- Jul 26, 2010
- 2,969
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I've ridden all the levels and the highest any of my own I rode/trained got to, was I2. The current horse should go all the way if I can stay healthy....but that's a mighty big IF....due to my poor health. Usually the problem is finding a trainer/instructor one can get to and afford, with me, the biggest problem has always been my health.
The usual wise course with dressage, is to learn all the levels by working very frequently with a trainer who's 'done it all', while riding an already-trained horse. Usually a series of horses, each next one trained to a higher level.
Then one starts training one's own horses. But that is a slow process as many horses won't be able to go up the levels, and the rider will have to keep working with one horse, finding out the horse can go no further, and getting another horse and try again. That's how one learns one can't 'skip a lesson'. Every lesson is built on the previous one.
There are no 'short cuts', no special bits or reins that make it easier. Having SOME money to spend helps - but it's not a sport one can 'buy your way' in. Everyone takes their lumps the same.
It takes a horse about a year to learn a level from an expert trainer...it takes the rider much longer to learn each level. Especially since most people don't get enough lessons and try to work on their own too much. Dressage is a real fooler! You can think you're doing a great job, that is, til the instructor shows up and his face looks like this:
http://www.freewebs.com/skump/moehoward.htm
Or this:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...7&ndsp=9&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:372&biw=908&bih=363
But....neither training one's own dressage horse nor riding trained dressage horses is easy. Each one has its own type of difficulty. People often think riding an already trained horse is easy. It's not! A well trained dressage horse is a very, very stern instructor!
People also think it gets easier as one goes up the levels.....(grin).....til they try it!
The usual wise course with dressage, is to learn all the levels by working very frequently with a trainer who's 'done it all', while riding an already-trained horse. Usually a series of horses, each next one trained to a higher level.
Then one starts training one's own horses. But that is a slow process as many horses won't be able to go up the levels, and the rider will have to keep working with one horse, finding out the horse can go no further, and getting another horse and try again. That's how one learns one can't 'skip a lesson'. Every lesson is built on the previous one.
There are no 'short cuts', no special bits or reins that make it easier. Having SOME money to spend helps - but it's not a sport one can 'buy your way' in. Everyone takes their lumps the same.
It takes a horse about a year to learn a level from an expert trainer...it takes the rider much longer to learn each level. Especially since most people don't get enough lessons and try to work on their own too much. Dressage is a real fooler! You can think you're doing a great job, that is, til the instructor shows up and his face looks like this:
http://www.freewebs.com/skump/moehoward.htm
Or this:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...7&ndsp=9&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:372&biw=908&bih=363
But....neither training one's own dressage horse nor riding trained dressage horses is easy. Each one has its own type of difficulty. People often think riding an already trained horse is easy. It's not! A well trained dressage horse is a very, very stern instructor!
People also think it gets easier as one goes up the levels.....(grin).....til they try it!
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