Totally agree! I was more commenting on how most of the world thinks of dressage as what broken and semi-retired horses do because they think it’s inherently easy. Which is, of course, not the case at the upper levels 
But you’re absolutely right - for someone who wants to train, progress, and compete (and it sounds like you and I are similar), staying in our respective sports and just stepping down a few levels would be so, so boring. Switching disciplines is a much better solution 
I’ve competed in very low level hunters, jumpers and eventing…and just this past weekend, did my first rated dressage show (training level). I freakin’ LOVED it. It was super fun, I really liked getting the feedback from the judges, and it was a neat challenge to do the same two tests multiple times and see what I could improve from day to day. I also felt slightly less likely to die in the warmup. Will DEFINITELY be doing more dressage!
One caveat with respect to showing: There’s nowhere to hide unsoundness in dressage. Gaits are the foundation of every score of every movement (aside from reinback, and even that has a purity expectation), and irregularity will pull that mark down. Rhythm and regularity issues cap your movement scores in the 5-5.5 range (maybe slightly higher if intermittent, definitely lower if present at all times). And that can get very frustrating if you see your nice well-trained horse outscored by the loose-limbed young phenom.
It’s a great sport! But also unforgiving, esp of gaits.
If a horse has a “regularity” issue, that’s a soundness issue, and the pair should be rung out. Not scored 5-5.5?
Do I have that wrong?
Thank you everyone for your input and sharing your own stories! I really resonate with the “moving down in your own discipline sounds very boring”. Dressage sounds like a fun & new set of challenges.
I also love that you get judges feedback and the tests are the same so you can truly improve. Jumping can be frustrating in that way - there are no re-dos (unless you have more than 1 horse in the same class).
This is all very encouraging!
Depends. Irregularities (like those from stress/tension, usually most visible in the most collected work e.g. piaffe/passage/pirouette or in the mediums/extensions) won’t get rung out unless they’re extreme, at least at the local/regional show level. More risky at national/CDI, I’d assume.
But small-scale irregularities like the above will usually just take a hit on both the movement score and collective remarks. Head-bobbing or pervasive/extreme irregularities will get rung out.
Punchline: dressage as the “fail-out” discipline is tough bc you actually need a super sound horse, with minimal baggage/tension, to be successful showing.
I know this wasn’t necessarily directed at me, but my horse was sound on the flat. It’s once we got jumping up. With her prior injury, it makes sense that concussion from landing off jumps makes it flare up. We are getting a bone scan to find out for sure what it is (this time around). She doesn’t seem to get lame with intense flat work. My trainer has us do a lot of lateral work and collection/extension and she feels great. I digress.
I switched a couple decades ago. Bored with hunters, mare returning from long lay up, and I never had the best eye for distances…
First - be prepared for a MAJOR adjustment in your seat/position etc. Hopefully you can find a trainer who is good at this; it is really important in the end. If you can find someone to give you a lesson, or occasional lesson on a trained horse, do it! It will help with feel. Read about the dressage pyramid so you have a clear picture of what the whole thing and the levels are all about. It can be addictive, though I have one acquaintance who had had multiple injuries eventing, surgeries, etc. She should, but just cant give up the jumping part. Dressage, to her, is boring…
I lengthened my stirrups the other day and it was very uncomfortable. The arena I ride in has mirrors so it’s really interesting to look at your position. I think h/j should embrace the mirrors - they’re so useful!
Thankfully I don’t have to give up jumping completely - I have access to some nice jumpers and could even show. We have a great local schooling show circuit that I was thinking I’d take my mare to to do dressage while I test it out.
