Hi everyone!
I’m new here and recently started riding several months ago after years of yearning and savoring the occasional trail ride haha. I’m 17 and a beginner, but I have (and always have had) a massive interest in riding and I would like to do more with it. I’ve always loved dressage, but recently I’ve been reading about/watching eventing and It looks like something I’d really like to do. My lessons are only once a week (boo) but I’ve been searching for other barns (so far I’ve found two within reach: one is classical dressage and one is eventing). My question isn’t exactly straight forward. I’m wondering about a lot, to be honest. I guess my main question is…when could I actually begin eventing? Should I stay at my current barn and look for another barn that trains eventing after I have a good seat for walk/trot/canter? Or should I contact the dressage barn and do strictly dressage and get all the flatwork down and wait until I’m at university before moving towards eventing? I’m also really wondering is if basic eq lessons once a week aren’t enough prep for moving up to other disciplines…I’d like to get some form of competition in by at least next year, and I’m wondering if that’s possible. If the usage of any terms seems confusing to you, please forgive me. As I said, I’m a newbie!
Thanks!
Main thing: enjoy your riding! As a beginner, ideally you should be in an environment where you can establish a solid seat and good hands. That is the foundation of all riding skill, whatever the discipline. However, one never stops learning and every time you get onto a horse it is a new experience and a new opportunity to learn. That is why the very top riders will still have regular coaching. Some fortunate people are natural riders and learn quickly, some take much longer and so it is not possible to put a time limit on progress.
However, it does take time to develop the basics of balance and feel. Ride as often as you are able. Gain experience of different aspects of equestrian sport. Learn about horses: how they think and behave as well as how to look after them because that helps when you ride them.
Dressage means ‘training’ and is simply a fancy name for the fundamentals of correct riding and training. Dressage competitions take the training to ever higher levels - step by step, based on the correct fundamentals. Everyone, in effect, should be ‘doing dressage’ right from the beginning.
IMHO jumping should be part of every lesson, after working on the flat, because it helps horse and rider as it builds feel, balance and confidence in both. So perhaps look for a trainer who allows both.
Find the trainer who works best for you, who produces informed riders and well-rounded horsemen - and then you will be able to go in any direction. Nothing stops you from doing dressage, eventing, hunting, showing and trail rides … at the same time. The basic skills remain the same.
Competition is available right at the start, from walk/trot tests in dressage to jumping over tiny fences in the arena. It is also possible to learn through volunteering and observing what happens at an event or show. It is also fun to meet people with a common interest.
But do remember that riding is FUN and a very sociable activity. Don’t stress about specializing, running before you can walk.
Having been on both sides, started out basically just riding, then a very small smattering of dressage, and then on to eventing. Now i’m back to dressage.
As an eventer, we did dressage, got it done, and then off to CC, and SJ. Yes!
Now older and wiser I’ve made the observation that in general, the better your dressage, the better will your CC, and definitely your SJ be.
So yes, I would advise you to get your basic seat, really polish your dressage, but if you can mange, play with jumping a little. Fox hunting is a great opportunity if available.
It really, really depends more on details of the barns in question.
My local eventing barn (at least the one at which I hang around; I’m in a very good spot for it and there are many) does imho a very good job teaching absolute beginners. The fundamentals are universal. As a bonus, though, once people are solid walk/trot riders the eventing barn also gets them out on the trails/fields/hills, too, and it’s an excellent experience and good practice. (Aside from that, it’s a fun break from ring work.)
That said, a solid grounding in dressage will always serve you well, and the basics of equitation are universal.
Most important by far is to find an instructor who you click with and has horses you can ride. I’d visit all of them and see what you think. Anybody at all teaching English-style riding will get you started; find somebody you can work with and make progress with. Don’t underestimate practical details like cost and proximity, too–if the “perfect” barn is a ridiculous commute, it can get way too easy to find reasons to not go.
Warning for possible controversial opinion: If you go far enough, and you’re in a hunter-focused barn, there’s a style of American jump riding that I don’t think would serve you well in the field. IMHO it’s way too forward and unbalanced. I would make sure you are doing your jump training with eventers. (Aside from practical things like more of your jumps likely being off-angle or brush boxes or whatever.)
OP, I’m relatively new to riding, too - started nearly 9 years ago. And I agree with this:
[QUOTE=merrygoround;8242521]
Now older and wiser I’ve made the observation that in general, the better your dressage, the better will your CC, and definitely your SJ be.
So yes, I would advise you to get your basic seat, really polish your dressage, but if you can mange, play with jumping a little. Fox hunting is a great opportunity if available.[/QUOTE]
The better your seat/position, the fewer position flaws you are allowed to get away with, the less frustrated you will be down the road. And, you will be much less intimidated by the dressage test!
This is not to say that an eventing barn can’t also give you solid fundamentals, however. But if you are not impatient to jump, then I think focusing on dressage, at least initially, may be beneficial in the long run.
I would also say, lunge line lessons – if either barn offers them – are a fantastic way to develop your seat/position. I can’t tell you how much I’ve improved over the last year due to lunge line lessons.
Also: one of the best pieces of advice I’ve seen offered on this board is to go watch a few lessons at any barn you’re interested in – both to see the condition of the horses and the interaction between teacher and student.
The statement that “dressage” Dressage means ‘training’ and is simply a fancy name for the fundamentals of correct riding and training is a bit misleading in the context of your question, OP. “Dressage” is French and does mean “training,” but “dressage” as a discipline is training specific to that discipline. And dressage competitions DO take dressage to ever higher levels, BUT it is dressage SCHOOLING that trains you and the horse to compete at those higher levels.
Now, for my answer to your question. 
What discipline does your current barn teach?
If you are seriously interested in eventing, by all means visit the eventing barn. Watch some lessons. See how the trainer and students and horses interact. Find out how much they charge for lessons, whether or not they take beginners, and if their teaching method suits your personality. Visit the dressage barn too and do the same things there and ask the same questions. Try a one-off lesson at each barn to see if you and the horses and the trainers are a good match.
A lot of dressage riders NEVER jump, never want to jump, and never even ride outside the arena So be aware of that possibility.
If your local eventing barn takes beginners (not just beginners-to-eventing, but beginners-to-riding), they might start you over ground poles quite soon and, depending on eventing in your area, might give you opportunities to compete at Amoeba or even Pre-Amoeba, and then Tadpole levels. These are like trotting ground poles, cross-rails, or 12" fences in a relatively small enclosed field, to give you a feel for cross country competition. The nice thing about eventing is that you start out riding actual courses, in stadium as well as cross country, instead of what some h/j barns do, which is to start beginners out riding in circles, just going around the ring jumping a series of fences or ground poles not laid out in a course. You don’t learn to think in terms of the course.
IME h/j barns do move beginners on a bit faster than dressage barns do, e.g., h/j beginners can be cantering while dressage beginners are still working on trot.
The best thing is to find a barn that has a good beginners’ program, good beginners’ horses, and a trainer who will challenge you but not overface you before you are confident and ready to move on.
That was very well put, thank you for the advice! It gave me a good sense of direction in what to do in the future. I’ll definitely do my best to acquire a good seat before moving up, and even if that takes longer than I anticipate, I’m not gonna be anxious. Riding a horse in General, no matter the level or speed, is still the most exciting and enjoyable activity in the world to me.
Thanks for the advice! I’m definitely gonna focus on my basic seat right now and continue research for other barns for when I’m ready.
Thanks for the advice. I found an event barn with an trainer who has a background in eventing an dressage, and it seems perfect but I don’t know If I should move on just quite yet. They said she teaches beginners, but my current instructor/trainer(?) clicks very well with me. She has been riding for I think 10+ years and has competed in both dressage and show jumping, and her method of teaching is really focused on horse/rider relationship and making sure we do everything in harmony and near 100% correct before moving onto anything else. It’s been months and I’ve only just picked up the trot, but that’s because her teaching methods are dressage-focused. What sucks is that I can only see her once a week, and I’m hoping this is enough time for me to improve beyond what progress I already have made. Also, my barn is actually a therapy barn (I started going originally for anxiety/stress relief but when they found out I wanted to do dressage they gave me an instructor with a background in such) so it doesn’t exactly have the same benefits a discipline barn would have, sans my excellent instructor of course.
I think I’m screwing up this reply thing to bear with me
My barn is actually a therapy barn which I started going to to relieve anxiety/stress/that sort of thing, but when they learned of my interest in dressage they gave me an instructor with a background in dressage and jumping as well (she is AWESOME). The arena is adequately sized, although they have a big line of barrels in the middle and some obstacles laid out for those who do hippo therapy. Basically Im an aspiring dressage rider in a therapy barn, which is not exactly ideal but my instructor is doing an excellent job (in my opinion) in helping me develop my seat and even getting our horse on the bit (she said we looked perfect and that he was really listening to me when I finally got him on, and oh man it felt like the best ride ever tbh). However, I’m just not sure when I should leave my barn and move on to one that actually has the disciplines I’m interested in. From all the responses I’m getting, I think what I should do is develop my basic seat and good form with my current instructor and go from there. Technically I could leave beforehand and continue my beginner work at an eventing barn I found, but I think I like my current trainer too much. Thanks for all the advice guys, it was hugely helpful.
