Jeff and Celesto
© Rein Photography
The New Kids on the Block
The significance of both of these two new disciplines in our lifetime has to be acknowledged. As most of us know, the strides in western horsemanship and their contribution have made a significant mark in the world of horsemanship. We have amazing ways to gently start horses now. The other truth is that multiple generations of western riders, trying to harness the power of the horse, are still tryin’ to pull the cat out from under the porch. I’m talkin’ about understanding movements like shoulder-in to be able to teach a horse to stay balanced under you. Many competent horsemen miss what dressage did for the horse because if you ride western pleasure, or, insert any other discipline here, dressage is something they do in the other ring, over there, with other breeds, and vice versa.
Dressage has certainly been around awhile, a millennium, and the important truth here is that we should have been taught those basics regardless of the discipline we ride. Take it from me, Jeff Wilson, I’m a Catskill Mountain cowboy, training horses and teaching riders in upstate NY, and I’m here to tell ya, a gymkhana horse needs dressage, a pleasure horse needs dressage, and so does a jumper, all saddle horses. You get my point, it’s as basic as the alphabet. I’m real serious about it too.
An influential dash of dressage for every western rider is what the next chapter of American horsemanship might look like. Whatever western discipline you subscribe to, it might very presumably become reshaped with the current smash of “dressage meets western.”
A potent cross-blend of dressage coupled with America’s own fine western horsemanship and you have something to make a cluster of barn cats purr.
I’m still laying in the dirt with the social media stampede. Please take some time and “like” www.facebook.com/Jeff-Wilson-Cowboy-Dressage so I can stand back up and dust myself off. That’d make me happier than a full breeze from a corn-eatin’ horse. I have been training horses for over 35 years and value the western horse lifestyle in my approach to training. Giving clinics and seminars on how to reach your full potential with your horse through the training foundation of Cowboy Dressage keeps me young.
Look for Part 2 of “Dressage the
Western Way” in the October
issue of We Ride.