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Western Dressage - Arabian Horse Assoc

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#1 ·

AHA to Use Western Dressage Association® Rules & Tests

Aurora, CO (May 2, 2013) – The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) and the Western Dressage Association® of America (WDAA) is proud to announce the use of WDAA Western Dressage Tests for 2013 Western Dressage classes.

The Arabian Horse Association Board of Directors recently voted to use the rules and tests of WDAA for Western Dressage classes starting in the 2014 competition year. AHA and WDAA look forward to offering Western Dressage as another discipline in which the versatile Arabian horse can showcase its versatility and unique style.

AHA and WDAA are eager to offer additional opportunities to riders and their horse via the partnership. The use of Western Dressage Tests for 2013 gives riders the chance to receive feedback on their ride, creating an opportunity to learn, grow and train to the maximum benefit of the horse and rider partnership. Whether Western Dressage is the ultimate discipline of choice or a training tool on the road to other western riding pursuits, the opportunity will exist for members of these associations.

About the Western Dressage Association® of America: The Western Dressage Association® of America is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit organization focused on providing a model of horsemanship which optimizes the partnership of horse and rider for their mutual benefit. The mission of the Western Dressage Association® is "to honor the horse, to value the partnership between horse and rider and to celebrate the legacy of the American West" which it focuses on through its offerings of educational opportunities and events to the equestrian community. To discover more about the WDAA, please visit www.westerndressageassociation.org.

Coming soon to a show ring near you.........
 
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#4 · (Edited)
I wish the Arabian Horse Association Board of Directors would address the breeding of Arabians with sea-horse heads and tabletop backs. After that, they could do anything they wanted. I'll be darned if I see the point of 'western dressage', but if it gets folks off their duffs and out riding, I guess it is OK. Personally, I'm still trying to convince my Arabian not to trot sideways past trash cans...:wink: I probably ought to give in, wear a top hat, tip it to the neighbors and pretend we do it on purpose!

Guess at my level, western dressage is how we prance down a wash. I wonder if the lizards appreciate our performance.
 
#5 ·
Personally, I'm still trying to convince my Arabian not to trot sideways past trash cans...:wink: I probably ought to give in, wear a top hat, tip it to the neighbors and pretend we do it on purpose!
QUOTE]

LOL Post photos! I want to see that performance.
Whatever you do and however you do it, do it with style!
 
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#10 · (Edited)
The sea horse head : PEOPLE have bred that in
Tabletop croup(not back): put any Arabian in that artificial show pose, under tension, you get that croup.
Show me these pictured horses standing square, normal, and lets judge then.
And, for the horse with the sea horse head...I bet, without make up, out on pasture and a little less "editing", he's only half sea horse.

I have seen quite a few show horses at home, behind closed doors, so to speak, and I didn't recognize a single one.

Oh, and btw....:eek:fftopic:
:)
 
#11 ·
Bsms...for whatever my opinion is worth, I think Mia is beautiful. She looks like a well put together athletic mare. They all should be usable and athletic.

Hopefully the WD thing will get more riders to be better horseman. And to my way of thinking it beats a Park Class all to heck. At least now there are rules and a direction.
 
#13 ·
I've said this before about western dressage.... if you really want to ride/train/show dressage... why not do it English? I mean.. theres no problem training dressage western, it doesnt matter what tack you use. But western dressage kind of butchers dressage. I see riders with heavy curb bits that are used on show horses that are always on a slack rein.. but the riders have picked up hard contact on the bit and it just doesnt seem... right.
 
#15 ·
One thing about WD. It gives horses with functional conformation who aren't bred to the latest fad - seahorse heads and overly high croups - a place where they can beat the pants off "pretty" horses. There are no points given for conformation, since doing dressage well REQUIRES good conformation. Horses parked out behind have a hard time collecting, and a plain head has no effect at all on performance.
 
#20 ·
Now, I am no blind fan of AHA and am often seen mumbling about show practices, but rage at the Magnum Psyche hate! My boy is out of a Padron's Psyche mare and he is not only athletic, but he is the most intelligent versatile horse I have ever ridden. Trails, gymkhana, hunter, western pleasure, dressage... he does it all. And he's damn pretty doing it. I adore his little seahorse face as much as I admire his ability to think about what I'm asking and execute it with athleticism.

Let me wander back on to topic and say... I have hope for Western Dressage in AHA! I think that executed properly, it could inject a little bit of education and proper movement into other aspects of AHA (such as Western Pleasure...). While bsms suggests that WD is mostly "silliness," IMHO I think that comes from someone who doesn't appreciate the good that basic dressage principles can do for a horse and rider. The beauty of dressage is that you aren't only competing with other riders-- you're competing against your last test score to become better, more athletic and more harmonious. This is what inspires better practices and better riding.
 
#23 · (Edited)
While bsms suggests that WD is mostly "silliness," IMHO I think that comes from someone who doesn't appreciate the good that basic dressage principles can do for a horse and rider. The beauty of dressage is that you aren't only competing with other riders-- you're competing against your last test score to become better, more athletic and more harmonious. This is what inspires better practices and better riding.
Totally agree. I don't understand those who are scoffing at western dressage. Dressage is just good riding and it's good for ANY horse, and greatly improves the rider's abilities as well.

I've only been to one Western Dressage show but I was pleased with what I saw. The horses were more relaxed than what you usually see at modern (English) dressage shows and had better halts. Their heads were not overbent downwards and all the horses were in snaffles, not curbs. They needed to work on bending (around the circles) and balancing a bit more, but that was the biggest fault I noticed.

Why learn dressage (western or otherwise)? Because is helps your horse and it's FAR, FAR, more fun than Western Pleasure.

BTW, I've been told by several very qualified Dressage trainers that Western "seat" is more like true "Classical Dressage" than what is often seen in the modern dressage ring. Although I ride English Dressage, my instructor often tells me to "western it up". My first horse was an AQHA gelding that I rode western so I know exactly what she means. Now I'm teaching my dressage horse to neck-rein, which I now realize is basically the same as "being on the outside rein" (dressage terminology), LOL! Anyway, I have no clue why anyone would scoff at the idea of Western Dressage. I think it's a great idea, and yes, it allows those with breeds other than European Warmbloods to show in Dressage.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I dont mind a SLIGHT dished/Refined head. I think my mare's is jut a lil too dished. And cant stand the flat backs (at least my mare dose not have that. I like the Babson Arabians because they are not Sea horse head or flat backed and yet the are the ORIGINAL Egyptian type horses.

Babson Stallion HR Hasims Legacy






And here is a vid of western dressage XD



 
#27 · (Edited)
Well, still not understanding your resentment against dressage here.

Dressage is certainly not the only way to enjoy one's horse. Of course "technically" the word "dressage" means "training" and most consider that a positive aspiration - to train one's horse, but still, there are many, many people who have no desire to train their horse, just to ride it. It think that's perfectly fine as long as their horse has been adequately trained by others to the point of safety at least, and has a cooperative disposition as well.

So I agree with you, that there is no reason to push dressage on everyone.

For those who enjoy the "training" aspect of horsemanship, to them I would only seek to explain what dressage should be and can be, that is, a way to improve one's horse, no matter what other discipline you enjoy participating in.

For example, I used to own a barrel racer. He had been encouraged and trained to lean in on the corners. He had also been encouraged to go fast and stop only upon insistence. This put some limits on the ways in which I could enjoy him. I could not, for example, ride him in a western pleasure class. He had no idea how to stop without a discussion about it, and contact with the reins was required at all times to keep him from accelerating. I know now, that with the principles I've learned from dressage, how I could have taught/trained him to become a better all around mount, while enhancing his barrel racing abilities, not destroying them. Of course, I very much enjoyed him just as he was, so I'm not on a campaign to insist that all horses learn "dressage".

And BTW, I'm puzzled at your apparent belief that dressage horses are forced to collect via use of a "long-shanked" bit. I ride my dressage horse in a double link O-ring snaffle. I ask him to collect with virtually no help from the reins. The "double bridle" seen on top level dressage horses is not even allowed in the ring on lower level dressage horses and most dressage horses are not trained in anything but a snaffle until the most advanced levels where a soft touch on the curb is used to indicate certain specific movements like the piaffe.
 
#28 ·
I have NO resentment of dressage. I have said repeatedly that I consider it an admirable sport. It just is not the foundation of all good riding.

Nor did I say dressage is ridden using shanked bits, although I have seen it used with folks promoting western dressage. And as I pointed out, that seems an odd tack combination for someone trying to ride with the horse 'on the bit'.

If someone likes dressage and wants to use it in their riding, great! If someone wants to do it with western tack, then...OK. But I think they really need to consider the differences between western and dressage, and adjust accordingly. I can ride traditional western cowboy style in an English close contact saddle, and my horse doesn't even complain - but that was NOT how the saddle was designed to be used. I can also ride with a forward seat while using a shanked western curb, and it will work fine - if I don't try to use the bit the way I would use a snaffle.

In addition, I think Western Dressage is oriented to people who haven't had much experience in dressage almost like a shortcut to dressage. Like jumping, I think dressage is a sport that should be taken seriously. And I'm not sure Western Dressage takes dressage seriously. The marketing I've seen seems like "Dressage without the work". If I'm wrong, that will be a good thing. If I'm right, then WD needs to die. Time will tell.
 
#29 · (Edited)
The more dressage I learn, the less I see it as a sport, and the more as learning to improve both myself and my horse. I don't think I've gotten to the point where we, together, are very "artistic" yet, but perhaps someday, lol!

My only question about the tack used for western dressage is it seems to me that most western saddles encourage a somewhat "chair seat" (correct me if I'm wrong) and that is a no-no in classical dressage. Of course, that said, I have several dressage saddles and of my two favorites, one definitely puts me in a "chair seat" position, while the other does not. Should I ever decide to get serious about Western Dressage, I will be on the lookout for a western saddle that puts me in the best position for the discipline.

BTW, what are the rules for bits in Western Dressage? I'd be surprised if some version of a snaffle was not required.

And perhaps we should start a whole new discussion about what "on the bit" means to whom.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#30 ·
Some western saddles encourage a chair seat and others do not. There are plenty of both out there. The Circle Y I own puts me in a terrible, knee-killing chair seat. I hate it. The Abetta we own puts my heel under my hip, even though I don't want it that far back - but at least it doesn't hurt my knees!

The rules I just looked up allow snaffles and western bits. The videos I just looked at on their website had both being used. (Video Gallery | Western Dressage Association of America)

I've discussed on the bit with a variety of people. This probably isn't the time or place to discuss it at length.

Traditional western riding has different goals than traditional dressage, and it leaves the subject open to a great deal of misunderstanding. Traditional western riding has valued things like speed, acceleration, and trusting the horse to make some of the decisions. I'm not sure how those values integrate into doing collected gaits in an arena. And if those values are left behind, is it still worth calling it 'western'? What if someone started "Western Jumping", doing steeplechases using western saddles and bits. Would it make sense?

I view riding as a diamond with many facets. I'm not sure the diamond is improved by blurring the distinctions between the facets...
 
#31 · (Edited)
I understand what you are saying. The idea of western jumping does sound a bit odd to me, but western dressage I'm not so sure about. Having ridden both western, basic English hunt seat, and dressage, I feel that western is far more like dressage than English hunt seat. Western riding promotes a longer leg, riding primarily off the seat, turning away from the outside rein, the sitting trot, etc. Hunt seat (used in most other English style riding) promotes none of these, while dressage promotes them all.

But then alas, we come down to costume and tack. Outwardly they look different but western snaffles are certainly common and if you say that non-chairseat western saddles are also readily available, then it comes down to cosmetics and I'm not convinced that should be the deciding factor. After all, authentic cowboys didn't dress as your western riders of today, nor did the original inventors of the word "dressage" dress like dressage riders of today. A person in a western style community is not often inclined to switch over to English attire, nor should they have to IMO, just to ride dressage.

The answer of course, is for we who value what dressage has to offer the horse and rider, but don't care for the attire, to all join the "Baroque Equestrian Games and Institute" (I have) and compete under it's wonderful rules which allow any and all styles of tack and attire, while focusing only on the improvement of the horse and rider. (Beside strictly dressage classes, the BEGI also offers the artistic expression of musical and custume classes, as well as "games".)
 
#33 ·
I am now going to give my point on WD. Here in my area everyone thinks dressage is stupid. We have a lot of western riders that like western pleasure and trail. After hearing about WD a lot of them said, "Ha never thought that would happen" Any way a lot of them thought dressage was stupid, not important and a waste of time. Soon after their ideas on it changed not for WD but dressage in general. Its just something else for western riders to do, to open their minds to something new. I am all for it and plan on trying it my self.
 
#34 ·
Whatever is good for horses and the horse industry is fine with me.
To each his own.
Variety is the spice of life.

If we are going to be very narrow-minded about it, perhaps we should restrict all dressage to Spanish saddles and Spanish horses. All quarter horses would have to be restricted to the western look of course, all thoroughbreds to racing, and warmbloods to jumping. Perhaps ALL western horses should be condemned to the curb bit, whether they need it or not.

But I will tell you one reason I have for wanting to stick to my Klimke dressage saddle: comfort. At my age I need to avoid all the bruises and rub spots possible. I'd love to show in Western Dressage but I'll have to find a comfortable non-chairseat western saddle first.
 
#36 ·
Why not just encourage them to ride better? There are millions of western horses who move just fine without dressage lessons. There is nothing wrong with 'western horses' learning dressage, or jumping, or polo. It is the mixing of different traditions, combined with marketing that strikes me as demeaning both traditions, that I object to with WD. I'd respect WD more if it was defined as a two-event sport, with a combination of barrel racing scores and dressage providing the final score. Or reining & dressage.
"The Western Dressage Association® of America (WDAA) was organized to provide western riders and horses with an educational program which incorporates the principles of lightness into a whole new way of thinking about riding western. Western Dressage helps a rider to improve the horse’s balance, cadence and carriage. Whether your horse competes in reining, roping, cutting, western pleasure, or enjoys the trail with you, using dressage will improve your partnership and keep your horse happier and more sound far longer than it would otherwise be...It is not the goal of Western Dressage to create western horses that compete in open dressage but to create better western horses and riders through the use and principles of dressage."
FAQ

It seems the WD people think Western riding is about ham-fisted people riding unbalanced horses resulting in their breaking down and dying after an unhappy life - but WD is here to save western horses from western riding. Because, as we all know, western riders aren't light, or balanced. And our horses go lame early because we allow them to use their natural balance...:-x
"dressage will improve your partnership and keep your horse happier and more sound far longer than it would otherwise be"
According to WD, if we don't use dressage, our horses will be unhappy and unsound...presumably because western riders suck. I don't know why anyone would take offense to marketing like that! :?
 
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