Could cross training my jumper in dressage help him improve all around? If so how would you do it?
Its a bit of a no-brainer. Most jumpers and hunters I know are also training dressage. It trains and conditions him to get off his forehand and use his engine and change his way of going so that he will stay sounder longer.
You could either find an eventing trainer who can help you get started with dressge, or ideally find a classica dressage trainer and add weekly lessons to your program.
Good luck.
Of course it can help and it has been suggested in several of your previous threads. Always better to get help from somebody experienced in it which it doesn’t sound like your elderly trainer is. Can you haul out and take a few lessons with somebody who knows you are cross training?
Eventing instructors would be a really good choice, they understand both show jumping and dressage plus how they interface as well as being well versed in correct flatwork as a result of the dressage component in Eventing.
I fear that sitting deeper as is required might hurt your back more then just riding in a lighter seat does, I know you ride through pain every ride.
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Find a good dressage trainer.
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Take lessons.
It’s as simple as that.
As F8 suggests, finding a dressage trainer who understands how to best help strengthen a jumping horse is ideal. The gal I lesson with is a straight dressage rider/trainer, but is brilliant about understanding what could help my horses the most. I show exclusively in the jumpers (well, except for one accidental hunter), but for every jumping lesson, I probably take about 10 dressage lessons.
Ab-so-freakin-loutly! I’m really excited to start taking some dressage lessons for ME! They will do a world of good.
Halfhalts-- not just for the dressage test… 
I also highly suggest longe lessons and biomechanics lessons in both the half seat and normal/full seat.
Always, always, always. I take lessons in dressage since it isn’t my area of expertise and I rarely jump.
Dressage is king… err Queen.
I have a young jumper that is in cross training with a top event rider. The horse gets a total all round education. Dressage, jumping and of course cross country. Good to get them out of the riding ring and used to jumping out in the “scary world” of forests, fields and streams. A show ring atmosphere is nothing compared to what she has already seen and done. Great for those young horses to see and do. Gives them excellent basic training all round and keeps them happy and not ring bored!
I fear that sitting deeper as is required might hurt your back more then just riding in a lighter seat does, I know you ride through pain every ride.
Do I sense sarcasm?
There is several decent dressage barns in my area, I might go to one of those for a lesson and give it a try. F8, since you obviously know everything about me, you should know I had done dressage for at least 10 years, and know a good bit about it. I guess my question would be how far would you train them? My horse can do movements up to 2-3rd level, but would you just pick a place and hangout there, or continue to move up?
Well if you’re schooling at 2nd-3rd level movements, aren’t you already cross-training?? 
[QUOTE=fishjumper;8339965]
I fear that sitting deeper as is required might hurt your back more then just riding in a lighter seat does, I know you ride through pain every ride.
Do I sense sarcasm?
There is several decent dressage barns in my area, I might go to one of those for a lesson and give it a try. F8, since you obviously know everything about me, you should know I had done dressage for at least 10 years, and know a good bit about it. I guess my question would be how far would you train them? My horse can do movements up to 2-3rd level, but would you just pick a place and hangout there, or continue to move up?[/QUOTE]
No sarcasm, you posted on a thread about dealing with intense pain while riding that you struggle with severe pain every ride. Dressage and correct flatwork does require more full seat work and you can’t protect your back by lightening the seat and shifting weight up out of the tack. That is going to be an issue for you until after your surgery, maybe you can plan it for after you get back to riding and use this time to investigate and find the right trainer.
Maybe you could move the horse to another barn where they focus more on Dressage or an a Eventing barn and find a rider there for his cross training while you are laid up post surgery. That would solve two problems at the same time.
[QUOTE=Spud&Saf;8340076]
Well if you’re schooling at 2nd-3rd level movements, aren’t you already cross-training?? :)[/QUOTE]
I said that he could do them, not schooled them. Things like collected trot and canter and extended are essential for any horse to know, especially jumpers. Shoulder ins, lead changes, half passes, and turning on the haunches are all things he knows well and can do well, and all horses should know these as basics. It is not really cross training if all horses should know these.
[QUOTE=findeight;8340102]
No sarcasm, you posted on a thread about dealing with intense pain while riding that you struggle with severe pain every ride. Dressage and correct flatwork does require more full seat work and you can’t protect your back by lightening the seat and shifting weight up out of the tack. That is going to be an issue for you until after your surgery, maybe you can plan it for after you get back to riding and use this time to investigate and find the right trainer.
Maybe you could move the horse to another barn where they focus more on Dressage or an a Eventing barn and find a rider there for his cross training while you are laid up post surgery. That would solve two problems at the same time.[/QUOTE]
That’s actually not a bad idea. I might look into that, as like I said there is several barns nearby he could be at.
[QUOTE=fishjumper;8340125]
I said that he could do them, not schooled them. Things like collected trot and canter and extended are essential for any horse to know, especially jumpers. Shoulder ins, lead changes, half passes, and turning on the haunches are all things he knows well and can do well, and all horses should know these as basics. It is not really cross training if all horses should know these.[/QUOTE]
Dressage rider here, so brace yourself.
The value in dressage isn’t in executing the movements. It’s in being able to fluently move between movements at any gait. Dressage training can build* a rideable horse-- a horse on the aids. Valuable.
Doing shoulder-in and halfpass just for the sake of doing them? Not valuable. Creating suppleness and relaxation in a horse that can easily transition to shoulder-in or halfpass or extensions the very next stride? Valuable.
*caveats apply, because there’s some scary stuff calling itself “dressage”
[QUOTE=fishjumper;8340125]
I said that he could do them, not schooled them. Things like collected trot and canter and extended are essential for any horse to know, especially jumpers. Shoulder ins, lead changes, half passes, and turning on the haunches are all things he knows well and can do well, and all horses should know these as basics. It is not really cross training if all horses should know these.[/QUOTE]
Whether you’re calling it “cross training” or just “good flatwork” it’s still the same thing, and still very helpful and important :yes:
[QUOTE=fishjumper;8340125]
I said that he could do them, not schooled them. Things like collected trot and canter and extended are essential for any horse to know, especially jumpers. Shoulder ins, lead changes, half passes, and turning on the haunches are all things he knows well and can do well, and all horses should know these as basics. It is not really cross training if all horses should know these.[/QUOTE]
Well if you know everything already, why bother asking?
There are a lot of posters on this BB, F8 being one of them, who are a lot older and wiser than you and some of your flippant and know it all remarks to those types won’t win you any favours on this board.
[QUOTE=Spud&Saf;8340227]
Well if you know everything already, why bother asking?
There are a lot of posters on this BB, F8 being one of them, who are a lot older and wiser than you and some of your flippant and know it all remarks to those types won’t win you any favours on this board.[/QUOTE]
OP just has an answer for everything, did you miss the thread where her horse was schooling 1.80 courses at 6 years old?
[QUOTE=roamingnome;8340280]
OP just has an answer for everything, did you miss the thread where her horse was schooling 1.80 courses at 6 years old?[/QUOTE]
AHHHHHH yes I read that thread, now I see.
[QUOTE=roamingnome;8340280]
OP just has an answer for everything, did you miss the thread where her horse was schooling 1.80 courses at 6 years old?[/QUOTE]
It is quite possible that both you and the OP are correct. What units are you talking about? Cubits? Decimeters? Hands? …
We only know what any poster tells us about themselves in the threads they post or respond to. Nothing more, nothing less.
