Competing in hunters and dressage: is it possible?

[btswass]

Long story short I’ve been a hunter rider all my life but moved to an area that has lots of different disciplines. The barn I was at also had a dressage trainer and I started taking some lessons with her. My horse is home now but last year I focused solely on dressage with this trainer because I felt my horse needed a better foundation in order to move up in jumping. Well it totally worked and his course work improved more than I could have ever imagined.

But now I’m really enjoying dressage and would like to do some shows at low levels. Is it possible to be competitive in both the hunter ring and dressage ring? Theres so many differences in both the rider’s position and the horse’s movement would it get confusing? I’m not talking advancing too much in the dressage ring but would probably like to aim for 2nd level. Thanks!

[Manni01]

I would say it depends on you and your mindset… The hunter seat and the way to ride a horse seems to be very different to dressage. but if you are willing to switch back and forth, why not…

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

Yes, this is totally possible - especially at the low levels of dressage - like up to 2nd. If you have not already done so, investing in a dressage saddle would probably be wise if you intend to compete at rated shows.

[btswass]

@Groom&Taxi

Yes, this is totally possible - especially at the low levels of dressage - like up to 2nd. If you have not already done so, investing in a dressage saddle would probably be wise if you intend to compete at rated shows.

Yes I was planning on investing in a dressage saddle and bridle but figured I should do a little more research first. Found lots of articles on switching to dressage not doing both which is why I came here

[mvp]

Ask Lucassb. She has done it.

I’m doing it, albeit not on the same horse. But I’d like to think that I could do both disciplines on the same horse. There are a couple of things that really differ, so you’d have to teach the horse to mentally shift gears between disciplines. At least that’s what I’d expect.

[joiedevie99]

Yes - very doable at training and first level. Beyond that, it will depend on the horse (and honestly on the willingness of your trainers).

I’m not very far from you - if you have any local dressage related questions, feel free to pm me

[Halt_Near_X]

I did it as a teen with a horse up to about solid 1st/knocking on 2nd and jumping 3’. We won some regional/zone awards in both disciplines (in fairness, this was not one of the large/ultra competitive zones). We never had an issue switching back and forth. There were definitely things we did better in one ring than the other, though. His gaits were better for Dressage and didn’t do so well in the hunter under saddle classes; I was more comfortable in a CC saddle and never really developed a true Dressage seat.

Mostly, you want to make sure your trainer(s) are all on board with the concept, and if they have similar approaches, it will help so there is some consistency for both you and the horse, no matter what you are doing. And then have fun.

[Scribbler]

Keep in mind that eventers compete in dressage, jumpers, and cross country all in the same weekend on the same horse.

I realize hunters has some more elements to it than jumping, but it should be possible to do both if evnters can jump and dressage.

I think the key is if the dressage and hunter training is both high quality. No rolkur in the dressage and no gadgets and draw reins in the hunter.

A dressage horse doing a nice stretchy trot moves like a nice hunter.

[pluvinel]

Sigh…I feel reallyyyyy old.

Back in the dark ages…like when the earth cooled and dressage was just starting out in the US, the objective of the Training, First and Second levels was to attract hunter-jumper riders to try dressage. So it is indeed very possible to ride in both disciplines.

If you look at the George Morris Horsemastership Clinics on USEF TV, everything he does in his flat work is basic dressage, including lateral work (shoulder-in, haunches-in, and half-pass).

I rode with an old Cavalry Colonel who said “Dressage doesn’t start til Prix St. George.” What he meant was that everything up to the FEI levels was basic foundational work for all disciplines and the specialization called Dressage didn’t really diverge until PSG.

[alibi_18]

@pluvinel

Sigh…I feel reallyyyyy old.

Back in the dark ages…like when the earth cooled and dressage was just starting out in the US, the objective of the Training, First and Second levels was to attract hunter-jumper riders to try dressage. So it is indeed very possible to ride in both disciplines.

If you look at the George Morris Horsemastership Clinics on USEF TV, everything he does in his flat work is basic dressage, including lateral work (shoulder-in, haunches-in, and half-pass).

I rode with an old Cavalry Colonel who said “Dressage doesn’t start til Prix St. George.” What he meant was that everything up to the FEI levels was basic foundational work for all disciplines and the specialization called Dressage didn’t really diverge until PSG.

This.

What I would find more challenging for both the horse and the rider would be to stay competitive in both disciplines past 2d level and +3’’ hunter.
It really is a specialization.

I feel Jumpers play in another ball park and the switch between dressage and jumping is easier and complementary.

And not everyone can be Michael Jung.

[asterix]

Yeah, so, certainly eventers are asked to do the equivalent of Training, 1st, or 2nd Level dressage, and then go jump around a 3’, 3’3, or 3’6 course on the same day…are they judged like hunters? No, but the basics are the same - carry an even pace and steady tempo. Of course it’s doable. You may find you are more successful in one discipline than another…as an eventer and someone who competes in recognized dressage shows thru 2nd (working on 3rd), I don’t find that my horse is in any way confused when I put on a dressage saddle and do a test and then put a jump saddle on and jump a course or go xc…

[hoopoe]

any quality hunter should be properly ( underlined and in bold) trained in Dressage. It is the foundation. There is a lot of incorrect dressage out in hunter land. I came to dressage to improve my hunter and there was certainly no issue with crossing styles. My trainer showed a horse PSG I1 and he also did working hunter and was champion in both.

My old horse I could lightly shift my weight back and he would collect beautifully for the jump. I felt like he was truly in front of my leg and I had subtle control.

I went to 100% dressage simply because I liked it so much more than jumping and I knew I could show on any horse I choose and would still get a fair shake from the judge and my peers

[Peggy]

I showed the same horse, a TB no less, through second level while doing hunters and eq to 3’ and eventing him at Novice. But this was the 90’s. He was not the bravest thing so I sent him to my dressage trainer to sell. But no one wanted an opinionated TB, even back then, so I ended up keeping him, showing through Fourth Level, and working FEI movements. In his later years I think I managed to annoy people of both disciplines by going out in my jumping saddle and working upper level dressage movements, finishing off with a few rounds of counter canter-flying change to new counter canter.

Probably not as easy now, in either discipline, at least competitively.

[PonyPenny]

My horse did both well. He did the A/O hunters, equitation and medals with my daughter and up to 3rd level with a lease at the same time. My daughter was in college, so he mostly did dressage until summer when she would ride and show him. He retired from the big jumps in 2017 after he won his last National Hunter Derby at 18. He was trained in dressage and show jumping before import in 2008 and his sire is noted for producing both dressage and jumping horses. He has no problem shifting from one to another. He is 20 now, so he does not really jump high anymore, however his flat work is perfect. Even in a hunt seat saddle, he will lengthen and collect and do a half pass like nobody’s business. I would love to clone him.

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

Good basic training for the horse is good basic training for the horse. When my daughter took lessons at one of the best hunter barns in the region, all the flatwork sure looked like training and first level dressage - without quite so many circles…

[jonem004]

I’m currently bouncing back and forth between showing hunters and eventing just to get miles off the farm on my mare. As she gets better, she succeeds more at both disciplines.

The only “tells” that I’m diversifying our training is that at a hunter show I do a lot of lateral work in our warmup. And while eventing I require far more manners and softness between the fences in stadium and cross country.

We’re only going novice and doing 3ft hunters. Most of the fancy Eq horses you see could bang out a 3rd level dressage test no problem, and a lot of them do the hunter derby’s anyway if not the division.

No flipping your head at that bank out of the water, you will canter up it like a LADY!

[meupatdoes]

It’s totally possible. I got my bronze on a horse that I later sold to hunterland because he became worth too much for me to keep. (In my pic).

If the horse can do 3rd level plus, it’s pretty easy to set the canter to metronome and coast around eight nice and organized in a training level frame.

[evilc123]

I feel like it depends on the level. One thing that always strikes me about higher level hunter horses is how unimpressive their natural movement would be in a higher level dressage arena. If you are only planning to compete at levels where the horse’s natural ability isn’t scrutinized to the degree it is in either discipline’s higher levels, then it will probably actually make you BETTER to have a solid foundation in both.

[Pennywell_Bay]

My newest hunter has all the buttons to switch back and forth. Her foundation is strong dressage, properly carrying herself, working under etc. Now- me switching back and forth is a challenge (for me). I am working on it. I am no longer brave over fences to plan on enjoying my new horse is low level hunters and low level dressage. A dressage friend is taking her to a show in May so we’ll see how it goes. She already has a record in hunters, a GP trainer around here thinks the mare is fabulous so we’ll see how it goes.

[btswass]

Thanks for all the replies! I’m really excited to start training in dressage more formally - as in a dressage saddle and not my jump saddle. I already ride my flatwork with a deep seat - no half seat cantering unless I’m riding a course. I like riding with short stirrups so that will probably be the hardest part for me to get used to. First schooling dressage show is planned for June 23 I’ll keep everyone posted!