Starting Dressage Lessons - Is Dreamer a dressage Horse?

lilrider · 08-22-2006, 07:54 AM

Well at the hunter show on Saturday my old trainer was there with a couple of her younger students. She watched me warming Dreamer up and gave me a few pointers on what I was doing wrong. She said that she has a lot of talent and could really take me places but I need to work on me. She said Dreamer is the kind of horse that wants you to sit there and not mess with her. She also suggested I should start taking dressage lessons to help with me not messing with her. So I am signing my soul away and going to start taking Dressage lessons next week. I am taking them with another trainer who works out of my old trainers barn. Our barn is on CR 8 and theirs is on CR 6... and our hay fields go all teh way back to CR 6 so basically I ride to the back of our feilds... then ride about 100 ft on the side of the road and voila I am there. The trainer I will be working with is Terri and shes awesome. Joanne (my old trainer who is a hunter jumper person) is taking Dressage lessons from her and she said its worth every penny you spend on her. So Dreamer and I are signing up and taking some lessons. This is good because Joanne has a new indoor arena so I can continue lessons through the winter as well. Her new indoor has eggshells as footing... its so cool lol. So... I am stepping into a foreign world and we will see how much I like it... I mean maybe Dreamer could be a good dressage horse? What do you guys think? I inlcuded putfile and you tube since some peopel can use one and not the other

So wish me luck and tell me what you see in our future lol oh and shes not extending because it was sooooo muddy and she was sooo tired lol poor baby

putfile videos
Trot Video
Canter Video

youtube videos

Trot Video

Canter video

Canter

Trot

lilrider · 08-22-2006, 08:20 AM

And I know we have plenty of talented dressage people so someone better answer

JBandRio · 08-22-2006, 08:28 AM

Any horse can do lower level dressage. At that point, it's about doing things precisely and correctly, and being able to do that improves the flatwork of ANY horse. How far beyond lower levels the horse can go depends on a combination of conformation and desire, as well as correct training.

Have fun, it WILL make a difference!

wyldterv · 08-22-2006, 08:52 AM

JB is 100% correct, ANY horse can do the lower levels of dressage and you will find it helps your communication skills as well as help your horse's athletic skills tremendously!

Be careful, I was surprised at how addictive dressage was, and I'm not a very 'disciplined' person by nature, who likes a lot of repatative stuff, but dressage wasn't at all as stuff as I thougt it would be, and while very technical, there are so many ways to 'shake things up' it's really pretty cool.

ches · 08-22-2006, 09:06 AM

I think that basic dressage is the key to success in jumping. You'll probably find, regardless of Dreamer's talent for it, that you both learn a great deal and are better jumpers for it.

rageandglory · 08-22-2006, 11:41 AM

spot on, JB : )

in my soft spoken, reserved opinion, any horse can "do" dressage (for the most part). they just don't all look the same doing it. some find it easier, others like the discipline, while yet others can't get it together for all the tea in china. and there are the rest that are genuinely conformationally limited, making the upper levels countre -productive for them.

lilrider · 08-22-2006, 11:52 AM

Ok I was just wondering if she would actually excel at dressage

Thanks though for the info. I am excited about the lessons

lilrider · 08-22-2006, 02:06 PM

anyone else wanna comment

wyldterv · 08-22-2006, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilrider

Ok I was just wondering if she would actually excel at dressage

Thanks though for the info. I am excited about the lessons

From what I saw in the video, she could go through level 3 with out any real issues.. could she go higher??? Impossible to say with out knowing the horse honestly... ATTITDUE and Trainability along with conformation/athelticism have a huge amount to due with a horse going into the higher levels of training and working.

Your dressage instructor will be able to get a feel for your horse after a few months of lessons and working with you and will be better qualified to tell you if this horse is capable of going through higher level training or not

lilrider · 08-22-2006, 06:54 PM

anyone else wanna take a look see?

08-22-2006, 08:28 AM	#3
JBandRio Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NC Posts: 23,666 Images: 144 Blog Entries: 12	Any horse can do lower level dressage. At that point, it's about doing things precisely and correctly, and being able to do that improves the flatwork of ANY horse. How far beyond lower levels the horse can go depends on a combination of conformation and desire, as well as correct training. Have fun, it WILL make a difference! __________________ - JB Acres, owned and operated by Dynamite animals. - It's a wonder horses as a whole don't just kill us all and be done with their misery. - Keep your voice soothing and low - even when things get western (buck1173) - Rio feels good - he bounced an in-and-out

08-22-2006, 08:52 AM	#4
wyldterv Senior Member+ Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Bellingham, WA USA Posts: 12,567 Images: 309 Blog Entries: 18	JB is 100% correct, ANY horse can do the lower levels of dressage and you will find it helps your communication skills as well as help your horse's athletic skills tremendously! Be careful, I was surprised at how addictive dressage was, and I'm not a very 'disciplined' person by nature, who likes a lot of repatative stuff, but dressage wasn't at all as stuff as I thougt it would be, and while very technical, there are so many ways to 'shake things up' it's really pretty cool. __________________ WyldTerv "I've been love ♥ struck!" Horsin Around and Doggin it 24/7, Life is GRAND! *Mustang Poncho,Dancer,Emmerson and Ms.Elle'* BlackFyre Farms-Bellingham, WA USA, http://www.freewebs.com/blackfyrearabians

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08-22-2006, 09:06 AM	#5
ches Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,472 Images: 38	I think that basic dressage is the key to success in jumping. You'll probably find, regardless of Dreamer's talent for it, that you both learn a great deal and are better jumpers for it.

08-22-2006, 11:41 AM	#6
rageandglory Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: the other seat in that handbasket Posts: 1,636	spot on, JB : ) in my soft spoken, reserved opinion, any horse can "do" dressage (for the most part). they just don't all look the same doing it. some find it easier, others like the discipline, while yet others can't get it together for all the tea in china. and there are the rest that are genuinely conformationally limited, making the upper levels countre -productive for them.