A Studying Dressage-Horse Trainer Looking to Start Western Riding/training?
A little background; I’ve been trained in dressage for nine years but have ridden the past three summers out on a working ranch, herding, training young foals and doing general ranch work. I am in college, studying to be a dressage horse trainer. This summer I am transferring to another college with a better equine science degree and a dressage program. My current program does not allow me any riding time until senior year and is not specific enough.
I’m starting to get bored with riding, which horrifies me. I understand that there will be bored stunts while riding but this has been going on for about a year. So while thinking back on my happiest times riding I realized they’ve all been while on the ranch, herding horses, cutting cattle, helping young foals and racing along the plains. I know that there are boring parts of everyone’s jobs but I’m starting to wonder if western riding is where I want to be? I greatly enjoy cutting cattle. I’ve never had formal western lessons but understand and use neck reining and know the tack, etc. So my question is; Is it hard to start a professional western riding career after only knowing dressage and some hunter/jumping (my least favorite)? I’ve heard reining is the western world’s form of dressage. I want to be happy and enjoy my job and life, be able to support myself, and not regret an in-the-moment decision. Has anyone been in this dilemma before?
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it sounds like you are in a rut. I would give reining a try! Trying something should be fun! I personally think that as a rider, we should try everything as long as we can do it safely and that a horse should know at least the basics for both western and english. I rode western for 12 years before I decided to try English and I love it! I still ride western on young horses or for shows but mostly I ride english or bareback. And I dont really think you need a professional to teach you to ride western. I basically taught myself both english and western and seem to be fine.
Since you have an extensive background in dressage, I would talk to people who ride western and get some tips from them. The only differences Ive noticed are less contact on the mouth for western and longer stirrups plus you sit the trot instead of posting. Hope this helps and I hope you find something that interests you!
no i havent been in this dilemma before but i do work on a ranch as well except the lady that runs the show does reining and for a little while it was interesting but i am a hunter jumper and i will say that english has taught me more than i expected and western doesnt really grab attention well maybe down here but i think it is boring but it is up to you i would say whatever you are better at i think you should stick with because you will feel better in yourself i was thinking about doing reining myself but because of personal reasons i shouldnt do it and the fact that doing what i know feels so much better and it makes you feel like a bigger person but all i can say is that its your decision to make but i think you would do better at what you know i mean it is exciting to learn something new but to do what you know is much more exciting trust me but i hope whatever you choose works out for you
god bless
yes.
i lost interest in dressage after, having trainedmy tb foryearstodoit. we finally gota slot at a boarding stable that specializes in dressage. the longer i was there, the less interestedi was in riding. the people there were too much into myt business and i could not even go and enjoy my horse without making excuses for what i was doing.
once i moved, and started jumping and hacking out again, my desire returned.
i would say you are just getting burned out.
perhaps you should consider where you will get the mopst clients from …reining or dressage?
would it be possible to train in both?