Western Dressage - Thoughts ?

I think it's a joke. I'm all for cross training with dressage on a western horse because some benefit from it. In fact, my BOs have a halter-bred pleasure-trained gelding that tore himself all up in some barbed wire over the summer and the vet's suggestion to get him back into work after healing was to do dressage with him.

However, pretending you're some Prix St. George rider in a western saddle looks dumb, IMO. If you want to show dressage, it's time for you to go saddle shopping.

This is what I watched.......was not impressed by the amount of contact.....in that bit.....could it been done on this horse in a bit approved and used by GP dressage officials? I'm not sure......anyway, each to their own.....it's not for me...

I belong to a sport horse club. We discussed the possibility of including classes for WD in our show next year. It appears that our breed will be sanctioning these class in the future as there is growning interest. Personally, I think activities that promote any and all breeds, get people to improve their knowledge and skills and training for their horses is a good thing.
I also understand there is a difference between Cowboy Dressage and Western Dressage. I need to educate myself but I look at this new interest as a good thing.

Anything is better than watching horses drag their nose in the dirt in a peanut rolling contest while walking stiff legged so slow they are moving backwards.

That video is a good example of why the WD movement grates on my nerves. There was nothing western about what the horse was doing or how it was being ridden. I have no objection to folks riding dressage. It isn't my cup of tea, but so what? But calling that "Western" seems dishonest to me.

I sometimes put an English CC saddle on Mia and ride her, but most of how I sit and how I cue her and how I use the reins is much closer to western riding. Sticking an English saddle under my butt doesn't make me an English rider, or Mia an English-trained horse.

It seems it would be more honest to simply open up a sub-set of dressage and allow it to be ridden at the lower levels in western tack, and justify it by saying it increases interest in dressage for those who can't afford or don't want two sets of tack.

It seems it would be more honest to simply open up a sub-set of dressage and allow it to be ridden at the lower levels in western tack, and justify it by saying it increases interest in dressage for those who can't afford or don't want two sets of tack.[/QUOTE]

This I agree with - a local dressage group had a men only class at a fun show but it had to be ridden in english tack, I would think they would have been wise to be open about tack as alot of husbands who are casual riders would only have a western or aussie trail saddle that fit them and their horse- there's no way my hubby would fit in my english saddle, he dosen't have tall boots or half chaps etc, and we weren't going on a shopping spree for one class.

Yes, you're right.....there should be a happy medium.....it seems to go from one extreme to another....

The clip of the Morgan horse was 2 years ago and I think this is not going to be the direction the sport moves in as they want to promote 'light hands' horsemanship. I think that was a really bad example myself
From what I see and read its not going to evolve into conventional dressage in western tack either and so far the popular horses for it seem to be the Morgan, Quarter horses and Gypsy cobs
There are videos on the Cowboy Dressage youtube channel and cowboydressage.com (Eitan Beth-Halachmy) that have a lot of information - including saddles which to me look pretty much like western saddles
I think people are using too many assumptions on what its going to be about rather than do some extensive searches - more than one place
No one has to do it any more than we all have to compete in barrel racing or eventing
Each to their own please, the world needs more tolerance!!!

Thanks for the info....I will go and look later tonight.....

Well you know you don't have to participate in these things to learn about them -I knew nothing about Western riding before we came here and now exploring a whole new world of it - a lot through this forum
Everything has to start somewhere - they said the motorised carriage would never catch on!!!