Is it possible for a Quarter Horse to perform in upper level dressage?

Question

Is it possible for a QH to piaffe, half-pass and do a canter piroutte?

Answer 1

Yes and no. People say any horse can do anything and the truth of the matter is they can't. They have to have the proper conformation to be able to perform certain task.

Quater horses where bred to have what is called tucking engagement. This is where they drop their butts and lift their hindlegs more up then out. This would make it very easy for the horse to do dressage movements where they rock back on their haunches such as piaffe and pirouttes.

They will how ever find more problems with doing true with leg yeilds, half-pass, and extended trots because they can not physically move their legs in a long enough stride to do this.

I don't know your horse but can only imagine that they are built like a general quater horse and because of this certain movements would be more diffcult then others.

Answer 2

Yes.  I had my western performance quarter horse trained in dressage to improve his western pleasure performance years ago.  He never did a piaffe, but the half pass was a piece of cake and the trainer could pirouette him (I never tried, just watched her do it).  He was a big horse and very athletic type, and could pretty much do anything you can think of.

Answer 3

Absolutely!  Maybe...

The reason why you don't see many Quarter Horses in dressage has more to do with culture than it has to do with the horse itself.  In "Dressage Culture", the warmbloods are very popular because they have the build that best matches what the most highly prized horses for advanced schooling used to look like during the Baroque era.  Of course, Thoroughbreds, Akhal-Tekes, Trakehners, and other horses that don't have that classic round bodied look also do just as well, but since Dutch Warmbloods, Hanoverians, Oldenburgs, etc. are the breeds that are most popular within that culture, that's what most dressage people tend to stick to.  

Likewise, most people in Western Sports use Quarter Horses, because that's the breed that is most popular in that culture.  Sure, Appaloosas, Paints, Morgans, Andalusians, Camargue Ponies, and even Arabians have all proven in competition that they have what it takes to work cattle or do reining patterns, but the Quarter Horse almost overpopulates those sports because that is the most popular horse within that culture.  (Pssst!  Andalusians and Camargue Ponies were the original cow horses and cow ponies centuries before the Quarter Horse even existed, and still excel at working cattle in their native Spain and France, but don't tell the Quarter Horse people that, because they like thinking that only Quarter Horses have real cow sense!)

To wit, I have seen a SHIRE blow top level Quarter Horses out of the water in a reining exhibition.  Can you imagine that?  A SHIRE!

That said, body type does count for a whole lot.  For dressage, you want a horse that is balanced and has very supple muscles.  The big, hard bodied look of some Foundation Quarter Horses with the Bulldog stamp probably isn't going to serve you as a dressage horse.  This might be what some of the other users had in mind when they said that Quarter Horses couldn't do it or were challenged.  Also, any horse that moves like a typical ranch horse is out.  However, the nice thing about the quarter horse is that there are so many body types within one breed name that you are bound to find many that might as well be American Warmbloods, especially among some of the newer, sleeker bodied bloodlines that have Thoroughbred blood.  Keep in mind, that there are also Hanoverians, Dutch Warmbloods, and even Lipizzans that are rejected from the dressage arena.  So, while it is possible for a Quarter Horse to excel in upper level dressage, that is not to say that any Quarter Horse can excel at upper level dressage, or just any ol' Warmblood for that matter.  

If you do a bit of research on the net, you're bound to find Quarter Horses that excel at upper level dressage.  I believe Rugged Lark, who was just an all around extraordinary horse anyway, did some pretty fancy dressage moves when he was still alive.  Also, Pay N Go, who was made famous by being a dressage horse in attendance at Linda McCartney's (late wife of Beatle Sir Paul McCartney) funeral in New York City, is an Appaloosa Grand Prix level dressage horse with a Quarter Horse build.  So, there's another example of a Quarter Horse body type excelling at dressage.

Here's something that might ruffle the feathers of some dressage queens: I read of a BLM Mustang that was born on the range and completely wild and broncish when it first had contact with humans go on to compete against European Warmbloods in upper level dressage and win!  He's now an ambassador horse for the BLM.  Mustang is the LAST thing you think of when you think of a dressage horse, even after Quarter Horse, or Shetland Pony for that matter!  If a Mustang can have the right build and movement to do dressage, surely so could the right Quarter Horse.

Ah, but don't take my word for it!  Here you go:

http://dressagedaily.com/2004/dd_200403/...

http://www.quarterhorsedressage.com/dres...

http://www.aqha.com/showing/guidetoshowi...

Answer 4

There was a great article in "America's Horse" the AQHA magazine that talked about a QH mare that was doing upper level dressage.  Maybe someone knows the article or the name of the mare?

Answer 5

The sport horse style qh do pretty well, but the typical built ones find the upper level movements somewhat difficult. Half-pass would probably be the easiest for them. : )

Answer 6

"Dressage is a French term meaning “training” and its purpose is to develop the horse’s natural athletic ability and willingness to work making him calm, supple and attentive to his rider" (United States Dressage Federation "About" page).

The principals of the various levels of dressage is to prepare any horse to become the perfect riding horse. Technically, if trained properly and with the correct fitness, any horse should be able to perform the movements. The upper level of dressage simply is an extreme test of how well trained mentally and physically your horse is.

With that being said, I will mention quarter horses were/are not typically breed for the upper levels of dressage. Other breeds of horses are used for dressage because they are more adept at the task. Your typical quarter horse would be a more challenging horse to train for dressage due to their lack of impulsion, suspension and upward build. It would be like asking a sprint runner to run the Boston marathon. Not impossible, just very difficult.

Do not lose hope though, success in the upper level of dressage requires more than your average horse. Your average quarter horse will probably never be able to reach that success but there may be a spectacular dressage quarter horse out there that could posses the talent to perform the movements.

To sum it up, nothing is impossible just somethings would be a challenge.  

Answer 7

Of course! Any horse can do dressage. They just have to have the right confirmation for it. High-level dressage movements are incredibly demanding on the horse's body and if they do not have the confirmation for it, it will be more difficult and problematic for the horse. I know a purebred Quarter Horse who does 4th level dressage, but he does not have the typical QH confirmation or look. He looks more like a warmblood than anything.

Answer 8

of course all horses are capable of doing anything. my friend rides her quarter horse in american sport horse dressage, and places really high.

quarter horses are good horses! =]