ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] Dressage and Endurance

[endurance] Dressage and Endurance

Virginia Goodman (PHA146@UKCC.UKY.EDU)
Wed, 10 Jan 96 19:20:56 EST

Well, I'll stick my neck out because I'm not "good" at either dressage
or endurance, but I would say, based on my personal experience, that
the two disciplines are mutually inclusive. I have an 8 year old Arab
who would be a total brat without the discipline instilled by basic
dressage training. But I think he would also get bratty from boredom
if I kept to a 20 x 60 arena. One sport kind of enhances the other.

If by "good" you mean blue ribbon or first across the line, I'm not
sure there is such a beast who could do both -- you're talking about
specialists of high order in very different disciplines. But if you're
talking personal best, get a horse, any horse, whatever you can live
with. I'll put a plug in for Arabs, but I've known some Appys who
excelled in dressage and CT. And you can't beat the elegance of some
Thoroughbreds either. They're good at endurance, too. Just stay
away from the muscle-bound warmblood types. They won't fare well 25
miles down the trail on a hot day.