# A Girl Can Dream!



## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

So, I have this dream of someday doing dressage with my horse, Riley. I know he has the stuff, he was an eventer before I owned him and I guess he did pretty well. The only reason why I came to own Riley is because I was working at his barn (where he was a lesson horse) for riding time and the BO decided to give him to me because I loved him so much. That story is much longer and more detailed, but off topic. Anyway! Riley's stall was always covered in all kinds of ribbons, the BO had pictures of herself riding him in shows, etc, etc. I never really paid attention to any of it so I couldn't say what level he was at or where he placed. I adored him, not his ribbons.

My background, however, is much more... rustic. 

I learned to ride on a cattle farm in northern Michigan when I was 5 years old. I was carted around the yard bareback for a few years, then I got the reins when I was probably 7 or 8. One day, my great Uncle Art and my Cousin Mike basically tossed me a western saddle and said "Go put that on that horse standing over there. We're going to get the cows." So I did. And we went and got the cows. And I've been sickly obsessed ever since.

So here I am... Western to the core... With a dressage horse. :shock:

Now, I haven't always been an uneducated heathen. When I was a young teenager, I took lessons at a barn near my house and learned the basic fundamentals of riding. I took mostly western pleasure (surprise, surprise), but she did throw in a few english lessons. That is the extent of my formal training, however. When you are a horse crazy kid, cantering through the hay field is way more fun than having an instructor nag you about your posture. Needless to say, english lessons got scratched.

I've always had a closet interest in dressage. I think it's really beautiful and I'd love to learn something so different to my roots. Acquiring Riley didn't really help things, either. It's like we have this unspoken rivalry between us. 


I'm all like "I want to show you western!" 

And he's all like "Psshhh... bring it."

Then I'm all like "Wow! You're really good at this."

And he's all like "Let me show you my fancy foot work." 

Then I'm all like "Holy crap! How did you do that?"

And he's all like "I'm a dressage horse, baby."


He wins. I'm jealous. I want to learn dressage.

So this is the deal. I'm 25, 5'3", and teetering between 215-220. Riley is an OTTB, he's 16hh and about 1120-1140 (he's been gaining and probably will weight in the 1200s). I haven't done much other than walk/trot and trail ride, so I know he is going to need some work and I'm going to need to lose some weight (hopefully they go hand in hand). He has always carried me well, no fatigue, no sore muscles, no fussing. I'm sure we will be a great team once we are both in good shape. 

So I guess what I want to know is, where do I go from here? I have a nice saddle that his old owner sold to me, so I have that covered. What next? Are there exercises that we could do to get in shape before I call an instructor? I'd hate to pay $40 an hour for simple things I could do myself. Also, when the time comes, what should I be looking for in an instructor? I am a laid back rider, I'm not rough on my horse, and I don't want someone who is going to be harsh or judgmental. 

On a side note... Will I anger the dressage gods if I ride in jeans? Do I have to invest in tight tan pants? I mean, it's obviously not a huge problem, but will I get laughed at if I show up in Levi's? :lol:

Seriously... I am so lost in this world, I feel like a tourist. Like I'm enjoying a visit, but I'm not actually supposed to be here.

Someone please, point me in the right direction. Any advice. Exercises for me, my horse, your experiences as a dressage newbie, terminology, important notes, things to watch out for? 

I'd really appreciate it!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Ride in what you like. The tight pants feel good, to me, and I love full seat breeches. you can get all that down the road, though.

Can you trot and post for long periods of time? When you start dressage, nearly all of the trot work will be done posting, and you need to have the stamina to trt and post for long periods of time. So, I'd work on that.

you need good core muscles , so anything like Yoga and /or Pilates helps that a lot. Walking vigorously helps, too.

Start by getting some videos are some books that are beginner level. watch and learn the terms.

Work on feeling your horse's mouth. I mean, when he is bitted up, you learn to find his mouth (make a good contact) and then follow it, and encourage him to stretch forward, then to come back. Learn how to feel and follow your horse's mouth and get him ok with that.

And watch intructors give lessons before you commit (if you have more than one in your area) Can you understnad her? does her student understnad her? Does she talk more than she lets the student ride? is she encouraging or critical?

Along the way, the right instructor will fall into your lap. As the Chinese say, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears"


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

I'd like to think I'm pretty muscular, but I bet I will be proven wrong when I start down this path! I work at my boarding facility cleaning stalls, hauling hay bales and feed bags, sweeping miles of rubber mats... Basically, I work out 4 days a week. I'll have to work on my core though, I don't think it gets enough attention.

As far as posting at a trot, it's not something I do often. I have done it before and I'm sure I can do it again. Riley LOVES to trot so I'm sure he will be a good sport. I just need to find my balance, but that will come with exercise. I'll also need to work on feeling his mouth. That, unfortunately, is something my cattle driving family never taught me!

Thanks for the suggestions! They will be put to good use!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

YOu will be using a snaffle bit, right? not a curb bit . And what kind of saddle do you have? just out of curiosity.


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

I've always used a plain eggbutt snaffle, even when I'm riding western. I never saw the need to switch him to anything else.

I'm really not sure what brand my saddle is, it doesn't have any other markings besides the size and some random number. It does have an S engraved on both of the saddle nails. I've googled it and nothing comes up. It's all leather, it has a solid tree, the channel doesn't narrow from front to back, it has decent sized thigh blocks, and flocked panels. It fits Riley perfect, it sits level on his back, and he sweats a solid pattern in it, so I'm happy. 

A friend at my barn said it's a dressage saddle, but correct me if I'm wrong... Doesn't a dressage saddle have long flaps and long billets? Because this saddle looks more like an AP to me. I've just never seen an AP with blocks that large. No matter, I like it. It's comfortable for both me and Riley.

I'll take pictures of it tomorrow when I'm at the barn!


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## afatgirlafathorse (Feb 21, 2012)

I had the same thing happen - western upbringing, and then an english horse fell into my lap, and while she could do a pitter patter jog with her head low, she is made for dressage (according to my chiro/CEMT anyways!) and fitting a western saddle to her isn't the easiest task in the world. I ventured into this in February - started teaching myself to ride English, but then started taking lessons. It is still a huge workout for me and my legs are really the part that seem to be crapping out on me the most. Best of luck!


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

afatgirlafathorse said:


> ... while she could do a pitter patter jog with her head low, she is made for dressage... and fitting a western saddle to her isn't the easiest task in the world.


This is Riley to a T! With enough time, he can do anything I ask him to do. When I first got him, I rode english. Mainly because that was the only saddle choice I had at the time, but also because that is what he had been ridden and I didn't know how to switch him over. Turns out, it was only a big deal to me! 

Fitting him to a western saddle was a pain in the butt for me too. I ended up with a semi-QH Wintec trail saddle. All of the big name leather saddles laid right on his withers, the Wintec was the only one that cleared them. It figures, though. Wintec makes nice english saddles so they would know how to make a western saddle for a high withered TB. I still have to use a two pads, though. He just wasn't build for western.

I'm really looking forward to starting dressage with him. I think I will learn so much more about him in the process. He's full of fancy little secrets! :wink:


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## afatgirlafathorse (Feb 21, 2012)

Haha as a side note, a lot of people with stock horses don't like the Wintec westerns - but I bet they can make a saddle to fit a pretend western horse.


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

Yeah, I'm sure that my saddle isn't high on anyone's list, but it fits Riley, it fits me, and it looks nice. That's all I can ask for!


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

Here's my saddle! 




























I really love it, it's a good weight, the leather is soft and buttery, and it fits Riley very well.

So what do you think? Will it work for dressage?


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

And here is my "pretend western horse"  

The saddle was brand new out of the box, so it was still stiff. I was so geeked to have it on him, I had to take a picture.


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## Tracer (Sep 16, 2012)

I will tell you the one thing I have learned about dressage - it's hard work!

I'm a little like you in that I pretty much just got on a horse and rode. I never had lessons, and have never, ever had any interest in dressage apart from watching the beauty of the horses.

So when I did a horse course a couple years back, I was thrown into the deep end. The focus was on dressage, so I had to go from riding however I wanted in a stock saddle to riding properly in an AP. I had to learn to leg yield, have mouth contact (a hard thing when you're used to using long reins), and look like a proper rider. I did okay, up until the time came to really get into the dressage side of things. I was pretty much dying after 5 minutes of posting (and I was getting ridiculously bored!). Didn't help that the two horses I rode, one of them was a headstrong Clydesdale x mare and the other a lazy QH gelding. The gelding had the same feelings as me towards dressage - I was doing a mock test and he sidestepped straight out of the arena and flat out refused to get back in!

I wish you luck though, as a fellow large rider  Having a horse that wants to and knows how to do the job should be a blessing.


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

Yikes! Well hopefully we can start a little slower and build up to that pace! That makes my legs hurt just thinking about it.


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## MapleAir (Oct 19, 2012)

Your saddle is definitely AP, but as the term says "all purpose" includes dressage =) You'll be fine with it. As for the breeches, once you get over the awkward look, they're insanely comfy and the full seat ones keep you from sliding around. As for your lessons, if you have jeans that a bit snugger fit and that you can perhaps wear chaps on top of, you're set. 

For everything else, dressage is fun, so don't worry! Especially if your horse can be your schoolmaster, you're doomed to succeed! =)

Enjoy!


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## QuietHeartHorses (Jul 31, 2012)

Thanks for the advice and the encouragement! I can't wait to get started. I think Riley will be happy to be working again on something he loves to do. I've been looking into some english attire, I'm thinking I'm going to order some boots, half chaps, and breeches. That's all down the road a ways though, I think I'll stick with my skinny jeans and riding shoes for the moment. 

When the time comes to place an order, who should I shop through? And what brands are good, but not outrageously expensive? I don't need show quality stuff at first, I just don't want to waste my money on things that are going to fall apart quickly. Let's say... one step up from cheap, maybe two. Something a broke college kid with a part time job can afford! 

Also, I have big duck feet, has anyone come across a pair of boots that are wider than the average pair? I tried a few styles at a tack shop by me and they were all pretty slim, the sole and the calf.


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