Another potential dressage horse

GH, I just want to pop in and say that I love that picture of your G Man. He is just beautiful... or handsome, whatever he prefers.

PS - I love that saddle pad. Did you order online? I can't find a black pad with lighter piping locally and I want one! Hehe.

LOL, I got the black one and a white one with black piping from State Line Tack, cost my $9 each on clearance and I LOVE them, such nice quality at such a great price.

Who doesn't want a horse that is a composite of all their favourite traits of the horses they own? :)

Can Ace not manage a bit of dressage? I've seen Arabs do very well at the lower levels. There was a time in CO when everyone and their mother at dressage shows seemed to have one.

Ace can do a bit of dressage, but can't see the point in it, she likes to doit her way, a total blast, but the judges don't mark so well for it. Also just at the moment, a 20 year old sway back ex broodie, isn't the best choice to carry my current weight.

I have a lot of work to get her fit enough to be ridden again, and more importantly me fit enough to ride her

Then maybe this isn't the time to be looking for another horse. There is nothing wrong with the appy you have. That horse just needs to be ridden more aggressively forward instead of you just following along with the gaits it offers you.

And as far as the horse liking only the western saddle, I really don't think ANY horse just arbitrary decides they don't like a specific saddle that is discipline related...more like the rider likes or dislikes the saddle.

That did make me chuckle about the horses liking saddles ;D

Dressage takes a lot of work ( I have never ridden western so cannot comment) particularly from the legs and core muscles. You'll struggle if you don't have a relative level of fitness.

I don't know about your appy, so won't comment, but in all honesty I believe pretty much every horse has the potential, some just need a firmer nudge in the right direction.

For getting fit now the winter is coming in, lots of walking is a good idea, and try things to help build up your core.

As much as I would like to say the horse will wait for you to get fit, it won't, and there is nothing worse than the feel of exhaustion and thinking you've got to get back on tomorrow when you can barely mount from muscle ache.

To be fair, every horse who isn't yet developed, in terms of training and musculature, as a dressage horse will "prefer" to not go round in a dressage frame. :) To do so takes a certain level of fitness and correct training for both rider and horse, and the unfit or incorrectly muscled horse will be thinking, "This is a little bit too much like hard work." If you'd gotten on my horse ten years ago, you could easily think, "She doesn't really like this dressage stuff." Nowadays unfit riders who haven't developed what is mainly core strength find her very hard work to ride, whereas she is easy peasy for fit riders. So you need both, horse and rider.

I agree with Spyder about Mr. G. I also think Bert is a pretty good looking horse. I know she has a kind of complicated back story (apologies if I can't remember exactly what it is) but with a bit of time and training, surely she could learn to carry herself a bit. :)

No there is nothing wrong with G Man, there is an awful lot right with him, BUT I don't find him comfortable to ride in the arena, and that smile factor isn't there.

It's hard to explain but G Man doesn't have 'IT' and I don't see anything wrong with admitting it.

As to the weight/fitness thing, good point and both things need to be addressed and worked on, but when it comes to Ace, even at my very lightest, which is pictured there with me riding her, she had to adjust herself to balance when I mounted, and as I say she sees little point in dressage, and at her age I would rather enjoy her as she is than try and progress her any further.

GH can I ask a few questions first?

How much dressage experience do you have?
And do you ride English much, or mainly western?

If I were in your boots, especially with winter and Christmas here, I would perhaps look for a coach that teaches dressage fundementals, to teach you what you need to see and feel in a horse for you, and to help get you fit. That way you can have more security in yourself when you go out and buy a horse and not have any doubts.

Just a thought :)