the western dressage dilema
In order to understand what Western Dressage is, one needs to examine several disciplines that are related closely to the ideals of what Western Dressage stands for. 'Western Dressage' is just that, a discipline onto itself consisting of tests in Western attire. The aim is to perfect and progress the training of the Western horse so that he is more a 'pleasure' to ride. 'Ranch Pleasure' is done with classical gaits, done in Western tack and attire. The aim is to perfect and progress the horse so that he is ready to 'work' in the ranch setting. These two disciplines want to differentiate from each other, so we can say that 'Ranch Pleasure' is to develop the working horse and that 'Western Dressage' is to develop the pleasure horse, therefore it can also be called 'Western Pleasure' or 'Western Pleasure Dressage'. "Doma" translates into 'dressage' and "Vaquero" translates into 'cowboy'. On that note, Doma Vaquero is very different riding discipline. Traditionally, Spanish riders worked with the garrocha, or long pole, to help tend cattle. This style of riding spread to four other countries who modeled competitions after it, birthing 'Working Equitation'. So this 'Cowboy Dressage' has Spanish roots, but is done in the country's native tack and attire. There are phases (tests): 1) dressage, 2) obstacle, 3) speed and 4) cow (like team penning).
As for ‘Classical Dressage’, it founds all disciplines, however once dressage is put into a discipline competition, it is no longer classical because it becomes competitive, which is a different topic altogether. Each discipline develops specific dressage tests. ‘Eventing’ has its own tests, which differ from ‘Working Equitation’. Even FEI competitions have different tests than the level tests based in national sanctioned competitions such USDF, BD and so on. Each of these disciplines put a different spin on the dressage tests, making them their own.
Even ‘Western Dressage’ is evolving into a discipline with its own tests. These tests are uniquely different from classical tests because Western Pleasure ideals are being placed in the tests. The gaits are a bit slower than the classical gaits. Therefore we have the ‘jog’ and the ‘lope’ versus the ‘trot’ and the ‘canter’. It is hard to say what will happen to the future of ‘Western Dressage’ and ‘Western Pleasure’. After all, the ideals of 'Western Pleasure' originally started out with the same goals as 'Western Dressage', but the later wants to help FIX the problems currently found in the Western Pleasure competitive world. Just to name a few of these issues, the biggest issue is the fact that the horses travel so long and low that their polls are below the wither, stressing the shoulders specifically and causing a lack of engagement, leading to the second biggest issue of loping with four beats instead of three. This creates a false gait, which in turn signifies the third biggest issue of false gaits that are too slow to be true, as even the jog is more of a shuffle almost on the spot with dragging feet. This excessive slowness leads to a fourth issue of incorrect training methods, such as working the horse ‘canted’ or counter-bent towards the rail throughout, trying to slow the horse. Other training methods are incorrect and cause great concern, turmoil, debates and ethical issues. These issues go against the grain of classical riding.
In conclusion, upon reviewing ‘Western Pleasure’, ‘Ranch Pleasure’, ‘Doma Vaquero’, ‘Working Equitation’, ‘Classical Dressage’ and ‘Competitive Dressage’, one can see that ‘Western Dressage’ is really ‘Western Pleasure Dressage’ based on tests and theory designed to perfect and progress the training of the horse so that he is more of a pleasure to ride. It should be supported as long as it stays true to the classical foundation and sticks with the original goals.
The Pleasure Dressage Discrepancy - "Keeping the sport pure and classical”. Western pleasure stems from the days of working long hours in the saddle across the North American landscape. Some of these jobs may have involved working cattle, delivering mail, transport, and other types of work. The pleasure horse stemmed from the horse shows where the pleasure horse was awarded for his good behavior and his good looks. It was also judge’s preference given that day of the show.
During the 20th century, the western pleasure discipline took a twisted path. The idea of the slow, western horse came into play. Horse’s gaits were slowed immensely and that led to faulty training methods and false gaits. Riders and trainers alike wanted to show how horse the slow really was by slacking off the contact in the reins. This led to the long draping reins. However, in order to achieve the slow gaits without rein contact, the horses had to be excessively trained to have the slowest gaits possible. Speed was punished. This also created the long and low frame to show that the horse had no intent of running away.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line a horse or two may have been rewarded for excessively slow gaits and too low of heads. This created the current trend. The Western pleasure discipline took on a bad reputation. Riders and trainers alike tried to slow their horses down even more. The gaits became unnatural and in order to achieve them horses suffered through multiple forms of abuse. The term ‘canted’ means that the horse is constantly counter-bent towards the rail in an effort to slow him down even more. Horses were stalled with their heads tied high for so long that they no longer had the strength to hold their heads up in the arena. Some were refused food in order to make them weaker and slow them down during their performance.
Horses with their heads below the withers were still placing in the ring. They were referred to as “peanut-rollers” or “peanut pushers” because their head was so low and the roller bit is so common. The gaits lost their balance and soon all gaits had four beats. The walk was sluggish. The jog was almost a walking pace with four beats, the lope also had four beats and the horses ended up looking lame. Pretty soon, Western Pleasure got a bad name that is finding it hard to live down.
As a result, the numbers in the show arena started going down. Something had to be done and soon new disciplines started evolving. To name just a few, there was Western Riding, Ranch Pleasure and even Reining became more popular.
Not wanting the Western Pleasure world to diminish, some breed shows started fighting back and demanding that their judges reward those who were still true. However, this is hard to do when the trend is strong and all of the horses are still being ridden too low and too slow. As a drastic change of events the new term ‘Western Dressage’ came into play. It is still highly controversial in how it is to be defined, but the bottom line is that creates the need for riders and trainers to go back to the classical roots and fix these horses. Western riders have always been encouraged to ride in the Classical Dressage program at the International Riding Academy, however it is not the same as ‘Western Dressage’. ‘Western Dressage’ is nothing more than what the Western Pleasure class should look like. Granted no one wants a hot horse running around the arena, but also the lame and tired horse needs to be stopped. Horses need to travel true and with harmony. This means that there needs to be a place where horse and riders who are classically correct can be awarded for their efforts. The Academy has put this course into activation in order to teach enlightened equestrian education.
Along the way, there may be some changes and of course the modern and competitive dressage world is always changing, this means that the Academy will stick to the ancient theories and classical concepts and not follow suit as other organizations are. The Academy works hard with the masters of classical horsemanship. Great detail is given to the training methods and regimes, regardless of which horse and rider place in the competitive arena. In fact, the Academy throws out the idea of competition altogether and tries to make the discipline more about the horse and rider. After all, a truly worthy horse will be able to show himself off in his training regime and through the evaluations. His certificate of achievements will speak for itself and he will be worth more to the rider, the owner and the prospective buyer. His ability to work long into his senior years will create a more prosperous industry and happiness for the horses.
As for ‘Classical Dressage’, it founds all disciplines, however once dressage is put into a discipline competition, it is no longer classical because it becomes competitive, which is a different topic altogether. Each discipline develops specific dressage tests. ‘Eventing’ has its own tests, which differ from ‘Working Equitation’. Even FEI competitions have different tests than the level tests based in national sanctioned competitions such USDF, BD and so on. Each of these disciplines put a different spin on the dressage tests, making them their own.
Even ‘Western Dressage’ is evolving into a discipline with its own tests. These tests are uniquely different from classical tests because Western Pleasure ideals are being placed in the tests. The gaits are a bit slower than the classical gaits. Therefore we have the ‘jog’ and the ‘lope’ versus the ‘trot’ and the ‘canter’. It is hard to say what will happen to the future of ‘Western Dressage’ and ‘Western Pleasure’. After all, the ideals of 'Western Pleasure' originally started out with the same goals as 'Western Dressage', but the later wants to help FIX the problems currently found in the Western Pleasure competitive world. Just to name a few of these issues, the biggest issue is the fact that the horses travel so long and low that their polls are below the wither, stressing the shoulders specifically and causing a lack of engagement, leading to the second biggest issue of loping with four beats instead of three. This creates a false gait, which in turn signifies the third biggest issue of false gaits that are too slow to be true, as even the jog is more of a shuffle almost on the spot with dragging feet. This excessive slowness leads to a fourth issue of incorrect training methods, such as working the horse ‘canted’ or counter-bent towards the rail throughout, trying to slow the horse. Other training methods are incorrect and cause great concern, turmoil, debates and ethical issues. These issues go against the grain of classical riding.
In conclusion, upon reviewing ‘Western Pleasure’, ‘Ranch Pleasure’, ‘Doma Vaquero’, ‘Working Equitation’, ‘Classical Dressage’ and ‘Competitive Dressage’, one can see that ‘Western Dressage’ is really ‘Western Pleasure Dressage’ based on tests and theory designed to perfect and progress the training of the horse so that he is more of a pleasure to ride. It should be supported as long as it stays true to the classical foundation and sticks with the original goals.
The Pleasure Dressage Discrepancy - "Keeping the sport pure and classical”. Western pleasure stems from the days of working long hours in the saddle across the North American landscape. Some of these jobs may have involved working cattle, delivering mail, transport, and other types of work. The pleasure horse stemmed from the horse shows where the pleasure horse was awarded for his good behavior and his good looks. It was also judge’s preference given that day of the show.
During the 20th century, the western pleasure discipline took a twisted path. The idea of the slow, western horse came into play. Horse’s gaits were slowed immensely and that led to faulty training methods and false gaits. Riders and trainers alike wanted to show how horse the slow really was by slacking off the contact in the reins. This led to the long draping reins. However, in order to achieve the slow gaits without rein contact, the horses had to be excessively trained to have the slowest gaits possible. Speed was punished. This also created the long and low frame to show that the horse had no intent of running away.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line a horse or two may have been rewarded for excessively slow gaits and too low of heads. This created the current trend. The Western pleasure discipline took on a bad reputation. Riders and trainers alike tried to slow their horses down even more. The gaits became unnatural and in order to achieve them horses suffered through multiple forms of abuse. The term ‘canted’ means that the horse is constantly counter-bent towards the rail in an effort to slow him down even more. Horses were stalled with their heads tied high for so long that they no longer had the strength to hold their heads up in the arena. Some were refused food in order to make them weaker and slow them down during their performance.
Horses with their heads below the withers were still placing in the ring. They were referred to as “peanut-rollers” or “peanut pushers” because their head was so low and the roller bit is so common. The gaits lost their balance and soon all gaits had four beats. The walk was sluggish. The jog was almost a walking pace with four beats, the lope also had four beats and the horses ended up looking lame. Pretty soon, Western Pleasure got a bad name that is finding it hard to live down.
As a result, the numbers in the show arena started going down. Something had to be done and soon new disciplines started evolving. To name just a few, there was Western Riding, Ranch Pleasure and even Reining became more popular.
Not wanting the Western Pleasure world to diminish, some breed shows started fighting back and demanding that their judges reward those who were still true. However, this is hard to do when the trend is strong and all of the horses are still being ridden too low and too slow. As a drastic change of events the new term ‘Western Dressage’ came into play. It is still highly controversial in how it is to be defined, but the bottom line is that creates the need for riders and trainers to go back to the classical roots and fix these horses. Western riders have always been encouraged to ride in the Classical Dressage program at the International Riding Academy, however it is not the same as ‘Western Dressage’. ‘Western Dressage’ is nothing more than what the Western Pleasure class should look like. Granted no one wants a hot horse running around the arena, but also the lame and tired horse needs to be stopped. Horses need to travel true and with harmony. This means that there needs to be a place where horse and riders who are classically correct can be awarded for their efforts. The Academy has put this course into activation in order to teach enlightened equestrian education.
Along the way, there may be some changes and of course the modern and competitive dressage world is always changing, this means that the Academy will stick to the ancient theories and classical concepts and not follow suit as other organizations are. The Academy works hard with the masters of classical horsemanship. Great detail is given to the training methods and regimes, regardless of which horse and rider place in the competitive arena. In fact, the Academy throws out the idea of competition altogether and tries to make the discipline more about the horse and rider. After all, a truly worthy horse will be able to show himself off in his training regime and through the evaluations. His certificate of achievements will speak for itself and he will be worth more to the rider, the owner and the prospective buyer. His ability to work long into his senior years will create a more prosperous industry and happiness for the horses.