The obstacle course is one test of several. So you have regular “flat” ones, and then an obstacle one as an additional challenge.
They do incorporate a freestyle in CD - Here’s Jeff Sanders doing a pretty nice garrocha freestyle:
There are some others out there that show one and two-tempis although the quality isn’t always there - I suspect it will be at some point.
This came up in my searches - not CD, but nice western pirouettes, and definitely a thing of beauty:
@Alterration, I think this winning ride should confirm that WD is most like D, as you said in your opener.
This rider is an accomplished and effective regular D trainer of many years and she’s found an outlet for well trained D horses to excel…when they lack the extraordinary gaits that are now the norm in D.
The WD organization through their rule book accepts the reality that most mortals aren’t going to do the work needed to create a handy, real bridle horse. There’s nothing “wrong” with that, and I have to accept that they are right about how to create a situation where a lot of people get to enter and compete.
From the information I have received western dressage should score similarly to normal dressage, just different tack really. I don’t believe you can ride in a shank but with two hands in recognized western dressage.
It appears from this:
You can ride one handed.
However, the rules indicate that light contact with the mouth must be maintained at all times - https://www.usef.org/forms-pubs/NpmAWxkXY6M/wd-western-dressage
So, despite the fact that they technically allow the two rein, you definitely would be using it improperly as a signal bit if you maintained any sort of contact on it.
Yeah, how does one “maintain light contact” when riding in a bit with as much as 3 1/2" port??? Yikes
You shouldn’t. I mean, I know I’m preaching to the choir…but errr…that’s not the point of that bit!
Most working western riders post the trot because you’ve got to move faster than a western pleasure jog to get anything done.
Yes, exactly. That’s the kind of thing I was hoping for when I first heard the talk about western dressage.
And like the postilions, if you did not post you would get the side ache from hell. I was so taught in my western classes as an 8 year old. We even posted over cavalletti. Even at shows at that time you could post or stand in your stirrups for the working trot. The western jog did not exist, at least as it is known today.
My real objection to WD is the requirement for contact with a curb bit. They should have different rules for snaffle and curb bits. Curb bits must be ridden one-handed and without constant contact. Snaffle bits are ridden with two hands and constant light contact.
That would allow us mere mortals to ride in a snaffle with no aspirations of creating a real bridle horse but also opens the door to the rare individual who does want that bridle horse.
That’s why ranch horse lets you post in the working jog.
I don’t mind having “two” jogs. A slower jog that you wouldn’t post to - and a working jog that you do. Both are super useful.
Agreed. I’d ride in WD but there’s no way I’m taking my horse (who I do want to make at least a semi-bridle horse of - he probably won’t ever see cows and he may or may not make a spade bit horse, but that makes him a very well broke horse, but not a true bridle horse) in there with contact on a curb. I don’t want steady contact on the bosal either - the whole idea is that I lift the hand and just the knob moving is enough to signal him to do what he needs to do.
Interesting. The longest period I’ve ridden continuously in a western saddle was a week in Finland, north of the Artic Circle, riding a lovely Finnhorse. It is a versatile breed, used for riding and draught, and he strongly reminded me of a good Welsh Sec D cob. They are used for harness racing in their home country and are claimed to be the fastest trotting “coldblood” in the world. I most certainly didn’t have to post to get that horse moving. I just sat and we flew. Lovely. The worst trot/jog I’ve ever had was from a QH mare imported in to Europe as a proven American “champion” pleasure horse. So breed is probably influential here, too.
P.S. If he could have fitted into my suitcase, that Finnhorse would have come home with me. A total charmer!
It’s not that you have to post to get the horse moving, it’s that once the horse is moving faster, it’s usually a lot more comfortable to post.
Hence the post trot, when post-boys travelled long distances to deliver the mail but… in a saddle designed to facilitate the job. Stirrup length in the Western saddle? I believe it is shorter than it used to be?
I will be the first to admit I have always viewed traditional dressage as my least favorite of all disciplines ( like watching paint dry). Looking at the few links of Western and Cowboy Dressage provided here did nothing to change my views.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this guy^^^^ and his horse is lovely. Made everything look smooth and effortless.
The similarities and the differences between the western ride and the cowboy one.
I competed a lot in WD, and had great fun, learned a lot, but had to let go any notion that it was anything other than a way to do traditional dressage in a western saddle.
Now I am having great fun playing with Working Equitation, where English and Western horses compete together in the divisions, judged on the one score sheet, this is the lowest level test
So yes still looking for contact, but does not see, to mean English style. But, hey my mojo is in doing the obstacle side of it, using the dressage training to complete the course.
[quote=“KBC, post:37, topic:782254”] I
competed a lot in WD, and had great fun, learned a lot, but had to let go any notion that it was anything other than a way to do traditional dressage in a western saddle.
[/quote]
That’s kind of how I felt about it when I did it.
I don’t know about stirrup length. When I look at pictures of me as a kid, I don’t think my legs hang any longer in a western saddle than they do now. OTOH, hunt seat was always my preference so maybe I rode western with shorter stirrups than the norm. 
I imagine that posting would be harder in a western saddle that sits you in a definite chair seat or in one that is intended to provide extra security, like a bear trap style. But, I like western saddles with a more open seat so I find it pretty easy to post in them.
Stirrup length preference is so personal. Some riders want more length vs less length; not all show jumpers want x amount of lift out of the tack.
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