Dressage people can i have some advice please?

[NIKKI1974]

After watching the olympics games i have been left totally mesmorised by the tests performed by Anky and Kyra in the freestyle to music. Now i know that never in a million years will i ever get to a standard where i will be able to compete at this level but it doesnt stop me from giving up just yet! Could you please advise me on this ? Is it possible to teach any breed of horse to do passage and piaffe and how long realistically does this take to achieve if you are starting with a youngster from scratch. I understand this is a very technical and highly trained movement but is it something that could be achieved with a part bred arab or should i give up now and get my head out of the clouds!?

 

[Paint it Lucky]

I think it is possible. I used to have a heavyweight cob who could do canter pirouettes and half pass, but he was too lazy to do the likes of piaffe and passage! So long as the horse has good conformation, is willing and is trained correctly i see no reason that it shouldn't get to a high level. The horse may not be expressive or impressive enough to do well in high level competition but that doesn't mean it can't have a go. I would find a good trainer, tell them your aims and then go for it! It does take years to build a horse up to top level but half the fun is getting there! I wish you luck! I too would love to do dressage at top level but as i can't afford a top horse I'll have to try and get there with the ones I've got and just see how far I can go!

 

[Law]

I think nearly any horse should be capable of getting to medium level dressage, so half pass etc but it would depend on whether they have any conformational traits that would hinder it. ie my Section D is croup high so will find collection difficult if we ever get there, on the flip side he has great rhythm and gets 8s for his medium trot too

Good luck if you choose to pursue it

 

[Halfstep]

Re: piaffe and passage. It is technically possible to teach any horse these movements as biomechanically they are simply very collected trot (passage), diagonalized walk (piaffe). However, not all horses have the elasticity and suppleness, not to mention the trainability, to lean these movements to competition quality.

Remember that these movements are hard - hard on a horse's body and joints. They are not "tricks" but part of a trajectory of training whose aim is to teach the horse to take more weight on his hindquarters, lighten the forehand and go forward with straightness and collection.

 

[NIKKI1974]

Thats great thanks for the advice really appreciated .I am hoping to find a good dressage trainer in my area to come and teach me as i would like to doing both showing and dressage with my boy. If they are a good trainer they will probably be able to tell me as we go along what he would be capable of achieving. We are a long way from even going there if ever but i would like to try and work my way up the ladder within his capabilities. What level do you compete at and how long has it taken to achieve this many thanks

 

[kizzywiz]

As above really, good luck to you, half the fun is learning & reaching your goals along the way, my 14hh Welsh X is just learning flying changes, I've wanted to do them for ages, the counter canter was established enough, so my trainer taught us how to do them, she can already 1/2 pass & do walk pirouettes & everything in between, but like someone else said, being a bit croup high she finds the collection difficult, & medium trot is still a bit of a mystery!! You go for it, cos I'd love to be able to piaffe & passage too, but I keep getting sidetracked jumping LOL

 

[ddd]

I had a part bred arab many years ago that competed up to Inter 1 level and did most of the grand prix movements at home but did not compete at this level. I have a client with a dales pony that does changes and has started piaffe and passage, it is possible but if they do not have natural "dressage" paces you have to have them very through the body and in front of the leg, very supple, more so than a so called dressage horse. You will need a trainer that has trained several horses to grand prix if they are to help you get there with your horse not just your average trainer. Good luck.

 

[dressager]

Agree with Halfstep. Everything you teach along the way is a piece in the puzzle to achieving the collection required for these movements. Not every horse is built to be able to perform them well, part of the reason people always talk about an "uphill" horse, one that is already built so that it is easier to take the weight on the hindquarters.

Very interesting at the Young Horse Champs yesterday as some 4 year olds were brought over from Kasseman's yard in Germany and were already training piaffe in-hand. This proved you could determine the horse's potential very eary on, even if in reality it will take years to get it to competition level. The horses that found it easy naturally were the uphill ones with very active hindlegs, which you could see clearly when then shown under saddle.