How do I make dressage fun???

All I asked is that IF you can give me IDEAS!! on how to help my horse and me to start to like it! Like ChingazMyBoy, she said that to practice sit trot sit money under your ass and see if it stays there!!

Ohhhhh yer I forgot to say that he doesn't do on the bit well..... ... ..... When I ask him he walks backward or shakes his head and gets confused! And NO I am not doing it the wrong way! My instuctor has told me how and my friend has helped me in getting it right on other horses!

it usually helps me a lot to have a goal/focus for my ride. make up a new one or two every ride or look up some specific exercises to do each day !

Ok ok ok settle down girl! We're not having a go!! How is your instructor asking you to put your horse on the bit? Just because an instructor says to do something, doesn't mean it's correct depending on who the instructor is. Dressage will help you put the horse on the bit, it's going to be hard for you to do it if all you do is jump. (not having a go so don't get snappy)
Jiggling on the reins and pulling while shoving your leg on won't do it. Transitions, lateral work (leg yield/shoulder in in particular), figure of 8's, serpentines etc etc etc will all supple your horse up and will build up those muscles that are absolutely essential to allow your horse to work for long periods on the bit :) Ok, not having a go hun, just saying how it is so don't get stressed out about it I promise I'm not taking a shot xx

it usually helps me a lot to have a goal/focus for my ride. make up a new one or two every ride or look up some specific exercises to do each day !

Okay thanks soooo much! I will make a goal today! Make him canter on the left lead without throwing me off!! LOL

Dont know if anyone already said this, but...

Jumping is dressage with speed bumps. It is nearly impossible to be a good jumper without have some kind of dressage training. I am self taught and the only training I have had was a few years of dressage lessons. I am SO glad! I wouldn't be nearly as far as I am without those years of dressage.

I myself have always found dressage to be fun and be a nice "get away" from jumping. I love my leg-yields, they are my favorite. Before you starting doing lateral work (if you aren't already) I say get a good dressage trainer to help you out with them. You don't want to start doing them and get them wrong. Anyways....

So I say do lots of patterns, keep it fun, and don't give up!

I love this saying, one of the younger girls I help work with asked me why she can't jump. I explained to her that she wasn't ready and that jumping wasn't that special it was just dressage with speed bumps -- even though I'm addicted, in a good way.

okay!!! everyone has got this WRONG!!! are there any fun-ish excersises that any one uses?????!!!!!

I have used serptinies, teardrops, figures of 8 and maddie's game, sitting leaves or money underneath your ass and practice sit trot!!!!

We have been doing circle work in an open space with no fences, the circles went OK but he kept taking off to the side. Please I NEED IDEAS not critisism OR sayings about how jumping is just dressage with speed bumps!!! ( even though it was a good saying and i have to agree with it!!!

A lot of different posters have offered a lot of advice and exercises. Nobody can make dressage fun for you, you have to acknowledge its importance and try to enjoy it as much as possible. The exercises suggested are intended to help you enjoy dressage, if they do not work for you then you will have to figure something out. It is not the poster's fault that you do not enjoy dressage, they are offering advice from what they have experienced and are trying to help you, you can't expect them to MAKE it fun for you. People are discussing the 'dressage speed bumps' because they are making the point that whether it is fun or not, it is something you have to do if you want to jump. If you enjoy jumping, you will need to bear with dressage and not avoid it because it isn't fun.

ohkay then
do you have any interesting exercises i could try, but make sure they DON'Trequire a long neck, Nugget doesn't have a long skinny one, but a short stubby one!!

No 'exercises 'require' a long neck or anything like that, other than the horse being built super down hill making it harder for them to take the weight over their hindquarters ;)

Try getting your transitions absolutely spot on. Doesn't sound very exciting, but it's a challenge! And it's so satisfying when you finish up and your horse will move off or come back from the lsightest pressure.