Cross training dressage horses

[Dressagemaiden]

I'm curious as to how many people ride strictly dressage, and how many people cross train their horses? I am the "dressage queen" in a barn full of eventers, and I found that when I schooled my horse over jumps he seemed more refreshed and better focussed on the dressage. Now I'm bringing along a 4 year old mare and plan to school her over jumps periodically. I 'm just wondering what are some of your ideas on cross training?

[BaroquePony]

I think well planned and thought out cross-training is the best foundation for a dressage horse, and if you happen to get into the upper levels it is still important although you may rebalance the percentage of focus on one thing or another.

I would never quit hacking out or trail riding a dressage horse no matter the level. Cavaletti is excellent for any level.

[dressagediosa]

I set up my training business in Northern Virginia a year and a half ago, and most of my students (like most of the riders here) are primarily foxhunters or eventers. I've always liked hacking, cavaletti and hill work, but they've been a huge inspiration for me to get out of the ring, and what a difference it's made in my horses! Physically, the muscle development of hillwork is fantastic, but they're also braver and cleverer on their feet after increasing the amount of hacking and work over obstacles in their weekly routines. I have a cavaletti day (usually Thursdays :)), and I have two great sets of hills to work on, one slow and shallow incline that I use like an arena, schooling all sorts of normal stuff; one valley with steeper hills that I work the more advanced horses on, schooling piaffe and passage downhill, flying changes uphill, and canter pirouettes into the side of the hill for both the up and down work.

Plus, it makes my horses happy! http://laurensprieser.com/images/hilltrot.JPG

[rizzodm]

I have no trail access where I ride and no trailer to haul. What are some things I could do to keep life interesting for my horse. We are always just doing dressage. We do have a seperate arena with cavellti and a few jumps and ground poles. What can I do with them to make it fun for my horse?

Dawn

[myrna]

My dressage horse just went out to a big scary cross country site today and mastered going into and out of the water.She had a blast.

[myrna]

and the water was over her knees this time of year.

[exvet]

A minimum of 10 miles on the mountainous terrain/trail a week, a little jumping included too due to the obstacles we come across :winkgrin:

[BaroquePony]

When space is a limiting factor, try things like making paths all around the arena and through them .. opening and closing gates from horseback ... if there are any slopes maybe they can be stepped in one area ... make sure you get a nice stride spacing on either for the walk or trot or canter.

Gravel can be used to keep some areas of paths always usable in rainy weather.

Be creative and develop the landscaping around the barn, arenas, paddocks for mini trails. Make "switchbacks" so that you can extend the use of the area. In other words, lets say you have five acres of land ... develop trails that go back and forth (zig-zag) so that you can extend the amount of paths inside of your limited area.

[starkissed]

I think its really important to 'cross train' your horse. Especially in dressage, which is soo soo focused. I guess anything in the upper level is, but its good for all horses to do multiple jobs.
I'm at a hunter barn and I'm the ONLY person who rides out of the ring, and we have miles and miles of gorgeous wooded trails...go figure

My horses foxhunt in the winter and show hunter, eventing, and jumpers in the spring/summer. And hack out and have fun in between!:)

[keana]

I set up my training business in Northern Virginia a year and a half ago, and most of my students (like most of the riders here) are primarily foxhunters or eventers. I've always liked hacking, cavaletti and hill work, but they've been a huge inspiration for me to get out of the ring, and what a difference it's made in my horses! Physically, the muscle development of hillwork is fantastic, but they're also braver and cleverer on their feet after increasing the amount of hacking and work over obstacles in their weekly routines. I have a cavaletti day (usually Thursdays :)), and I have two great sets of hills to work on, one slow and shallow incline that I use like an arena, schooling all sorts of normal stuff; one valley with steeper hills that I work the more advanced horses on, schooling piaffe and passage downhill, flying changes uphill, and canter pirouettes into the side of the hill for both the up and down work.

Plus, it makes my horses happy! http://laurensprieser.com/images/hilltrot.JPG

I LOVE that picture!!!

[Sabovee]

I do LOTS of different stuff with my "Serious" dressage horses...

They get hacked out on our property at least once a week, hills, woods, streams.

They get lunged at least once a week, up and down the burm, over trot poles.

Most of mine also pop over xcountry fences on hacks etc.

[kraslad]

I second many of the comments previously written. While I no longer compete with my retired horse, when we did, I was the "rogue" in a dressage barn. While everyone else only wanted single horse turnout and would never conceive of trail riding, lest their horses get spooked or scratched by a pricker bush (I swear - someone really told me that!) I loved the chance to break up the monotony of ringwork and so did my horse.

We took long hacks and in that area, Westchester, NY, there were lovely hills for good long trots (that'll help with your impulsion on the up and asking your horse to "sit down" on the down, no cantering - just trotting up and down) and also exposed him to birds that flew out of the bushes (which gave me a better seat) as well as cars, etc.

The long and short of it was that as he was allowed t/o with other horses, yes - he got into an odd scrape now and then, but he never had any issues with other horses at shows. And as we trail rode, it exposed him to uncertainties that could not be predicted which led him to be less spooky and eventually fairly bombproof - and as you already know, horse shows can be crazy - golf cars and scooter whizzing around, higher strung horses being stressed, etc. All in all, it was a great regimen for MY horse.

I also made it a point to take him on a few hunter paces a year and do cavalleti work - and he loved it. He was always up for the adventure. And, as with many horses, he was a true thinker - always anticipating a change on the diagonal, etc. and this varied routine really helped him learn to pay attention to me more closely.

I wish you luck with your guy and I encourage you to break up your training in some way that is comfortable and enjoyable to both you.

[FuelsterFarm]

I am the rebel in my part of the state! With the exception of my students and friends, all of the dressage riders that I know stay in the arena (most stay in their indoors, not even venturing into outdoor rings).

We hack in the fields, trail ride, work on hills and over cavaletti, small gymnastic courses, and play cross country. Our horses are happy and well rounded athletes, as are the riders!

[dressagediosa]

I LOVE that picture!!!

Thanks! I hope I can get some of hillwork in the SNOW this week, before everything melts and turns to ice... ugh. :)

[Icecapade]

I am always blown away by how much people DON'T go out. I love it. If I could I'd spend 75% of my time out and 25 in... but alsdkjfalsdkjfsdlfk I'm super limited in Jersey. =) oh well.... making progress on getting out of this state to some real land! 'Ole Virginie here we come!

[Jenn2674]

I do prefer arena work, just me, but I do try to hack out in the fields as much as possible. In previous boarding facilities, we've had more trails and fields and I would routinely work in the fields and go on more trail rides. Now, I don't get to trail ride as much as I would like but a friend and I are talking about going to Hitchcock woods in Aiken to go trail riding and staying at a bed and breakfast. I would LOVE to take the horses to the beach one winter, just hate that you can only do that in the winter!

[lorilu]

Cross training is important! I'd also like to add the groundwork as crosstraining... not the typical longing or long reining, but more horsemanship stuff.... not roundpenning, either.

I am looking for someone to do a clinic at a camp like this.... any ideas? (florida, next fall)
Loretta

[faluut42]

I event so obviously jump. But i do have a few friends that are strictly dressage (they dont like to jump), but there trainer (and mine) said that jumping would help one of there horses. So I would jump him and free jump him. It helped him relese his back more.

I would also trail ride some of there horses and they got braver and paid more attention to were there feet were!

[esdressage]

I think trail riding is fabulous "cross training" and helps both my and my horse's mood. It's totally good for fitness too!

Hill work is always wonderful, tough terrain helps with coordination (and teaches them to pick up their feet!) and I think obstacles (water, bridges, spooky things) help build trust.

Overall I think it's good to get out of the arena. We have bridle trails where I board and most days we hack out after our workouts and I can tell my horse loves it. If I ride out of the arena on the buckle, any time besides dinner time, she'll start walking towards the trail! :)

[Mukluk]

What! No one is doing team penning, or cutting? Can't believe it!!! I thought all dressage horses loved to work cattle.

[slc2]

Even where there's no open land and all that's possible is a short walk, the horses can benefit. I've been at a couple training barns that were really landlocked and most riders had their horses there only temporarily, what to do. Most of the riders took their horses for a little hack around the property after every ride, just down the driveway and around the front lawn. The horses always looked very alert and interested and seemed to relish it as a reward after their ring work. For me the point was that reward for a good job doesn't have to be lengthy or in a very picturesque place or even a different place, just getting out of the ring, even a little bit, is good. At one place we wore a little track in the front lawn jumping over a creek and rambling around.

[mvp]

Mukluk and others. If you can find some cattle for your dressage horse to boss around, do it!

I got bored one winter and took my young Dutch horse to a cutting-horse guy for a couple of lessons. My horse and I both dug it. His clients wanted to practice, so my horse and I rode "turn back" for them-- we helped keep the cattle in a group. It's like very slow cutting.

The guy said that lots of warmbloods have "cow." It was true. Once my gelding discovered that cattle would move away from him, he had a great time telling them what to do. He used is body and mind well to get the job done.

[esdressage]

That's too funny. I never would have guessed that WBs would be cowy :lol:

We're the only dressage riders where I board. The owner's a roper and lots of times we're sharing the arena while they're roping. I'm sure it's a pretty funny picture. The cows are kept in a pen off one end of the big arena, and my mare absolutely loves to stop and peek her head over the fence to visit with them. I think she wants to be friends, not boss them around, he he.

[NoDQhere]

Oh yes, WBs have cow. One winter morning, at a balmy 25 below zero, three of our yearlings jumped a fence to get in with the neighbors heifers! They had been running up and down the fence line playing with the heifers when all of a sudden they were in with them! Little brats. The heifers were having as much fun as the horses were. Luckily, the heifers went to get their breakfast and the horses stayed near their buddies that hadn't jumped in with the cows and we were able to catch them and put them back in their pasture. I put a higher hot tape up that very day, and for weeks they would play up and down the fence line with those heifers.

[goeslikestink]

i do mixed events with my horses and hack out all the time they are alert and happy to include road work

[rizzodm]

What! No one is doing team penning, or cutting? Can't believe it!!! I thought all dressage horses loved to work cattle.
Mine recently went out to round-up a rogue cow and did quite well.

Dawn

[slc2]

My horse was pretty good at herding cats.

[Cat - OnceUponADressageDream]

I honestly believe nothing turns a young horse sour more easily than working in the arena every time they are ridden. Or an older horse for that matter. I second the trail riding and jumping, or at least cavaletti. Dressage horses can get lazy with their legs if they are ridden only on arena surfaces without poles the whole time - use some pole exercises. It keeps them careful, and interested.

I broke in a young horse a couple of years ago, and I spent very little time in the arena. I had him out on the road by ride 8 dealing with trucks and "scary stuff" with no problems. It made him brave, and stopped him getting bored and sour. I rode him in the arena perhaps once out of every three or four rides - but that didn't mean he wasn't doing flatwork. If I rode him out on a trail, I'd start to introduce the concept of leg yielding by manouevering around bushes or gates, and I'd practise lots of "opening and closing" - changing the frame and the length of stride in trot as we went along.

There are many things you can do, there's been lots of great suggestions. Use your imagination. Your horse will love you for it.

[Dressage Art]

I always was taught to cross train the dressage horse back in Europe. Turn outs, trail riders, small easy on the legs jumps, cavaletty. Horses should be invited to love their jobs, not be kept in the cages like circus animals and be out under the saddle 1x per day.