My 9
year old Arab with almost 1000 LD & endurance miles is also competently
working third level.
On the
last endurance ride we were snaking thru some single track at a canter doing 2
tempi changes. Fun stuff!
He is
very ratable and smooth. Much more fun to ride after learning to carry
himself!!
I
would absolutely recommend a year of dressage training for every endurance
horse!
Alison A. Farrin
Innovative Pension
Innovative Retirement
Services
858-748-6500 x 107
alison@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I wanted to thank everyone for their emails in response to my inquiry about
dressage and endurance. I also posted at my dressage bb and thought I
would paste one of the reponses from there that I found "inspiring." Here
it is. I hope this works!
I'm competing in endurance with an 8 year old
Arab/Trakehner gelding. We started 50s last year (late bloomer, and I wanted to
be sure his brain was engaged and that he was *really* done growing). This year
we've done 200 miles (4 50s) so far. One more next weekend! (He did quite a bit
of CTR as a 5, 6, 7 year old.)
We also school dressage and I did show
last year. I'd say he's schooling first and second level stuff at home at this
point. The canter has come a long way this year, so I'm really tickled about it.
The dressage has made him significantly more "driveable" and steerable
on rides. I can shorten his stride, change leads (flying changes this year), get
"sit" on hills and such without any fuss or muss. That's a nice side benefit.
Most folks know right off the bat that he's a dressage horse, too.
I
find each sport benefits the other, tho I've also found that having my horse
"endurance fit" didn't necessarily mean he was "d! ressage fit."
Currently, I do endurance in my dres sage saddle and a Little S
hackamore. I like to stay out of his mouth for endurance rides, and it makes it
a lot easier for him to drink to have no bit in his mouth. I school dressage in
the same saddle and a KK french mouth snaffle. This seems to work for us.
I have gotten some of my best dressage work in endurance and
conditioning rides. Usually about the point where he's no longer quite so
'fresh' but still very hot off the aids. Wonderful medium gaits, and fooling
around with flying changes, including one magical day where we did three and
four tempis. They were a little more "exuberant" than necessary, but they were
clean and prompt and made me giggle with delight!
Do you Yahoo!?
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