I would go for slower, but not mincing along. I ride big Sporthorse types, developing that Western Pleasure trot is something we teach them to use in their Driving. They need several trots to be “well educated” in Driving, and we do use that slow but CORRECT trot for a number of reasons.
They can give me LOTS of air time, if I extend the trot, bounce me all over, as they are designed to move. Of course that isn’t really comfortable sitting! So teaching them to move slower, lift their back while still having an overstride, but not reaching, does sit pretty well without posting. Husband doesn’t tolerate them moving incorrectly, no trope, or faking the trot, going strung out.
We can trot and NOT pass everyone in a WP class, do the “shuffle” or speed it up as needed, once they are taught how to respond to my hands and seat. DD did quite well with showing locally, 4-H, reaching State Finals, High School Equestrain Team with these horses under Western Judges.
This is NOT correct Dressage, but a method we use because spending 4-6 hours in the saddle MUST be comfortable during that time. My horse will go with a pretty much vertical face, not behind the vertical. He moves his nose in and out, according to what the reins are asking. I HAVE contact, not thrown away as many Western horses are, because I also will need that contact doing correct Dressage in horse’s Driving activities.
Classical Dressage seems to rely a lot on having reins TIGHT, horse in a snaffle bit, so horse and rider are both pulling from each end of the rein. Western riding does NOT want horse pulling, that is way too tiring to use over a day-long ride. One of the reasons they use curb bits, horse gets corrected with a pull, reins go slack again. Horse LIKES not being held tight ALL the time, doesn’t mind a little rein touch though. So horse needs to “give to the bit” when you lift the reins. You give reins, horse then hunts for that slight contract to feel you, so his head goes down and nose out forward. He likes “talking to you with that light contact” instead of being thrown away on very loose rein or constant pull of tight reins.
So in your Western Dressage testing, you will be able to loosen for more forward, lift rein, nose comes in, You can pick him up for slower, yet still forward trot and be able to sit that COMFORTABLE trot.
Morgans were made to be all-day-long riding horses. Stories of covering many miles, riding them for days, often at speed, were legendary in the Civil War. They ARE comfortable gaited mostly, you just have to learn to adjust his trot speed, head setting, to find what best suits your sore back!
Western things are ALL ABOUT being comfortable. Cowboys didn’t put up with bad gaited horses for all those hours in the saddle!! They rode at various speeds, gaits, to find what worked best to be comfortable. I have to believe that Western Dressage falls into that category of comfort too. Keep tweaking your horse until he works doing what makes you comfortable.
I got some very odd looks using my big Sporthorses under Western Saddle, but horse learned to do as asked, poke along walking, trotting, cantering. It made them better, more skilled animals in their other uses. I did get some comments during our warm up time before Clinicians started. One even said he never thought I would “get that aggressive walk and trot” modified to “look Western like the other horses”. I laughed and laughed later, because any other place their 3 walks and 5 kinds of trot are much admired when we compete!! Horses were fine with things, once they understood what I was asking. “I can do that!” A Morgan should have no problems with your various trots, once you make it clear what you want of him.
Happy posting!