SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2021 THE RIDER /31


mane ethics of horsemanship. Western dressage is the perfect way for a horse owner to achieve happiness with his horse if he is dedicated to become a correct rider. It is the only way to train the horse to al- ways be confident and happy in his work with you. As Cyril says to our students, “Re-


Palm Partnership Training™ Building A Partnership With Your Horse Western Dressage: What’s It All About?


By Lynn Palm For me, western dressage is a


dream come true. I was so fortunate to learn dressage training as a young rider. I rode with my mentor, Bobbie Steele, for more than 25 years. What I learned in the dressage


saddle, I went home and practiced with my ponies, my first horse, and my sec- ond horse, which was a yearling. Dres- sage applied to all aspects of training and all horses that I worked with, from the ground to the saddle. Even if a dif- ferent saddle was used, whether west- ern, hunt seat, saddle seat, or dressage, there was no reason to ride any differ- ently.


This leads to my passion for the


newest western discipline, western dressage. I have always loved western riding, and I specialized my riding with the American Quarter Horse because I was fascinated with a horse that could do multiple disciplines. In my opinion, the American Quarter Horse is the world’s most versatile horse, and I still love training the Quarter Horse today. Although I was raised and trained


in Florida with Bobbie Steele in the late 1960s, Ms. Steele was hardly a new- comer to dressage. In fact, she was the first woman in America to ride a this type of 18th-century horsemanship known as dressage. Bobbie Steele was even featured in Life magazine in the issue October 14, 1946. Google it! She took me under her wing when


she retired from doing exhibitions all over the U.S. with her two dressage horses. She was also hired with the Ringling Bros. circus as a rider and rode with the circus for 10 years. She learned from the German trainers who were hired to train the horses for the circus. Ms. Steele was something spe- cial, and I will always cherish my train- ing with her. I will forever thank her for giving me my foundation for becoming a correct rider and training horses ac- cording to the dressage principles and training scale. Western dressage promotes natu-


ral, correct development of the horse with TIME. It also allows training a horse with understanding and sound communication between horse and


For Advertising Rates


and promotional


opportunities call (905) 387-1900 or visit


www.therider.com 1 888 394 3330 capricmw.ca/equine


rider. I truly believe western horses need this today. It is the perfect and


proven way to promote the equine sport. It promotes correct and hu-


member that a horse is not calling you to come ride him! A horse would much prefer to graze on grass all day long. It is our self- ishness that causes us to want to ride that horse and to want him to perform happily for us.” It is our responsibility to bring out the


best in our horses and always respect them by riding with correct balance and use of natural aids. We must control the horse’s balance so he can perform easy and com- fortably. As a young rider, I learned that if I


wanted to learn dressage, I had to become a good rider first. As a child, I learned that riding in my dressage saddle was no differ- ent than my western saddle when I went home to ride my ponies and my first horse. The horses went along just as happy, and I could train them with correct balance and natural aids. By understanding their behav- iors and how their anatomy affected their performance, I could ride with better bal- ance and communicate more effectively with my seat, legs, and hands. Controlling the horse’s balance in the


dressage saddle was just as important in the western or hunt seat saddle. The training was all the same. Dressage is dear to my heart because it gave me my foundation. I used the principles I learned from dressage in my riding, training, and competitions, and I have had a successful career with horses and riders because of this founda- tion.


Can western dressage follow classical


dressage? Why not? Classical dressage is the natural way to train a horse, and its suc- cess is in the training pyramid as well as the levels and tests. The training tests are a per- fect outline to learn how to “Ride Well” and how to naturally train a horse according to his anatomy, instincts, personality, and be- havior. With proper development, a western horse can do what dressage tests are asking in all levels up to 4th Level, Grand Prix, and Intermediate. If you want to learn to “Ride Well”


and have control of your horse with accu- racy and lightness, please look into this new discipline. Even if you don’t ever com- pete in western dressage, it provides the ideal guidelines to help you learn the proper progression of training. The pro- gression and success are all in the tests.


73A Bolton St., Bobcaygeon, ON K0M 1A0 705-991-0KCD (0523)


email: kcd@kickingcowgirldesigns.com www.kickingcowgirldesigns.com


Your coach/instructor should be following the proper progression for you and your horse. I always enjoy having young horses in


training. I am working on getting three horses to 4th Level but I need at least three to four more years. The most important part of dressage is that it takes time to properly develop a horse. It is my passion to pro- mote western dressage, as I know that it will help all horse owners learn about the sport of riding. We love to share our dressage back-


grounds and knowledge with you and would love to have you come ride with us. You can join us at our farm in Ocala, Florida, or at one of our Ride Well Clinics on our USA Tour at a location near you. For more information on these train-


ing materials and more, as well as clinics, please visit www.lynnpalm.com or call us at 800-503-2824.


The best protection for you and your horse.


CapriCMW is the official insurance partner for Ontario Equestrian and Provincial Equine Associations from coast to coast. We’re Canada’s most trusted insurance provider for equine enthusiasts and equine industry professionals.


Protect your horse with EquiCare, ask us how.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51