| y years ago, when a western reining trainer | | | | horses just going around the ring in the gaits, |
| admitted that he took dressage lessons to | | | | walk, then trot, and then canter. "The riders |
| improve his horse’s reining, his fellow | | | | barely understand how to circle correctly. In many |
| cowboys thought he had lost his mind. Some 20 | | | | cases, you see trainers just focusing on jumping. |
| years later finds several hunt seat instructors | | | | Flatwork just becomes a term meaning getting |
| actively using aspects of dressage in their training. | | | | the horse warmed up enough to jump," she said. |
| Christy, a hunt seat equitation instructor, | | | | “When I go to some of the large local |
| commented that if you look at the old hunt seat | | | | hunt shows, I’m amazed that riders |
| equitation videos and photos of students | | | | aren’t balancing their horses, or even |
| instructed by George Morris and others, the | | | | riding them correctly through a turn.” She |
| horses are in a training level dressage frame. | | | | described watching strung out ponies in a hunter |
| Celine, a hunt seat/balanced seat instructor, noted | | | | class. “They got over their courses by |
| that dressage is the basis of all riding. | | | | the grace of God.” |
| “Classical dressage has its roots in cavalry | | | | “I was aghast by the strung out, |
| riding in war; whereas hunt seat has its origins in | | | | unbalanced approaches to jumps and the rushing |
| long cross country rides across fields on a hunt. | | | | and diving over each fence,” she said. She |
| Hunt seat was adapted for the show | | | | finds that dressage helps her riders gain a |
| ring,” she said. She noted that combining | | | | balanced and rhythmic approach to fences. |
| the elements of hunt seat and dressage brings | | | | She described one hunt seat student she had |
| balanced seat. | | | | recently met who had no concept of getting the |
| Christy uses the rider-based training that she | | | | horse to work back to front or flexion though |
| received from her dressage instructor for her | | | | she had her own horse and was taking lessons |
| hunt seat students. | | | | with her instructor for five years. |
| "At their first lesson, I put them right on the longe | | | | “When she sat in on other lessons her |
| line and take away stirrups and reins immediately," | | | | friends were having with other instructors, she |
| she described. "I spend a lot of time helping them | | | | felt she was missing out on a world of education |
| build independent hand, seat and leg in exercises | | | | with her horse. She said her lessons just revolved |
| on the longe line before I have them ride on the | | | | around her instructor who called out ‘heals |
| rail." | | | | down,’ ‘shoulders back,’ |
| Christy has found that by doing so, the riders | | | | ‘posting trot,’ etc.” |
| have feel and balance more quickly. "Beginner | | | | Celine uses dressage to focus on the points of |
| issues like steering just seem to fall right into | | | | the ring by keeping the horse correctly between |
| place even though they've spent their first | | | | and in front of the rider’s leg. |
| several lessons on the longe line." | | | | “How do you get your horse from point |
| Celine also likes to apply dressage concepts early | | | | A to point B, not A to D?” she explained. |
| on in hunt seat education. “I start right | | | | “When you focus on riding every stride, |
| away with rhythm and balance, teaching the | | | | as in dressage, your hunter or equitation horse will |
| student how to sit with balance. Then I address | | | | always know what you want,” she |
| how the horse moves and how to find the | | | | explained. “You can circle, go straight, |
| horse’s natural rhythm. When you apply | | | | change gait, jump and make it look so easy, |
| the concepts of dressage early on, students have | | | | balanced and fluid. Riding hunt seat this way gives |
| greater ‘feel’ for their | | | | the horse the correct muscle development, |
| horses.” | | | | impulsion and work ethic. |
| She noted that in everyday hunt seat, she sees | | | | |