Switching from showjumping to dressage - pros and cons?

[Rumorhasit93]

Hi all!

My mare has been having soundness issues when working our way back up to the 1.10-1.20m jumping levels and I’m just thinking of not trying to get her back there again.

Her background: she’s 12, imported to the states at 6 by my mom, and did eventing with a very high level eventer in Europe. She has wonderful dressage buttons and is a blast to test them out at home (to the best of my h/j ability). Only thing is, she doesn’t have lead changes and likely never will. We’ve been through a lot to try to figure out why and eventually just accepted it.

Has anyone else had to make this choice? I’d hate to give up being competitive with my mare because she loves a job. I thought dressage would be a fun challenge for both of us, after we get her sound again, of course.

[SillyHorse]

No reason not to give dressage a go! Be aware, though, that if you plan to compete, you will not get past second level without a lead change. But it’s possible that with proper and methodical dressage training, she might surprise you and learn to do changes.

[173north]

I recently started playing in dressage-land after a lifetime in eventing/jumpers/hunters and am having a great time, it’s a fascinating discipline and it’s refreshing to try something new. I always liked flatwork more than the average h/j rider and don’t find I miss jumping at all. Also, the shows are great - ride times are a revelation!

You can show up to 2nd level without changes. Some shows even do 2nd level freestyles - very fun. Depending on your mare’s soundness and background, your coach, and how quickly you adapt, getting to the point where you can put in a solid 2nd level test at a show could be a breeze or could keep you busy for a couple of years. If you pop ‘usdf second level’ into Youtube you can watch a few tests. And just because she doesn’t have changes doesn’t mean you can’t play around with upper level movements at home!

I’ve found that although I can do every Second level movement individually and plenty of Third, stringing them together coherently with a bit of ringcraft and showmanship is a very different story. And a 5-minute test feels like a long time to be “on” and judged when you’re coming from the jumper ring. Or maybe I just have a very short attention span?

[Janet]

When my former eventer/jumper started to have vison problem, I switched her to dressage. She competed successfully (scored in the 60s) at second level. She learned all the third level movements (including correct changes), but we were never able to put together a full third level test. Either she or I would run out of something about 2/3 of the way through the test.

[Rumorhasit93]

Thanks everyone! Dressage sounds like a fun discipline - bummer about the changes, as it kind of stinks to go into any discipline knowing you can’t go past a certain point.

Regardless, after this exam and rehab I think I’ll explore dressage even if it’s just to get us fit. We already do quite a bit at home (I putz around with half passes, tons of lateral work), but will seek out a local trainer to really give it a proper go.

If anyone has any good recommendations in the PNW, I’m all ears!

[MadTrotter]

Without getting into her health history, I assume it’s been considered that problems swapping leads can be soundness related.

Not directed at you, OP, but it’s a slight peeve of mine that people consider dressage the step-down discipline for horses who became unsound in other disciplines. As other point out, you’ll probably be able to play around to 2nd level. But movements that start to really require real strength and collection will stress load the horse in many of the same ways jumping will, and new ways as well.

I say all this not to turn you off of dressage but rather to encourage you to get the horse sound, and accept its limitations if you cannot.

[Foxglove]

I did that but not at your level! I’m a fox hunter --at 70, I no longer jump unless I absolutely must. I use my hunt horses for mounted archery in the summer, and ride second flight in in the winter at the hunt club --BUT when my daughter gave me a horse from her 3D training program that had a knee issue that precluded him from jumping for the rest of his live (he was 15), I couldn’t think what to do with the big guy --until he picked Dressage! I have two rings here --small and big. We killed some weeds and fluffed up the surface, repainted the letters and hired an instructor for ME (horse needed no instruction --he was well into 2-3 level when he came to me).

We worked hard and last summer did one show --scored 59 and 60! We had such fun --best part about dressage at my house is no one needs to be here for me to practice! We always had a rule that if anyone was doing o/f he/she had to have someone on the property to keep an eye on the o/f rider.

This summer I was with in a week of doing my second show ever --so ready --and Hugh Jackman broke a small bone --he now has an inoperable bone chip near his hoof --in the pastern. We are o n a wait-and-see —nothing to do for it. My wise vet said: “It might get better; it might get worse; it might stay the same.” I think he’s right.

[merrygoround]

Congratulations on taking on the challenge. It is possible that a slow build up in the dressage gymnastics will strengthen your horse sufficiently to get to the collection needed for flying changes.

You, as a rider may need to develop a different sense of the correctness of each movement and your achievement of that movement.

[Rumorhasit93]

I completely understand!

My thoughts were the impact from landing off 1.10-1.20 (my goals with her were 1.20m and to qualify for amateur championships) has proven to tweak something in her. She was off two years ago, took a year to get her back (and a TON of $$$), and we just worked up to schooling 1.10 when she came up lame. Again.

And, lead changes (or lack thereof) were always a consideration during these visits.

I absolutely believe dressage is a challenge and my mare’s busy mind would thrive on difficulty. And of course I have almost no idea what I’m doing, so a ton of fun learning for the both of us.

If she can’t be 110% sound on the flat, then I’ll just have myself a very well bred trail horse/pasture ornament. That’s horses sometimes.

[Heinz_57]

@Rumorhasit93

If anyone has any good recommendations in the PNW, I’m all ears!

Obviously the PNW covers a large area, but you wouldn’t go wrong popping in for a lesson with Jessica Wisdom if you aren’t too far from her. If you’re too far south for that, I might know of a couple trainers you could try out.

And you may find that she eventually gets changes - dressage changes are pretty different than jumper changes. Or she may not - but I’d say don’t be self-limiting and assume that she’s going to be incapable forever, just train up the levels and make sure your foundations are solid.

Cons of dressage:
there are no jumps
you don’t go very fast
can have a good test and not necessarily end up with a ribbon

Pros of dressage:
ride times
may be somewhat cheaper than h/j shows, definitely don’t last as long
warmup rings are somewhat less chaotic

Obviously this is not a comprehensive list, and is somewhat tongue-in-cheek

[SillyHorse]

@Heinz_57

you don’t go very fast

My extended canter is pretty darn fast!

[Heinz_57]

@SillyHorse

My extended canter is pretty darn fast!

there is a certain amount of thrill involved in really going for it, and then wondering ‘will I be able to rein this back in again before we hit the corner?’

[Rel6]

Life long h/j rider here, who dabbles in eventing and takes monthly dressage lessons. My dressage lessons kick my ass. And my horse’s. They are hard but so rewarding. Personally, I really appreciate the balance between the precision and accuracy needed to have a great test, but the forgiveness of each movement being scored individually - meaning you can make a mistake in an otherwise brilliant test and still be rewarded. It soothes my perfectionist brain.

The lessons have improved my jumper’s balance and rideability, and given him his changes. We’ve never shown purely dressage, just done dressage tests when we event, but the more lessons I take the more I want to.

Good luck with your mare’s rehab, and keep us updated if you make the switch!

[Feathered_Feet]

@MadTrotter

Not directed at you, OP, but it’s a slight peeve of mine that people consider dressage the step-down discipline for horses who became unsound in other disciplines. As other point out, you’ll probably be able to play around to 2nd level. But movements that start to really require real strength and collection will stress load the horse in many of the same ways jumping will, and new ways as well.

I totally agree. And it’s particularly funny as I have an FEI dressage horse with now yet another injury that I’m thinking might need a step down when she comes back to work, so I’m considering if maybe low-level jumping might be suitable for us I think in many cases, the limiting factor is the intensity and level of the sport, not the sport itself. (I say this knowing that even low-level jumping can be very hard on a horse, and it sounds like the OP knows their horse’s issue is likely directly related to jumping itself, not overall athleticism.)

I’ll also third the other commenters that suggest a methodological dressage training program with a competent instructor might sort those lead changes out. Dressage can be a game changer!

[Rumorhasit93]

@Feathered_Feet

I’ll also third the other commenters that suggest a methodological dressage training program with a competent instructor might sort those lead changes out. Dressage can be a game changer!

I’m absolutely in favor of having a dressage trainer help with changes. The rider who had my mare in Europe was the youngest rider to compete at Burghley, so I do fear that if she couldn’t get them, and my showjumping trainers (World Cup competitors) couldn’t…

I don’t really have goals or expectations moving forward with this horse. I just want to do something fun and challenging. Even getting back into jumping, showing at 1m was a blast. I’m just grateful to have an otherwise healthy horse, so I’m just looking for something she can do comfortably first and foremost, and do well is just a huge bonus.

[SillyHorse]

@Rumorhasit93

I’m absolutely in favor of having a dressage trainer help with changes.

I hope you will consider a good dressage trainer to help you with everything you do.

[Rumorhasit93]

Yes, I’m definitely not planning to do this on my own! I should’ve said that in the beginning

[Djones]

My only experience is a funny one. A barnmate bought a middle aged mare with a background in show jumping. My friend focused her solely on dressage, and the mare thrived. They only ever had issues if a warm up area at a show had jumps or standards anywhere in sight (she had none at home). The mare would get verrrry revved up at the visual hints of jumping

[nwjumper]

Debbie DeWitt is excellent and will often come to you! Highly recommend her. Happy to provide details via PM.

[Rel6]

@Feathered_Feet

I totally agree. And it’s particularly funny as I have an FEI dressage horse with now yet another injury that I’m thinking might need a step down when she comes back to work, so I’m considering if maybe low-level jumping might be suitable for us I think in many cases, the limiting factor is the intensity and level of the sport, not the sport itself.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I would consider dressage a step-down discipline for an experienced h/j horse because I think its a discipline that offers a lot of ability for high mental challenge with less physical challenge - if that is your goal.

That isn’t to say the sport is less physically demanding at all, but I could see being far less bored stepping down a horse to compete in first or second level dressage than stepping a 1.2m jumper down to competing in the 2’6’’.

Conversely, if you have an UL dressage horse I could totally see why lower level jumping might be a more enticing step-down career than sticking with dressage!