Has-been Showjumper turned Would-be Dressage Rider!

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MizElz

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Has anybody else ever had a similar experience to me? I'm 19 years old, and have owned my horse, Miss Ellie, for 7 years. We bought her to showjump, as a summer spent with my trainer was enough to get me 'bitten by the jumping bug!' Even though we did well, though, I was always nervous about jumping; at Pony Club I was always the one who always fell off, even on the flat. After competing for four years at a semi-serious level, Ellie and I had a bad fall during a lesson, where we both hit the deck, and things were never the same over jumps afterwards. So we sold the lorry and became happy hackers, which for two years was fine...
But a month ago, i went out and blued my entire student loan on a brand new Ifor Williams trailer, and now we are entering the world of extremely amateur dressage. Am I mad??? thing is, I'm loving it....it's just wonderful to go to a competition or a lesson and not be wracked with nerves. It will never come as easily as jumping to us, for Ellie finds it a lot harder. But who cares about rosettes when you're having the time of your life?!?!?

Just curious to know if anyone else has had a similar experience!
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Well done you!

I used to be a showjumper and had a really good youngster that I jumped to Newcomers, I was then offered a lot of money for him and sold him and didn't ride for about a year.

I then decided to get back into horses again and looked for a job in a showjumping yard. None were suitable and I ended up taking a job in a Dressage yard working for Bar Hammond. The first thing she did was put me on a Grand Prix schoolmaster and I was well and truely hooked! I had never done dressage before and always though it was boring and for people that couldn't jump, was I ever wrong!!
I now have a nice young horse that I do dressage on and I love it. I have just started jumping him, but I know I will probably never give up dressage for jumping!

Its a lot less stressful at competitions, my friend who showjumps came with me once and couldn't believe how laid back it was in the warm up (only 3 horses) and how quiet it was while people did thier tests
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Sam x
 
i did similar, used to work riding racehorses then had a bad fall and broke my back. had 5yrs off then when i came back i was unsure if i wanted to do anything too dangerous agian! i do jump a bit on my lads at home but wouldnt go shows, really took to dressage though and been lucky cause so has my youngster!!
 
nice to know I'm not the only one!!! am riding my first ever novice test tomorrow; its a slow process but it's gonna be worth it! my horse has the most beatiful trot, but everytime i ask for canter she goes back into jumping mode - head up, nose in air, neck bent wrong way...
lots of practice needed i feel!
 
Me too!! I was a professional showjumper with a full yard of competition horses all at different levels and I myself had competed upto 1.50m level. I have competed all all major BSJA finals and bred, backed and broken horses and schooled many up to foxhunter before selling them. I had a fall just before christmas and broke every bone in my leg including my ankle and knee, I now have pins and plates and screws running the entire length of my leg!!! I was told it is likely I would never be able to jump again and withstand the impact of the landing. Well I am happy to say I competed for the first time again last friday night, it was only clear round and 75cm, and I got some rather odd looks from people who have seen me compete before!! I took a reliable horse who was used to jumping 1.40m classes LOL. I knew he wouldn't do anything wrong and he has a comfortable smooth jump. I did compete HC to stop people complaining and I was a little sore after but not in complete agony!!! I am able to jump upto around 1m but any higher and I am in agonising pain and my leg collapses when we land (which is quite frightening!).

So I have sold most of my horses and found new riders for the horses I was riding for owners and I am too starting out in the world of dressage!!! I was rather shocked to sell 2 quality branded young european sj that were all competing at New/Fox level and get one dressage horse for the same price that has not done anything!!! LOL, anyway he has amazing breeding and movement and is capable of grand prix movements whilst still in Novice points! I started breeding dressage horses way before I broke my leg, just because they fetch more money than SJ at the moment so I was lucky that I have quite a few well-bred dressage youngsters that I can start with. I have never competed above elementary unafilliated before but I hope to get as far as possible and have recently joined BD and BYRDS. I find that I prefer now to have less horses for some reason than when I was sj. I found it easy to take 6 horses to a BSJA show and compete them in all different classes, however I find with dressage I struggle if I take more than 3 horses? Especially since they are all youngsters. I would like to get an older schoolmaster to learn more advanced movements on but not necessarily compete on. I have all my hopes pinned on one horse that I have bred myself though and I am really determined that me and him are going to get somewhere. His mother, father and a lot of his relatives are all international dressage horses so I can't see no reason why he can't be with the right training and time?!! BTW his sire is Negro (ferro) and his mother is by Don shufro (Donnerhall) and is herself an advanced mare if you are interested.

I must say I do like how dignified dressage is with your times, it is very relaxed and punctual!!! I am finding I am working a lot harder on them in the school now as well and spending a lot more time grooming, trimming and cleaning stuff!!! Still need to get this sitting trot sorted though!!

Here's to being a dressage diva LOL, I never thought I would say that 9 months ago!!!
 
hear hear!!!!!!!!

awwwww.....its so nice to know im not alone, everyone i know has been so sceptical, but even my mum is coming round now to the idea that dressage can be just as cool to watch as SJ! im a little limited as i only have the one horse, but then, im only doing it for fun anyway! i'd love to get to trailblazers next year; we were reserve champions in SJ in 2003, and i'd love to think we could get there for dressage too

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Me too! I jumped seriously at Young Rider level, then lost my bottle and gave it all up. Now I've turned to dressage and have been happily doing that for a while, but I'm slowly getting back to doing some jumping having found a nice schoolmistress to ride. I might even be tempted back to SJ competitively , having sworn never do do so again!
I love the organization and relative calmness of a dressage show after the nightmare that was SJing!!!
 
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