Dressage in the US

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Booboos

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MY OH is desperate to move to a warmer climate and the US is a possibility (just the warm bits, e.g. California!). Currently I have 2 horses which compete from Prelim to Medium, I am very much an amateur rider, but really enjoy the competitions, training, etc. Is there a similar structure for low level amateurs in the US (I imagine provision varies wildly, but does anyone know anything about California as such)?
 
I live in the US half the year (at university). There is an organised dressage society called the USDF (US dressage federation) which runs recognised (affiliated) shows and lays out the tests but as long as you go to a balance seat (dressage) barn or trainer as opposed to hunter seat barn or trainer you should find a lot of unrecognised (unaffiliated) shows. The test structure is different (it starts lower and doesn't progress at the same rate) but they focus on similar things. If you want any more info PM me.
 
Hunter seat is for hunting! Just a general purpose sort of position. In US show classes you use a GP saddle for Hunt Seat, and have shorter stirups than in the UK. But then I have never galloped in a Hunt Seat showing class, only an extended canter. If you gallop the judge doesn't like it.
The other seat is Saddle Seat (which is very good for body posture, as you can't cling to the horse with your lower legand you have to keep your hands high, out of that long unplaited mane) or wesern of course.
My sister lives in the USA, and the distances are VAST. She had to go miles and miles to take her children to Pony Club. I suppose everyone just gets used to it.
 
Northern CA has some good stuff ... dressage in the wine country around the Napa area is fantastic. I think there is also a great deal in southern CA. I lived in Northern California near Sacramento for 25 years, and it was fantastic. There's stuff for all levels, and a lot of wonderful people. Good luck and enjoy! I miss California summers...

Sonoma County area:
http://www.winecountrydressage.org

California Dressage Society:
http://www.california-dressage.org/
 
These are all fantastic links and info, thank you all very much.

Can I be a pain and ask about hacking as well? I keep the horses at home and the house we buy (OH is serial renovator so we move every 2-3 years) is always detemined by the hacking. I get the ordinance survey map out and look for bridleways. Are there similar rights of way in the US? (sorry if this sounds really stupid! I have seen people trail ride, just wondered where you have a right to go and what to avoid in terms of location). Thanks!!
 
There are lots of good areas to ride in California, and some areas where you'll be out of luck unless you want to ride on roads. Check state parks, state recreation areas, conservation areas, and national parks/forests for whether they allow horses (many seem to, but not all). There are also private parks areas that you can haul into to have a day-long hack. Horse camping, endurance, and recreational trail riding are thriving industries, but accessibility is variable depending on where you are. What areas are looking at? It's a huge state, bear in mind ... but apparently it's a good time to buy (grr... finally, since I gave up and left!) as prices are really dropping off and the pound is still strong against the dollar. Good luck ... if you narrow it down to a region I might be able to rustle up some info for you.
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As AJBliss says, California is a hotbed of dressage (it's the go to winter destination for many of the dressage pros, even more so than Florida) and the USDF format is very "amateur friendly" with classes and year end awards specifically for non-professional riders.

Hacking depends, as mentioned, on where you are. In general urban and suburban areas in North America are much less "horse friendly" than in the UK, especially with regards to hacking on roads and public bridle paths. That said, many clubs and stable have private hacking and wilder areas often do have public lands available for riding. In some areas there are even equestrian communities with communal riding rings, trails etc. Usually the set up is some sort or larger central boarding barn within the community (some are essentially co-op) and/or small acreages with stalls/pens attached to individual houses. California is one of the few states with these sets ups as they are much easier to make work in the temperate climate.

I was just talking to a friend who has set up her professional event business in California and she loves it. They ride outside year round (not some thing you can do further north!) with great footing. Hot in the summer but, as she says, you just get up a little earlier.
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In terms of Hunter seat and Dressage seat (balance seat) hunter seat is deep in walk and canter (even more in canter that dressage) but light seat in trot, I'm assuming you know dressage seat. The horses are also often trained differently. Hunt seat is and isn't to do with hunting.

I've competed both hunt seat (it sounds as though they have tried to alter hunt seat to create saddle seat though personally I have never in 3 years of riding over here heard of it) and balance seat (dressage and show jumpng) and western in the US and I have competed dressage, jumping and cross country in the UK.

I have to say that if you are used to UK riding stick with barns that do balance seat. I tried to switch and it doesn't work.

The hacking in the US tends to be lovely though I'm not at all sure about the west coast (I live on the east coast).

PM me if you want to chat.
 
Saddle seat popularity tends to be a bit regional - it seems much more generally popular in the South - although you'll find a few people doing it in most horsey places in the US. It's confined to gaited horses (Walkers, Saddlebreds etc.) and a few of the "fancy" breeds ("pleasure" Arabs and Morgans mostly). I'm not sure about the "alter hunt seat to create saddle seat" comment as the two are not related at all. (It used to be - like 30 years ago - more common to see people riding in all the disciplines but generally now most people specialise, at least for competition purposes.) In my limited experience it bears little resemblance to what I know (hunt seat, dressage, some western) but it's my understanding the show version has become much more stylised over the years. All the people I know who have gaited horses for pleasure ride in regular western/english/Aussie saddles.

I can say if you're looking to keep riding the way you are used to don't go to a saddle seat barn - you not find much in common!

Interesting to hear the comment about "balance seat" - that's a term I haven't heard since I was a kid! We used to actually have separate classes for hunt and balance seat and presumably this is still the case in some parts of the country/at some levels of showing.

My experience is riding is much less homogenous in North America, with many more popular styles and ways of doing things than in the UK, often existing simultaneously if not completely without differences of opinion.;) Coming from a UK background you will find hunt seat to be not what you're used to, although most jumper barns ride in what has become the "modern" way. Dressage is pretty similar, although I do find there are some minor differences in popular ideas and practices, particularly at the local level, between the UK and the US.

As mentioned, one thing people do find needs a little adaptation is the distances involved! In very "horsey" areas there tend to be a fair number of shows in close proximity but in the less populous areas competing can mean hours - even days for serious competitors - of driving. Lots of cool, big trucks and nifty trailers, though.
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Thanks everyone, that is really helpful.

I keep the horses at home in the UK and would, hopefully, like to continue doing so (difficult to go back to livery when you are used to doing things your way).

As for a specific area, here is where it gets complicated. OH works from home, so can live anywhere, but is fed up with the cold. I work at a university so I need to wait for the right post to come up and would need to be quite flexible (anywhere in California may turn out to not be flexible enough in terms of finding a job!).
 
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