[KZWestern]

I am trying to decide what sport I want to persue with Isis, and I'm having trouble. She's still young and beautiful... but she's doing great with basic arena work so I'm starting to think about it. I don't know whether I should do dressage... or the other end of the spectrum and go with Western Pleasure.

I really love dressage and dressage is the sport I am persuing personally right now, just on different horses. It is also the sport I have personally had the most success at, and I am planning on persuing it more intensely starting today. I like Western Pleasure too, but I honestly just don't have as much fun with it.

However, I'm thinking Isis is not a good dressage horse. Last year I brought her over to my instructor's place (her specialty is dressage) and I did a little bit of it with her, mostly just working on framing up correctly. It was a battle and Isis hated it and so did I! My instructor even jokingly said that you would think it was the worst day of her life the way she was acting. She just really hates being framed up for dressage... and I hate fighting into the frame every time. I've started other horses with some basic dressage even though there was some squabbeling at first, that was just because they didn't have the idea. Isis... she just hates it. Plus, as you can probably tell in the pictures I just posted, Isis just screams Western Pleasure. Her gates are slow and pure and she's more Western Pleasure like than the horses nationally shown in Western Pleasure that I've ridden. Her top line is extremely even (which is why I think it was difficult for her to frame up) and she naturally carrys herself like a Western Pleasure horse without me infringing on her whatsoever. With a little work I think she'd turn out great.

Basicly, should I go with MY favorite sport, dressage and take more time and effort and much more challenge, or should I go with Western Pleasure, what Isis naturally carrys herself like and really would probably be good at?

[cassidy]

personally i feel you need to do what is best for her

i would say do wp an get her going good at it

an then reconsider where you want to go with riding if you have done her at wp an still feel you want to pursue dressage then i would maybe consider selling her on an getting a horse more suited to dressage!

[~Sarah~]

Well that is hard! You say you like dressage better, but Isis does not. You say you don't like western pleasure, but Isis could be great at it! Both are good, in different ways. I think you should weigh the options and kind of think. Would you rather be successful and not have as much fun with western pleasure? Or would you rather have to work hard at it, which might not be always enjoying, but dressage is what you like best? I'm not sure! WOW! Good luck with your decision, whatever it may be!

[Thrills]

I've been in the same boat, I REALLY wanted to do dressage, but because of TJ's injury combined with the fact she HATED dressage, I've gone the western route. Why not try reining? The "western version" of dressage? That is what we're doing and she loves it. It makes it harder to enjoy what you are doing when you are constantly dealing with a grumpy horse. JMHO.

[~Sarah~]

Originally Posted by Thrills

I've been in the same boat, I REALLY wanted to do dressage, but because of TJ's injury combined with the fact she HATED dressage, I've gone the western route. Why not try reining? The "western version" of dressage? That is what we're doing and she loves it. It makes it harder to enjoy what you are doing when you are constantly dealing with a grumpy horse. JMHO.

That's a pretty good idea Thrills! Western, which is what Isis is good at, but the western version of dressage, which KZWestern likes! The best of both worlds, I guess!

[I LUV BESS]

Wp... just coz she likes it more. Ya never know...when shes a lilolder...she may like dressage ???

[stockhorse]

she is a wp horse and you are doing dressage on other horses.

[KZWestern]

Thrills, I would REALLY like to try reining... I think that would be AWEsome, but there are no instructors around here who do reining. I've looked and asked, no one. My instructor knows how to do reining and shows and judges in reining, but that was a thing of the past for her and she now has no reining horses... and since I've never done reining before I would have to learn before I could teach Isis. Plus, I'm doing dressage with my instructor...

[Quiggles]

Hmm this is a real toughy. When I first got Tawny I really wanted to do showjumping but as it turned out Tawny HATED jumping. She had the most awsome movements and conformation for dressage but I sorta thought dressage was a bit boring. It was clear I couldn't really do jumping. I didn't want her to do something she disliked. I started with a dressage trainer and tawny was very resistant at first,didn't want to go into frame and wouldn't go forwards. I ended up having a year with no instruction and in that time worked slowly by myself on dressage. Now she works nicely in all paces and for the most part will not resist going into frame.
Thats just my experiance,im not sure if what I said is going to help you. If I was in your situation I think I would persever with the dressage. You said thats what you want to do and what you would enjoy. Isis might change,you never know. I have seen a big turn arrownd for some horses in regard to dressage. My old TB had conformation problems regarding a rounded frame but some people have still manged do get a nice shape,it took more time than usual.

[UnDun*]

Do both! There's nothing wrong with showing a horse both dressage and WP, i do it with my own gelding. He's supposed to be a hunt horse, but he goes super western, dressage and loves show hack. I'd say do whatever works best for the BOTH of you, but theres no reason you can't work on "the other" in the meantime. Dressage can only benefit her, and vise versa.