New to Dressage, Book Recommendations

[monalisa]

I’m an experienced hunter rider who is getting sour on the whole horse show scene. A horse I bred is perfect for dressage (her mother was bred to be a dressage horse) and she’s huge, over 17 hands. Soundness issues have kept out for several years but she’s sound now and she screams dressage.

So I am considering going into the discipline but frankly know nothing about it and want to do some basic reading as a first step. Dressage lessons are step two.

Since I have the horse, why not? Learning something new and different is a great challenge that I think I need right now.

Any other suggestions?

[SnicklefritzG]

Jane Savoie: Dressage 101

[SaddleUp158]

Centered Riding by Sally Swift

We are all new at dressage (at my barn) and we are all loving this book! In fact the instructor we haul out to for lessons is going back and re-reading this book since we are all trying to work our way through it. She says we are making her think more than ever!

[atlatl]

Jane Savoie’s Cross Training Your Horse.

I started with some of the more “classic” dressage texts and frankly, didn’t know enough to understand what I was reading. After going through several of Jane’s books and Centered Riding, and taking lessons from a great instructor, the classic texts finally make sense to me. It’s almost like having to learn a language before you can make sense of a novel in that language.

Enjoy the journey.

I am glad your horse is currently sound, but am compelled to caution you that soundness issues are still issues in dressage where purity of gaits is a big deal. I say this only because I ran into someone I hadn’t seen for awhile who shared that the hunter/jumper she bought years ago was STILL having soundness issues so she figured she had a dressage horse “just like” my sound dressage horse. :rolleyes:

[MissAriel]

[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;8287138]
Jane Savoie: Dressage 101[/QUOTE]

@SaddleUp158;8287210

Centered Riding by Sally Swift

Both of these are great places to start. I took up dressage from hunterdom a few years ago and these are tremendous resources - I still go back to them from time to time as a refresher.

I would recommend getting lessons started sooner rather than later. Having a set of eyes on the ground will be very beneficial as you recreate your position. And many of the exercises in the books will work best if you can be on a longe line.

[Mondo]

Common Sense Dressage by Sally O’Connor

Was my bible when I switched from H/J to Dressage 25 years ago.

[poltroon]

Welcome! Whether you stick with dressage or not, the chance to ride a new discipline can only improve your riding. I hope you enjoy it.

You might enjoy The Athletic Development of the Dressage Horse: Manege Patterns by Charles de Kunffy. It’s been one of my favorite books, and I suggest it particularly because I think the discussion of using patterns dovetails nicely with coming from a H/J background.

Dressage trainers, like any discipline, do come in many flavors. If the first one you try doesn’t feel ‘right’ to you, it may be that it’s the trainer rather than the discipline.
Some teach that the horse should be very heavy in the bridle, but this is not at all necessary or desirable.

Also look around for clinics in your area where you can audit.

USDF consists of many local Group Member Organizations that tend to put on shows, clinics, etc. If you find the one for your area, it’s possible you’ll find a website with a calendar and trainer listings that may be of help to you.

One of the things I enjoy most about dressage is the ability to compete against myself, allowing me to measure my progress without necessarily having to travel so much or so often (unless of course I wish to).

Good luck!

[merrygoround]

I will second de Kunffy’s Athletic Development. You probably are already familiar with the movements, but he puts them into perspective as to their positive usefulness. “Advanced Techniques of Riding” is also useful.

As for instructors, check them carefully. It is not always a matter of what they can do, and how many they teach, but what and how they teach, and how it will relate to you.

[SnicklefritzG]

[QUOTE=merrygoround;8287528]
I will second de Kunffy’s Athletic Development. You probably are already familiar with the movements, but he puts them into perspective as to their positive usefulness. “Advanced Techniques of Riding” is also useful.

As for instructors, check them carefully. It is not always a matter of what they can do, and how many they teach, but what and how they teach, and how it will relate to you.[/QUOTE]

+1 good advice.

OP, I’ll also say that not every great teacher is going to be effective with every student. Sometimes it is a matter of a teacher being able to get inside a student’s head to figure out how they think. When you are ready to look for a trainer, my advice would be to spend a couple of weeks just auditing lessons and training sessions. That will give you a good idea who might work. Then create a shortlist and take some trial lessons with a small number of people.

[netg]

If the first thing you’re doing is looking for book recommendations, I think you’ll fit in perfectly in the dressage world. :lol:

As far as your horse - good for you for looking to do what suits the horse, rather than trying to push to do what you want. I think from your posts, your mindset SCREAMS “dressage rider!” in the best possible way.

I know of two horses who were supposed to be crippled and put down long ago who have stayed sound because of good dressage riding. One is competing at the international levels, schooling Grand Prix, and the other is schooling Intermediare 1 with a pro and showing 3rd level with her amateur owner. Straightness and shifting their weight to their hindquarters and slowly building the muscle to support them has helped both, and in fact the harder work which builds more topline has helped make the conformational flaws which vets thought would cripple them less of an issue.

I think all the books mentioned were great. For fun, books like 101 Dressage Exercises give you ideas, and paired with de Kunffy help you start to learn how dressage helps a horse progress. Also familiarize yourself with the USEF tests, as they have purposes at the top and the movements used are introduced progressively to reflect a horse developing more as a dressage horse. They are actually educational (and free) if you look at them in that sense.

[alibi_18]

Janet Foy’s ‘‘Dressage for the not-so-perfect horse’’ is also a good place to start and to come back to when problems arise.

I audited a clinic and was pleased with what I heard and saw.

Welcome to dressage!

[poltroon]

One other thing when searching for trainers, is to consider trainers whose focus is eventing in addition to those teaching only dressage. To win in lower level eventing, your dressage must be very good, so it widens your pool of possible instruction.

[MustangPianist]

Mike Schaffer’s “Right From The Start” and “Riding in the Moment” have been really helpful to me; I’m a student who likes to take a concept and run with it, and his way of explaining the essentials without straitjacketing one into specifics resonates with me.

Bill Woods’ “Dressage Unscrambled” is just a hoot.

Next on my list is Nuno’s stuff.

[WannabeDQ]

[QUOTE=SnicklefritzG;8287138]
Jane Savoie: Dressage 101[/QUOTE]

^this. Great book that explains the basics in an easy to understand way.

[kpony]

I also like Walter Zettl’s Dressage in Harmony as a primer.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

The USDF Guide to Dressage by Jennifer Bryant

[2DogsFarm]

I am surprised no one suggested Alois Podhajsky’s Training of Horse and Rider.
If you want a correct technical explanation this is your Go To book.
I admit it can be a dry read, but I taught my horse counter canter from his chapter on the movement & I am no pro.

[monalisa]

Thanks for all of the recommendations. I have been through a few hunter-jumper trainers over the years so understand how important it is to find the one who speaks to you. My mare is just too big to be a good hunter. Wishing she were 16 hands but she’s not. I think we will both enjoy the journey if nothing else. She’s been sound since February so keeping my fingers crossed that she will stay happy and healthy.

[HappyTalk]

Lendon Gray’s “Lessons With Lendon”. Everything is broken down into basic steps and written in plain, understandable language. Lots of great pictures showing each step.

[last1standing]

I am also making the transition from hunter to dressage with a big horse and (as a rider of a certain age), many of the challenges have been the rider. In addition to most of the books mentioned above (can’t have too much theory:)), I have found both http: Ingrid Klimke’s book Cavalletti: For Dressage and Jumping and When Two Spines Align: Dressage Dynamics: Attain Remarkable Riding Rapport with Your Horse by Beth Baumert very helpful.