46/ OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 THE RIDER Saddle Fit & Technology: Cowboy vs. Western Dressage


using a scoring system of 1 - 10 for each move- ment. The arenas are similar in that Western Dressage uses the traditional 20m x 60m arena or short


the court


By Jochen Schleese, CMS, CSFT, CSE Written by Muriel Chestnut ©2017 Saddlefit 4 Life® All Rights Reserved Since we have recently


started our own Western line, I get asked more and more about the difference between cowboy and western dressage disciplines. The differences and similarities are not obvious, so I felt com- pelled to search out the answers to this common question. I’ll start with a quote from my good friend Jeff Wilson, who is a clinician for both at many of the trade shows and horse shows I speak at. _____


“Western and Cowboy


Dressage are great opportunities for riders who want to do more with their horses but don’t neces- sarily want to compete in horse shows anymore. Many riders just want safer horses and to have an experience with the horse they own. Western and Cowboy Dres- sage offer that opportunity.” The western world has


largely missed out on the benefits of dressage because they were not willing to give up their west- ern lifestyle—their cowboy hats and western saddles. The good news is that dressage has finally come to them.” —Jeff Wilson, founder of The Complete Horse Method. Clini- cian and Western/Cowboy Dres- sage trainer.


----- Let’s begin with a definition


of Classical Dressage as a start- ing point since this is ultimately the foundation upon which each has been built. “Classical Dressage is de-


fined as “the highest expression of horse training”. Its fundamen- tal purpose is to develop, through standardized progressive training methods, a horse’s natural ath- letic ability and willingness to perform, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse.” It is clear, after researching


each style, that this is common ground for each, and that both Cowboy Dressage and Western Dressage strive to produce a sys- tematic approach to the training of the horse. Each uses the objec- tives of producing a horse the is calm, attentive and light to the rider’s aids, willing and a pleas- ure to ride due to an enhanced partnership with their horse. Both are competition disci-


plines, based on the modern Dressage system of judging,


which is 20m x 40m. The letters and distances between the let- ters are the same as for modern dressage.


COWBOY DRESSAGE Cowboy Dressage, “when


dressage suits your needs but a Stetson suits your lifestyle”, on the other hand has adapted the 20m x 40m arena by adjusting the distances between the letters to 5m (traditional arenas have 6m & 14m, or 8m & 12m between the letters). They have also added markers on the short sides at each 5m point so that the accuracy of circles, maneuverability and tran- sitions is enhanced. This was also put in place to accommodate the smaller strided gaits of typical western breeds i.e. Quarter Horses, Arabs, Morgans etc., and quite frankly makes a lot more sense … perhaps modern dres- sage could take note! Cowboy Dressage was


started in 1990 and was the brain- child of Eitan Beth-Halachmy , an Israeli immigrant who grew up with an extensive equestrian background. During his youth, he studied at the University of Vi- enna, and spent time watching and studying the training sessions of the famous Spanish Riding School. He admired the method- ical and disciplined work ethic it took to train the beautiful Lipiz- zaners to the high school or Haute Ecole of Classical Dres- sage. And yet he could not let go of his dream of the Western Cow- boy … so free spirited and iconic! “Cowboy Dressage is the


best of both worlds: Traditional Western and Classical Horse- manship. By blending both disci- plines and taking the best from both, the rider becomes more ed- ucated, patient and understand- ing, allowing for the partnership between horse and rider to bloom … that partnership being the goal of all good horsemen and horse- women.”


DRESSAGE VS. WESTERN: NO CONFLICT, JUST DIF- FERENT APPROACHES Trained as he is in classical


dressage, Eitan has no quarrel with it, instead choosing to draw on the best qualities of both dis- ciplines in developing his own unique style and brand of riding and training. His thoughts: ”I feel there is no conflict


between the two styles of riding. When you combine the both of them you find a place in the mid- dle and you become a better horseman with a happier horse. Both the Cowboy and the Mili-


tary had a job to do. The horse was the tool. A better under- standing of the horse made for a better tool. Both are horsemen and the thread that unites them is the horse. An interesting note is that in


Cowboy Dressage “Soft Feel” is given a co-efficient of 3 in the Collective marks! It is based on release, not


contact! Soft feel, founded by the great Cowboys of the past, is the core. It is the goal of Cowboy Dressage to promote and teach soft feel in a competition atmos- phere. Bringing it to light to a competitive public that is in great need of it. “Soft feel is the guiding


seeking to have a very light contact and Cowboy Dres- sage promoting more re- lease in the rein contact. Note: this would be equiv- alent to “Descent de Main” in the French School. This allows the horse to be “on parole” as it were, light and in self-carriage. Some people may per-


ceive Cowboy Dressage as being more fun because movements such as shoul- der-in and haunches-in are introduced earlier, to test the horse’s maneuverabil- ity, than in the Western Dressage tests, which use lateral work as a means to


Western Dressage - Source: Internet/ www.westerndressage.com.au pho- tographer unknown at time of publication.


getting further down the road vs. maneuverability for the sake of maneuver- ability. But when all is said


Jeff Wilson and ‘Orion S’ by Rein – Cowboy Dressage (photo used with permission courtesy of Jeff Wilson).


principle behind Cowboy Dres- sage. It is a wordless, intimate and for some, a spiritual connec- tion within the partnership be- tween horse and rider. Soft feel is not only sending messages to the horse but having the sensitivities and awareness to feel what the horse is sending back to the rider. The timing and use of the release, the relaxation, preparation and execution are basic fundamentals of soft feel. Since soft feel is the mission of Cowboy Dressage, it is scored with emphasis on light- ness, harmony, finesse and part- nership as a priority. Balance, cadence and self-carriage, control and performance are additional parts that the rider will be scored on. The competition part is new and will need time to grow and develop. It was created for those who long for a place to hang your hat, and to live and ride in the Western tradition. But most im- portantly, it is a place where the partnership is rewarded more than the maneuvers. And the well-being of the horses and rid- ers is held in the highest regard.” If you ride the trails, range,


rodeo or dressage court, you have a place to explore and grow with Cowboy Dressage!


WESTERN DRESSAGE Western Dressage is de-


scribed as perhaps being more “dressagy” or adhering to the German Training Scale. Compe- titions are geared towards build- ing the movements progressively, as they are in modern competi- tion dressage. The degree of con- tact used would be a notable difference with Western Dressage


and done, the core belief of each organization is to do what is in the best in- terest of the horse. Both styles encourage riders from all walks of life re- gardless of their experi- ence levels, breed of horse, size, gaits and con- formation to get into the ring and try their hand at something new and differ- ent! This can only be good for equestrianism in gen-


eral. For more info check out:


cowboydressage.com and west- ernstyledressage.ca; www.westerndressageassocia- tion.org is sanctioned by the USEF. All groups place a high pri-


ority on educating horse owners on their training philosophies and techniques. Maybe it’s time to change things up a bit. Throw a western saddle on your horse and a blingy blouse and try some- thing completely different if you’re tired of the same old, same old! Who knows …You might just have some fun! Eitan’s


website www.cowboydressage.com is


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