cowgirljenn,
I am not in the habit of trashing names, which is why I kept silent about voicing my opinion for so long. The reason for my post was not to say “so and so does it wrong”, but to encourage people to do their homework and then compare to what is out there before they start getting on the band wagon.
The old masters did things a certain way, in a logical sequence using the proper equipment… for a reason. Why try to re-invent something that through hundreds of years has proven to be the best way, just to dumb it down and junk it all up and call it by the same name. It would be like me building a go-cart using a lawn mower engine and calling it a Ford pick up truck. For the people who had never seen a real Ford Pick-up then my go-cart could soon be known as a Ford. But my rendition of a Ford would be a far cry and a lot less than a real one but it might be accepted because people who had never seen the real thing would not have anything to compare with.
The powers that be already tried to dumb down true dressage within the dressage community with the practice of rollkur and hopefully that attempt has finally failed so, we saved it that time but with this new assault waiting in the wings.
If the new people really want to do a good job then they will have real dressage judges who are known for their classical practices to judge the western dressage shows and score accordingly to the classical principles. Let the teachers of this “new” sport get down and dirty and spend some time learning the rules that have been established over centuries. Anybody can sign up for lessons.
Granted these western horses are not going to have the big gaits etc that todays competitive dressage horses have (and they shouldnt be expected to) and that is not what will be judged............the original classical horse was a small horse; look at the Lippizan, Andalusian, Iberian breeds, but ANY horse has the ability to collect and be obedient and follow its riders lead and perform the ring figures if ridden properly. Any horse has the ability to improve its suppleness and be light even if it is just comparing to what it once was, in other words, to improve. (and be more fun to ride) So in that sense, I think there is a great benefit to the horse community that something like Western dressage exists,......... just not in its current form and in the direction that it is going.
I can also see some “gaited horse” dressage classes coming to the surface and that would also improve the overall intelligence of the horse community…IF…the classical (haute ecole) principles were followed and adjusted to fit the gaited horse.
If you want to learn dressage, and be judged by an expert, learn from a REAL dressage instructor, someone like Karl Mikolka, and learn the details of the art as best you can and hire judges of the same caliber to judge your shows. Maybe then this new sport can get off on the right foot and earn some respect. The saying around dressage circles was “dressage for every horse, but not every horse for dressage” which put off a lot of people from pursuing dressage because it sounded elitist and separate but, this new Western dressage has the “POSSIBILITY” (and I say that with great caution) to be more inclusive and encompass more breeds and invites your average person regardless of what breed of horse they have, even grades, to learn and participate. It can go two ways and it is up to those that want to play to steer it one way or the other. If I had a vision, it would be that anyone with any kind of horse would be able to learn the joy and to benefit themselves and their horse with a knowledge of classical horsemanship REGARDLESS of their $ means or breed of animal. It would resemble and take a similar path to… how the Vaquero horsemanship has gone, where anyone that is willing to learn, can participate and have fun.
Believe it or not, the Vaquero tradition and classical dressage have the same roots, so why not keep it that way and resurrect it along that path and bring that knowledge into the light again. I don`t think having it evolve into anything else (the way it is going) would be beneficial except for a few.
