Can a 'jumping horse' learn to like dressage?

Sol

Sol

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Bit of a random question, just wondering because after jumping my lad tonight, I can't see much reason why he can't go as well on the flat as he does in between fences
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But you can just tell that he loves jumping, and really isn't a fan of flatwork :/

It's not like I can jump him every day either, and I do try to vary his flatwork (hacking, polework, playing music and riding 'to' it) though he doesn't even /really/ like hacking!
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Or am I just going to have to live with the fact that we like different things?
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I have one exactly like yours. Makes an absolute meal of flatwork and progress is painfully slow but put up a fence ? Different horse. Supple, responsive, light.

Had a lesson the other day and Instructor said that he will never be that good on the flat as he really has absolutely no enthusiasm for it. Now I am wondering about keeping him..

Same question as you - am I going to live with the fact that we like different things ? And will this be a something that prevents me from doing what I want to do competitively ?
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yeah they can it just takes time taz is an example he loves jumping but hated schooling so it got to the stage that i would school him round fences and pop him over one at the end and had like 6 up and gradually took them away till wee had none left and he was schooling llike a dream
 
My pony is ex BSJA. I started doing dressage with him in April - and although at times I have felt like crying during lessons, by the end of the spring it all started coming together, and by summer we nearly started to enjoy ourselves!!

We went from our 1st score of 46% to 67% in a prelim test, and by the end of the summer were being placed everytime we went out (highest is 3rd so far)

Its still far from tidy and we're only at prelim level but we're getting there!!
 
I also think sometimes though, it's the distraction of jumping.

I am not saying that they do not love it but my Mare is pretty spooky and very evasive and what not, she doesn't 'live' to jump but put up poles and or a jump and her way of going perks up alot and she does become alot more responsive. I think this is due to taking her distraction somewhere else... So maybe try and rethink your schooling sessions and perk them up! Just a thought!
 
My horse loves to jump (so do I, that's why I bought him
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). However over the last couple of years his willingness to do flatwork has improved greatly. The basic schooling was always there but he just wasn't interested. I've had lots of help from my instructor who has given me ideas to vary our schooling sessions more and this stops him getting bored.
I think my attitude has changed too as I now enjoy flatwork much more than I used to. I still don't particularly like doing dressage, but we are now at least capable of doing a reasonable test (when the mood takes him).
 
have you actually taken him anywhere to do a test? Only because mine is a bit of a show off so although he can be frustratingly lazy at home he is immediately great as the bell goes and he enters the white boards, (he is a very bell orientated pony!) he can be lazy jumping at home too.

As a 12 year old he had mostly jumped, but I acquired him with stopping issues so decided he needed another job....... and to bore him into jumping
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so starte doing some dressage. I didnt think he was too bad to start but having seen the videos
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To a certain extent I think you have to persist until they find it physically easier and they it starts to come together. However, 4 years later we are now still trying to get the really shortened forward canter we can manage when jumping for our canter to walk trans!
 
Sounds identical!
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Luckily, I do enjoy jumping, just that my confidence has gone downhill over the last few years for some reason :/ I'm hoping maybe he'll help me enjoy it more by making me jump more often, though it is a little disappointing that I can't see him ever doing as well at dressage as I'd hoped
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Out of curiousity, how old is he? Mine's only 5 1/2 so hoping he'll grow out of it
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hmm, actually no, we don't have transport so I can only usually do the competitions held at the yard! Maybe it'd be worth a try!
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Think you're right about them needing to find it physically easier, guess I should be more patient as he is still only young really - but it still baffles me that he can balance himself enough to jump doubles and meet fences nicely, but cantering down the long side of a dressage arena?! Impossible
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I think so. One of the horses I ride, Max, is an outstanding hunter and loves to jump, his jump is just phenominal, I've never jumped a horse like him it really is something special! Yet when he puts his mind to flatwork, calms down and concentrates he does really really well and you can tell he enjoys it
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I tried to make Ellie learn to like dressage, and failed miserably
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She was bred to jump, and it was all we did for the first four years of being together. Then after a bad fall, I lost my confidence for jumping, and when I started to get withdrawal symptoms for competition, I had a brainwave - why not do dressage?
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We went out and had a summer's worth of lessons, and still didnt ever break out of the 50% in Prelim tests
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Ellie just doesnt go like a dressage horse should - she has a very high head carriage, she doesnt work long and low like she should do, and she is VERY spooky. She also has a lovely 4-beat canter sometimes, which although it is fine for an SJer, its very much not good for a dressage horse!
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She used to spend half the test trying to jump the boards and spook at the flowers - it was like she was just waiting for some poles to appear - almost like she didnt believe that dressage could count as a proper competition!

Several frustrating outings and nasty comments on dressage sheets later, we gave up on the idea of stressage and went back to just hacking
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Sounds like she knows what she wants to do... and I guess some horses will always be like that then?
Think it's interesting how some will have a go at anything and others really don't want to know!
 
Yep, tis interesting!

If I'm honest, I think I am part of the problem. I naturally ride like a showjumper - weight out of the saddle, toes stuck out etc - and I think my instructor was finding me almost as hard to convert to stressage as she found Ellie! She used to make me ride in handcuffs to make me keep my hands together
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But in essence, I do think Elz is just a showjumper, and always will be. She naturally gravitates towards jumps even when we're out hacking, it's like she's saying 'please, can we just pop over it?' It is lovely when they love to jump though, and dont need any coaxing!
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Riding in handcuffs? Now I bet that'd get a few funny looks!
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Hmm, I guess that could be true also! Now I'm wondering what I actually ride like... a bit of a freak really, I never got 'taught' to jump, I learned at a dealers yard! I used to be expected to jump all the little ponies, height was all that mattered, not style
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But I've never really been taught dressage either... hmm
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I may have to watch myself ride sometime xD

Aww, I think Danny's like that too. He has a bad habit of dragging you towards jumps if you school around them... no matter what angle you come towards/past one at, it's like he's just drawn towards them! Have to agree that it is nice though!
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Mine was a 'jumper' but over the past few years I have realised he actually quite likes dressage (we only do it for eventing) as he is naturally a bit of a show off and, once he sees those white boards he's away, on the bit and just seems to enjoy himself.

I never really liked dressage before - stresses me out so I think it was more me than him not wanting to do it.

He still likes his jumping but I think he likes to have to think and have people watch him so seems enjoy doing a test.
 
Maggie has show jumped all her life and done no dressage until she was 10. She has now done BD for a few months and has taken to it brilliantly, qualifying for her first Regionals in 3 just outings (and she is not a flashy horse). I think it is about making it fun for the horse and finding what they enjoy and what makes them tick - Maggie is a show-off and LOVES dressage and people watching her. She is also extremely pleased to have found her medium paces and goes into medium trot at the most inappropriate of times... She is so good at dressage that we might even retire her from affiliated showjumping! I think all horses can love dressage, it is all about the riders attitude and willingness to find what makes them tick!
 
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