When working your horse in hand, start with a simple cotton longe line clipping it to the snap on the same side of the halter as you are working the horse. Never use the snap at the bottom of the halter for ground training. I only use the bottom snap when I doing routine handling or leading, and only with a horse that is fully mannered and responsive to my commands.
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In the last article I stressed the importance of location when conducting ground training lessons with any horse. If you follow the progression I gave you to introduce each new ground training lesson. you will be giving your horse the best opportunity to learn. If your horse demonstrates he does not understand or is not responsive at any point in this progression, go back to the previous location to repeat the lesson until there is improvement.
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For me, western dressage is a dream come true. I was so fortunate to learn dressage training as a young rider. I rode with my mentor, Bobbie Steele, for more than 25 years.
What I learned in the dressage saddle, I went home and practiced with my ponies, my first horse, and my second horse, which was a yearling. Dressage applied to all aspects of training and all horses that I worked with, from the ground to the saddle. Even if a different saddle was used, whether western, hunt seat, saddle seat, or dressage, there was no reason to ride any differently.
You’ve probably already figured out that you can do the same dressage maneuvers in a Western saddle that you can do in a “regular” dressage saddle. This reminds me of our Western Dressage motto, “Why Not?!” I’ve been saying that since I learned of the vast interests in Western Dressage at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games.
For the first 30 years of riding, I rode consistently in the dressage saddle. I still find myself training the exact same way whether I am in a Western saddle or a dressage saddle. Dressage principles are the basis of my show ring success. By using these principles with the training of the horses, I find I ride the same when riding in a hunt seat or Western saddle.
Dressage is the only way to naturally train Western horses of any breed. After all, a horse is a...
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