English Rider Thinking of Doing a Western Dressage Test - Any "Gotchas"?

[grey_mare1]

I have a western trained QH who was converted to an english horse, doing various english disciplines (lower level dressage, jumpers, etc).

There are no western events in our area -but now a local dressage schooling show is offering western dressage tests. (unheard of, and as it turns out, not just a rumor).

(the dressage judge will be judging the WD test).

I thought this might be fun to try, since my ex-western QH dreams of the good ol’ days - jogging and loping around before “You Will Go Forward!” came into his life.

I looked on the western dressage association site and saw that all the intro tests are walk/jog. Is it a bad idea to skip the intro tests and do Basic Level 1, which has a lope?

What are the most important things to know for an english rider who is brand new to WD tests?

thanks.

[Graureiter]

I have ridden western dressage tests , on my wifes western trained horse. My tip is: "If you think your horse is going too slow, it’s still too fast! "

Take your time and be precise, but most of all have fun.

[aktill]

Substitute trot for jog, canter for lope, and don’t buy into the “dressage with pleasure gaits” nonsense.

[KIloBright]

Ride with a snaffle and two hands.
I just hate seeing western dressage riders,allowed two hands on a curb and contact
I see it as a class that allows people to ride 'dressage; in a western saddle, on a horse not soild on guiding and rating off of a loose indirect rein.
If you want to ride dressage, then slap on that English saddle and ride dressage. JMO! At least then, if a curb is used, it is in conjunction with a double bridle
Maybe , we need an English reining class!

[SuzieQNutter]

A dressage horse can do anything.

Go and have fun and if you want to ride in a snaffle do so, even if it means that you can only ride and not compete. You should still get judged.

[clanter]

we worked our western horses in dressage under English tack but did present all of them in a dressage class (one was also a three eventer so he had to)

We were using the dressage as tool to teach the horses more precise movement for its trail classes and competitive trail obstacles

What surprised us was the horses adjusted gaits and presence with the tack changes, I guess somewhere along the line they had read the book.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=SuzieQNutter;7920763]
Go and have fun and if you want to ride in a snaffle do so, even if it means that you can only ride and not compete. You should still get judged.[/QUOTE]

Isn’t it preferred to ride a Western Dressage test in a snaffle? (Although some allow other bits?)

[Flash44]

[QUOTE=S1969;7920803]
Isn’t it preferred to ride a Western Dressage test in a snaffle? (Although some allow other bits?)[/QUOTE]

http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/faqs/

Do you ride with one hand or two hands for western dressage?
The rider must use two hands with a snaffle bit. A rider may use one or two hands with a curb bit, but must complete the entire test in the same manner as they start the test. Switching from one hand to two hands or vice versa during a test is considered an error.

PDF files for your review:

http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/western-dressage-rules-tests/

The first few pages of this document will answer your question in more detail:

http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/WDAA-EquipmentGuide.pdf

I did not see anything about “preference.”

[S1969]

[QUOTE=Flash44;7920885]
http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/faqs/

Do you ride with one hand or two hands for western dressage?
The rider must use two hands with a snaffle bit. A rider may use one or two hands with a curb bit, but must complete the entire test in the same manner as they start the test. Switching from one hand to two hands or vice versa during a test is considered an error.

PDF files for your review:

http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/western-dressage-rules-tests/

The first few pages of this document will answer your question in more detail:

http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/WDAA-EquipmentGuide.pdf

I did not see anything about “preference.”[/QUOTE]

I was just commenting on the post that said:

Go and have fun and if you want to ride in a snaffle do so, even if it means that you can only ride and not compete. You should still get judged.

If you should ride with two hands, snaffle bit should be more than allowable. It is probably an easier transition for an English rider to do WD in a western saddle than a WP rider having to switch to riding with two hands.

[kelo]

@grey_mare;7919460

What are the most important things to know for an english rider who is brand new to WD tests?

It will be fun to try!

My advice:

1. Ride it just like any other dressage test.
2. Remember the training pyramid: Rhythm, relaxation, connection. That’s what they want, regardless of saddle.
3. If you want to do Basic 1, go for it
4. Have fun!

[KIloBright]

Curb bits, with two hands on the reins in WD should not be allowed
I’m all for using a snaffle only in WD, esp as you are riding with contact.
HUS horses are ridden in D ring snaffles, regardless of what bit they are being shown in western classes
THE ONLY time, two hands in western, are allowed on curb bits, is in some sort of individual open schooling shows, as for pee wee classes ,(ie, control) and of course, in gymkana, also for control
Thus, by allowing two hands on a curb bit in WD, all credibility for that event has gone out the window for me!

[trubandloki]

Is there an age limit for the horse using a snaffle in western dressage like there is in some other western events?

[KIloBright]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;7921250]
Is there an age limit for the horse using a snaffle in western dressage like there is in some other western events?[/QUOTE]

No.
The age limit in a snaffle in western performance events, is based on the premise that a horse six and older should be trained to the level of being ridden one handed
A curb bit is designed to be used in such a manner, thus the curb bit requirement is SECONDARY to theLEVEL of TRAINING , with the horse being at thE level where he can be ridden one handed, mainly off of seat and legs, on a loose rein, staying correct in all maneuvers.
Just sticking a curb bit in the mouth of a horse and riding with two hands, is counter to the entire premise of using that curb bit-for increased finesse, acquired through level of training
IT is not the CURB bit per say, but the ability to be ridden one handed, and the curb bit is designed to be used that way, while a snaffle is not, that is the basis of the curb bit age rule

[KIloBright]

[QUOTE=S1969;7920803]
Isn’t it preferred to ride a Western Dressage test in a snaffle? (Although some allow other bits?)[/QUOTE]
Definately a 'yes; to your question
I think it should not be legal to ride WD in a curb, esp with two hands on the reins

[Wellspotted]

When I did it, I rode in a western saddle, snaffle bridle two-handed with closed reins (actually it was his eventing bridle, we just took off the cavesson to make it “western”). I was allowed to do the trot either rising or sitting but you couldn’t change from one to the other during the test. It was walk/trot, not walk/jog (Intro A so no canter). Basically the same as “English” dressage except for the tack, and the clothes (jeans and western boots and hat were OK, now they might require a helmet; I wore a helmet). I was told I could wear jeans and western boots and a white/pastel shirt.

A friend of mine did western dressage on his barrel horse, western saddle and snaffle bridle, jeans, western boots and hat, “quiet” shirt.

More this:
http://www.smithbrothers.com/roper-men's-yarndye-plaid-shirt/p/X3-200684/

than this:
http://tradergrizz.com/cowboy-shirt-white.html

[J-Lu]

OP, it may very much depend on where you are and who is judging. My cowboy trainer does western dressage here in NC (he also takes straight dressage lessons). I think he sits on a WD board, too. According to him, the gaits are supposed to be forward, like a working ranch horse, not “jogging” like a pleasure horse. However, he’s noticed that when some “regular” dressage judges judge WD, they are looking for the “warmblood in western garb” gaits, which he thinks is incorrect. He thinks the division is so small that it’s not often judge similarly show to show.

The best advice? Have fun!!! Watch some of the other riders and see how they get scored.

[Flash44]

Most wp riders regularly school with two hands, so there is no issue with riding in a curb bit with two hands. If you can’t ride a horse in a curb bit softly and correctly with two hands, you can’t do it with one hand.

I’d rather see a rider going softly and correctly with two hands rather than a one-handed death grip. There is a big gray area you need to get through when transitioning to one hand, and I’m all for doing the best thing for the horse and rider.

I think using “age” as a criteria for going one-handed is kind of silly. It should be number of years and level competing. The horse I’m riding now was a 4H project for a younger teen, and did not start showing locally until she was 4. Although a wonderful rider, the teen really did not have the experience to get the horse to the level that she could go correctly with one hand. They could fudge it, and did great locally, but the horse was not correct.

[grey_mare1]

the gaits are supposed to be forward, like a working ranch horse, not “jogging” like a pleasure horse. However, he’s noticed that when some “regular” dressage judges judge WD, they are looking for the “warmblood in western garb” gaits

I think this about sums up my situation……which leads me to conclude that i should just do the regular dressage test, since I won’t be able to jog and lope around - all mellow - and on the forehand, in the wd test….

Maybe , we need an English reining class!

Exactly!

[NoSuchPerson]

[QUOTE=J-Lu;7922081]
However, he’s noticed that when some “regular” dressage judges judge WD, they are looking for the “warmblood in western garb” gaits, which he thinks is incorrect. [/QUOTE]

This is the concern I expressed back when the subject of western dressage first began to be discussed around here. I feel quite strongly that western dressage ought to be classical dressage principles applied within the context of western riding and not just western tack and clothes put on an English dressage horse and rider.

I think we will have to wait a while to see how its all going to end up.

[aktill]

The sheer weirdness of trying to define a sport where a “western horse” shouldn’t be judged like an “english horse” when it could be the same dang horse in both cases is where the trouble falls.