Once Again Farm in Meriden, Connecticut. Teaching any horse basic dressage will improve the horse and make him a better athlete. Dressage will improve his response to, and his relationship with, the rider. When trail riding, for example, a horse that has been taught some basic dressage will easily move sideways to open a gate or allow you to retrieve your jacket from a fence post. He will be easier to maneuver in rough terrain and will settle down more quickly if startled by something, by being tuned in to your leg, seat and hand cues.
People are busy trying to jump courses.
They often don t take the time to do the groundwork, says Hammers-O Neil. Correct flatwork will improve your ability to rate your horse coming into a fence and after the fence. It can be invaluable to riders who show Western horsemanship, where they are judged on how the horse responds to their signals, and how well they perform patterns at various gaits. Dressage helps make a horse supple and easier to bend around the rider s leg, which is also very important to those who compete in barrel racing and Western games such as pole bending. Because the emphasis is on forward movement, dressage wiil probably not help the western pleasure horse as much, although it will help make him rounder and a more comfortable ride.