For those of you who know about dressage and saddle seat training?

Question

What parts of dressage training would be useful to use in training and working the saddle seat show horse? For example the steps to collection, learning to wear the bit, etc. What would be useful to use to make a nice well trained saddle seat show horse (upper levels) and what would not be smart to use? How would you go about find out how to do them?

Answer 1

A good saddle seat horse is flexible and has a steady gait whether he is moving at the walk trot or canter.  We started Saddle seat horses on the longe line with a circingle, draw reins and upper check to get them balanced..  nose/face almost vertical to ground, head up high for good balance at speed and then we worked them over calavetti poles - which were just poles spaced out on the ground so his length of stride at the trot stayed steady and even.  

Remember, when they are moving out if their head and neck are not up and carried well they are immediately out of balance.  You can do this on your own if you have great hands.  

When ever you work them though they need to be absolutely steady at the gait. . going neither faster nor slower but absolutely moving forward in the same steady gait.  If you let them put their nose out too much they will string out and also lose balance and a lot of their style.

I do not know what breed you are working but it is important to post correctly on the diagonal and also not 'bounce' down on the back of the saddle as it will damage their kidneys at the worst and make their backs sore at the least.

There is a lot to training any breed for saddle seat, but some breeds come over easier - American Saddlebreds and Arabians are two that do it well.  Morgans are wonderful.  Some thoroughbreds if they are not too low headed.  

To learn how to train a Saddle seat horse you could try checking out some dressage books and books directed at saddle seat specifically.  The best bet though is to find a stable with a good trainer and volunteer to clean stalls etc to get lessons if you cannot afford them or to watch him train.  You can learn a lot by watching and if trainer will allow questions after then it is too cool.

Hope this gave you some ideas.  Good luck!

Answer 2

flying change

Answer 3

Just off the top of my head, extending the trot might be a good exercise. I really don't know too much about saddle seat but Dressage is a very good tool for every discipline to incorporate into any training program. Also, dressage is set up to do transitions during certain parts of a designated pattern; transitions are great to build muscle and keeps a horse fresh and listen to his rider. The main goal in saddle seat is to create an animated gait while the horse is responsive and dressage requires the horse to be obedient and perform flawlessly with little effort while being schooled. Each discipline has low level to high level training.

If you want to do some research, I'd get a copy of the Introductory level tests and the lower levels and learn about the movements and training techniques, take some Dressage lessons, go to some Dressage shows and maybe talk to a Dressage trainer ...they'd be able to help....

Answer 4

good question. i dont know how much help i will be to answering. but i'll try.

i've trained in dressage and i've trained in saddle seat. . . both for short periods due to lack of funds and horse. i'd say that from my limited understanding, saddle seat is one of the few things i'd say is much less needing dressage training. (aka jumpers should know alittle bout the basics of dressage because it helps them preform better) where as in saddle seat the way you ride is backwards to the normal styles of riding.  dressage is about leg contact, lots of lower leg cues ect, where is in saddle seat you dont use your lower leg at all. . . instead all upper leg.  collection for saddle seat horses is a higher head carrage then most dressage, but you still use same hand aid. As well saddle seat you have to keep your elbows bent at a 90 degree angle at all times unlike dressage.

that's the basics that i do know. i'm sure someone else can get more into details. i'd suggest really getting a top trainer to show you and teach you. . . because it isnt a walk in the park learning any level of saddle seat or dressage let alone the upper levels. but like i said i've only done lower levels of each so i may not be the best person to answer bout higher levels.