Post by mistersmom on Oct 18, 2013 18:23:47 GMT
Ok, I don't know if I will even follow through with this but needed somewhere to put my ideas down and maybe get some feedback about it. hmmm
My background in a nutshell: I took dressage lessons as a teen from a very good dressage instructor on her world class horses (of course at the time I didn't appreciate all of that and unfortunately she has since died so I can't ride with her any more
- regrets are such awful things). But being a teen, I wanted more action so I moved to a H/J barn. In college, the only barns around were western so I switched over and have been riding western ever since. Now I just trail ride and ride in CTRs.
I recently took a dressage lesson while on vacation with a friend in Maine and it has me wanting to take lessons again. I am going to watch one of my cousin's dressage lessons with a local trainer, hopefully next week, and then possibly take some lessons myself.
That leads me to the purpose of this thread. I have been looking into the world of Western Dressage. I was thinking of sending Mister to a general western trainer for about 30 days to have a refresher on neck reining, riding one handed (the one handed riding thing is mostly something I would need lessons on) and just to get him back in shape in general. I think with what I know about dressage already and what I will remember/relearn during my dressage lessons, I would be able to transfer those things to Mister to ride western dressage. The dressage trainer may even, at that point (when Mister and I both remember how to ride properly!), be able to help with the fine tuning of western dressage.
Of course, there are no western dressage trainers or shows (that I know of) anywhere near me. I'm not sure how many dressage shows are around (besides pony club which I am WAY too old to do) so all of this may be a mute point.
So am I silly for even thinking about doing this? Mister is, after all, going to be 24 next year. And although he is in decent shape, we both have gotten very lax with regards to riding properly. Perhaps I should stick with what we are already good at - plodding down a trail.
Hope this makes sense...sometimes when I try to put my ideas down, my brain works faster than my fingers so please excuse any strange sentences!
My background in a nutshell: I took dressage lessons as a teen from a very good dressage instructor on her world class horses (of course at the time I didn't appreciate all of that and unfortunately she has since died so I can't ride with her any more
- regrets are such awful things). But being a teen, I wanted more action so I moved to a H/J barn. In college, the only barns around were western so I switched over and have been riding western ever since. Now I just trail ride and ride in CTRs.I recently took a dressage lesson while on vacation with a friend in Maine and it has me wanting to take lessons again. I am going to watch one of my cousin's dressage lessons with a local trainer, hopefully next week, and then possibly take some lessons myself.
That leads me to the purpose of this thread. I have been looking into the world of Western Dressage. I was thinking of sending Mister to a general western trainer for about 30 days to have a refresher on neck reining, riding one handed (the one handed riding thing is mostly something I would need lessons on) and just to get him back in shape in general. I think with what I know about dressage already and what I will remember/relearn during my dressage lessons, I would be able to transfer those things to Mister to ride western dressage. The dressage trainer may even, at that point (when Mister and I both remember how to ride properly!), be able to help with the fine tuning of western dressage.
Of course, there are no western dressage trainers or shows (that I know of) anywhere near me. I'm not sure how many dressage shows are around (besides pony club which I am WAY too old to do) so all of this may be a mute point.
So am I silly for even thinking about doing this? Mister is, after all, going to be 24 next year. And although he is in decent shape, we both have gotten very lax with regards to riding properly. Perhaps I should stick with what we are already good at - plodding down a trail.
Hope this makes sense...sometimes when I try to put my ideas down, my brain works faster than my fingers so please excuse any strange sentences!
