bring a young horse to a show and work with it but it isn’t the same as the riding ring so maybe you do that instead. OK, you can go to any schooling show and the classes will be cheaper but maybe everyone is going to the dressage show so this is easier but the classes at a dressage show (at least around here) tend to be more expensive than the hunter and western shows…,but ok, everyone else is going to the dressage show.

As for the recognized shows - that’s a lot of extra money for a halter class. I know horses go to halter classes in the western world but then they sell for more money than those that don’t (and are otherwise equivalent) and/or you have prize money. In the dressage world, they generally want to see a horse going under tack - the culture is just different.

I just cannot think of a lot of people with the money and the young horse that it would really be a sustainable class.

I did take my horse to a FEH horse class, in part for the experience - she was 2, I think, BUT, there was also the chance to qualify for championships (we did not, part because she is not tall). It was fun, but we only went to one (no one else was going to that show, I trailered over an hour by myself).

[Pehsness]

So personally I would be all over something like this, in the hypothetical world that I had a young horse not yet under saddle. That is probably left over from my stock horse showing days, but I can really see something like this being fun and beneficial.

My previous horse was an aqha longe line horse. While I think that is detrimental to the long term health of the horse, showing in hand and showing handleability (if that’s a word) and relaxation while executing a pattern I can only see good from. Why not have fun and do that in a show environment?

[jvanrens]

@Ajierene

I know horses go to halter classes in the western world but then they sell for more money than those that don’t (and are otherwise equivalent) and/or you have prize money. In the dressage world, they generally want to see a horse going under tack - the culture is just different.

Halter classes are a different sort of beast than showmanship. Halter is supposed to be based on the conformation of the horse being shown (that is a whole other topic) and Showmanship is based on the handler’s ability to show their horse. Patterns used to be pretty simply, but have stepped up in complexity on the maneuvers required (multiple turns on the forehand and/or back, extension of gait and backing in more than one direction etc). It has turned into a really tough class and watching the live feed of the big shows almost makes me thankful I don’t have the money or horse to show anymore. I remember when the patterns started getting tougher and was thankful my old campaigner was game to learn new tricks.

[Ajierene]

Sorry, yes, I meant showmanship as far as patterns go, I was just recalling my HS days - showmanship in the morning English division, Halter in the afternoon Western division.

But yeah, my head was in the pattern classes because there is this hilarious video of a little girl, maybe 8 years old, goes in, unclips the lead, takes two steps in the pattern and horse takes a gallop lap around. Girl just goes on about the pattern like her horse was right with her. I need to find it, it’s adorable and hilarious.

[Pehsness]

They do turns on the forehand now?? Yowza.

That used to be our winters in the tiny indoor, working showmanship patterns. In hindsight, it really was a skill, teaching them to square up with tiny shifts in the leadline. The pivots and the jogging off in step with you. Precision was key, which suits dressage.

[jvanrens]

I remember doing some practicing in the barn aisle. We weren’t blessed with an arena and winter in Eastern Ontario can be brutal, if we were lucky the snow wasn’t over the ring fence. Fortunately the barn I was at had a long enough aisle I could do some practice to keep Boo a bit on his game so the first show wasn’t such a shock. LOL

[cayuse]

It still can. I’ve shown with out a stitch of sparkles and done quite well.

[Pehsness]

Ugh, I love this. The older I get the more i appreciate this.

I used to wear all black, my vest had a touch of gold. Halter had a tiny bit of fake silver but in hindsight a really nice, well fitted leather halter would have been classier.

Oh the 90s!

[jvanrens]

@Ajierene

Sorry, yes, I meant showmanship as far as patterns go, I was just recalling my HS days - showmanship in the morning English division, Halter in the afternoon Western division.

Understood! Sounds like we showed at the same shows, though halter and showmanship were in the morning before anything else, but we had pleasure driving in there too. Loading the trailer for a one day show was a workout if you did it all, which I was crazy enough to do with a very tolerant horse.

[jvanrens]

I had a blazer that I initially bought for work. Black and red with off white sleeves (yeah crazy I know). Showed in it with black jeans. I wish it still fit.

[Pehsness]

Lol! That was the only way to do it! English saddle, western saddle, two bridles, two sets of pads, enough show sheen to sink a ship, horses clipped to an inch of their lives (glad that’s no longer a thing), showmanship halter, WP outfit, English outfit, showmanship outfit… it was a whole production.

I’m so sorry to the OP for the thread drift… but those early show days are why I’d love a class like that. This whole riding times and only needing to be at a show for a few hours still feels foreign to me.

[Ajierene]

One of my favorites was my friend’s horse that apparently got tired of being clean - showmanship first thing in the morning, followed by the English classes (I think she did two divisions on him that day - one hunter and one Equitation, 3 classes each). Right after lunch is Western halter class. Walking out of class her horse had had enough of clean and dropped down and rolled feet from the judge. I guess, luckily after the class was pinned but still…she had under saddle classes to clean him up for now!