Thoroughbreds for Dressage

[TBgrl]

These horses are my passion.

I love the breed. I also am strongly attracted to dressage. What sucess have any of you had training your tbs in dressage. What techniques and methods work well.???

Susan

[Speedy]

My lady is a TB and although we don't do a lot of competitions, the only dressage we did do, she got high marks for her paces and the comment "lovely, natural paces". I think TB's can do very well in dressage up to a point. A lot of event horses are now full TB and do well in the dressage at advanced level. But I think that it you want to go Grand Prix, then TB's will never manage the extravagant movements as well as the warmbloods. I wouldn't swap my TB for anything, but then I don't want to compete at that level.

I also think that Tb's can have trouble relaxing in the arena - but with practice they should settle into it.

[Lgd]

I have a 7/8 TB mare, so I guess that classes as TB. Yes they can do dressage and she is ample proof of that. She is competing Prix St George and training all the Grand prix movements now.

She does not have the biggest paces in the world and this hindered her at Prelim and Novice, however my trainer always said she would come into her own at the higher levels when a lot of the big movers could not do the technical work. I am so pleased that I listened and did not give up, she was so right. I am strictly an amateur doing it for fun so if we don't win at the highest level it does not matter, we will have tried.

I think the main reason that many people do not like TBs for dressage is their temperament. It is not that they are difficult but that they are much more sensitive and will not be bullied like many of the warmbloods. Bully a TB and they will become tense and they will very rapidly tell you where to get off and give you a helping hoof into the bargain! Ride them in a tactful and classical way and they will do anything for you and continue trying for ever.

TBs can make it in top level dressage - Stephen Clarke had a wonderful TB called Becket who competed internationally. A lot of TB blood is in many so-called warmbloods, in fact a lot of them are at least half TB. Many of the registries accept TBs onto the books and are actively using them to put the lightness back into the warmbloods.

I do have another mare who is half Russian warmblood, but the other half is TB/Connemara so it did come with a brain! Would I have another TB or near full TB - you bet!

[Heather]

Good for you Lgd,

TB's as dressage horses are greatly underrated, and as you say, are often too sharp for those dressage riders who like to be control freaks. I think that they will soon find that the modern sporthorse is becoming less tolerant of bully boy tactics, and have to look at a less pressurised approach. Having also worked a lot with purebred Connemara's - one who went from novice to advanced medium in a year, at fourteen when she came to me for training- I also know what you mean about them 'coming with a brain'!

For anyone wanting proof of the TB's ability to do dressage, you could do no better than to buy Paul Belasik's wonderful new book 'Dressage For the 21st Century'. This is a masterpiece, very in depth but extremely readable, but also shows Paul working his two stunning TB's, both not only Grand Prix, but also trained to do levade and pesade. Check it out on amazon.co.uk.

Heather

[heland]

I have a full TB and I'm taking him back to basics as he has got away with so much with his previous owner.

He is very intelligent and knew what to do in order to get out of working.

This last week has been a great success, he is actually working with me and relaxing very nicely. Even my instructor noticed a remarkable change. I am hoping in the future to enter him in a dressage competition but there is no hurry.

[TBgrl]

I totally agree on the tactful classical approach. This horse that I am trying out is 16.2 hands chestnut with a star. He is older 18, and has lovely natural movement. I want to use him to learn dressage, I don't know how far I will want to go, but I do think I will do it with a tb.

When solving a picking up feet problom, I was calm,non reactive and took all the time it needed to do it with plenty of fuss over him.

IT WORKED .... :D
FROM SUSAN

[Tina J]

I have an ex-racehorse that I am retraining for dressage, and I am now hooked on TBs! Once he understands where I want him to direct his energy he is amazing - but so much more intelligent and quicker to question me than anything else I have ever ridden. I have had lessons on advanced warmbloods, and still wouldn't swop my (currently) novice TB for anything. And having been taught to "boss" a horse, this chap taught me more about partnership in the first few weeks than any trainer. He also made me think more about different training techniques, and to question trainers more about their methods. Give me a TB any time!

As for what works - I think its been summed up already. Tact and persistance. You can't be bullying or confrontational with a horse that has as much brain and power as a TB.

[Shiny McShine]

I believe strongly in the qualities of the Thoroughbred as one of the best allround horses, including dressage. I think it is important to remember that most thoroughbreds in comparison with warmbloods are not highly bred for dressage and often come from racing backgrounds. A Thoroughbred horse that is selectively bred and trained in the fashion of a dressage horse should stand up in the ring against any breed in my opinion.

It is also interesting to note the amount of Thoroughbred blood that is being introduced into established Warmblood lines.

Overall it is wrong to judge the capabilities of the Thoroughbred as a breed on the performance of horses that are unschooled or straight off the racetrack.

[liberty911]

I can only say what I pesonally have watched at my stables. We have one appy mare and a young'n on the way (which I love even though the young mare hasn't even arrived to the stables yet and the older mare placed dead last in dressage at eventing comp of her life LOL), morgans, TB's, American warmbloods (which is a draft TB or draft Morgan cross), Oldenburgh's all of which are either used for eventing, OR dressage since that is what my instructor/ stable owner loves to do. I do not think it is fair or correct for anyone to conclude TB's can't be lovely movers who excell at dressage anymore than it is fair for some to say dressage riders who prefer warmbloods bully the horses because the breeds more laid back nature allows them to be beaten upon and ridden badly. My instructor has one particular warmblood a 17hh 12 year old Oldenburg (the old type which actually looked like and oldenburg and not a variation of a TB) gelding who if bullied would just Buck AND rear all over the arena! If you don't know I have to fill you in ..... Oldenburg's develope slowly Completely unlike TB's so at age 12 this horse thinks he is 6. At any rate I am always very impressed with all the different breeds and types of horses plus confirmation and ect. I believe my instructor has a great relationship with all of her horses and I have watched her closely and taken her opinions seriously while trying to form what little opinions I can from my own experience. She has alot of respect for these animals and makes it very clear that her students especially the young riders also respect them. I would not say that because she prefers to ride upper level dressage with oldenburg's as a breed means she doesn't think there is a place in upper level for those who like riding TB's or TB x's! I lease a 10 year old TB mare now but I will be switching to leasing an american warmblood in April. My current lease is going to be leased by a 13 year old girl who would like to do H/J with her.

So I just wanted to say I love TB's and I think they can do great things almost any place (I do not think TB's make nice western horses just too dang narrow) at the same time I get the pleasure of taking lessons on many different breeds (some more costly than others) and I can honestly say some people are better suited to some breeds. Guess everybody has a favorite though HUH?

[belle]

I work on a dressage yard where we have 3 tbs, 2 of them ex racers. They are fantastic, and will try their hardest if you ask them nicely.

One amazing thing we have used with them is the TTeam bodywrap, as it gets them to really work from behind!:)

[~alison~*]

I have a TB gelding that I am retraining in dressage (from hunter/jumper) and he's coming along beautifully. I think TB are a great horse to work with in dressage simply because if you try to rush and bully (as ppl have already mentioned) them into a frame, movements, etc...due to the fact that they are naturally pretty tense, that amplifies the problem. They really teach you to take your time and build the basics, primarily relaxation.

In any case, dressage is all about training your horse to be more responsive to your aids, and refining the riders aids. This benefits all horses, and can be achieved by any horse with the correct training. And remember.........nothing forced can ever be beautiful!!!

[H & Bailey]

my last horse was a Tb and I feel i had got her quite well schooled and she loved doing dressage type things and was very good at it .She could do flying canter change,and swap leading legs in canter every other step if you asked.Half pass turn on the forehand and haunches ,travers and renvers,lovely extention and collection.But as everyone has said you cannot bully a Tb they are highly strung and it would take a while if she was having an off day for her to settle and concentrate on what i wanted to do.When she just wanted to go for a good gallop.(I used to school in an open filed of about 7 acres)

[ros]

Well said, Liberty911. Horses are horses are horses, and the only things that should matter are that we pick a horse that's suited to what we want to do and achieve, and that we respect him for what he is instead of trying to coerce or bully him into becoming what we want him to be.

TBs, Warmbloods, rag-and-bone ponies: they all have their place and they can all teach us different things. If we want to fly high we need a horse that can fly with us, and some breeds are perhaps more likely than others to be able to produce that scope. But riding should always be about mutual enjoyment, and not about just winning, and as long as we keep an open mind we'll continue to learn.

[Aly]

I believe that any horse is capable of Grand Prix Dressage and higher. It depends on the paces, confirmation and movement of the horse, he must be strong and yet supple and calm. For some reason Warmbloods have become everyones choice of horse for High level dressage. Whilst they are stunning to look at and their movement is amazing, I have trained on and competed with a number of breeds of horses, that were schooled to that level. T-Breds, Q-horses, Appalousas even Purebred Arabians. Of course often these horses are marked down for their colour, or breeds by judges that carry such bias but the horses and riders have proven that they can get that far and be up there among the best.

A close friend of mine rode her Appalousa (sorry spelling) to Prix St. George Champion at our state championships a couple of years ago which was no mean feat.

So in short a T-Bred is just as capable as any other breed, as long as he has the head and heart for it.
:D

[Rachel C.]

It depends on the horse!

I know a number of TBs which will never do dressage. Not due totally to the horse, just the schooling it has received. Probably due to old-fashioned riders thinking its a thoroughbred no point doing any schooling I'll just gallop round XC courses, I know thats not always the case but I know a few:eek:

There are also a few TBS I know who go beautifully in the dressage, (just look at the way some event horses can go!) one horse at my yard is affiliated BHTA BSJA and BD, and has lots of points and prize-money in all three and she is 7/8ths TB!