WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF DRESSAGE
THAT WE RECOGNIZE IN NWHA AND IS THIS SIMILAR
TO THE STANDARDS OF DRESSAGE FOR ALL HORSES?
Right now, we recognize Traditional and Western Dressage with their own special
program known as Dressage Horse of the Year. All forms of dressage are recognized
for LSAP (Lifetime Superior Achievement Award). Highpoint recognizes all dressage
through an NWHA sanctioned or affiliated show.
For 2019, the NWHA board is researching what is involved in recognizing both Cowboy
Dressage and Working Equitation which combines dressage and obstacles into a three
phase event into existing our dressage programs. This would provide greater opportunity
for dressage riders throughout the country.
DO WE HOLD OUR HANDS
DIFFERENTLY FOR SHOWING ON
THE RAIL AS WE WOULD WHEN
PRESENTING OUR HORSE FOR
DRESSAGE?
When I watch a rail class, I see a variety
of hand placement based on that rider’s
individual style or the horse’s level of
training. They can be high, wide, low or
close and as long as their hands are fairly
still and that horse is performing - they are
all acceptable. Traditional dressage is
ridden with two hands and a snaffle bit. The
goal for hand placement has more to do
with what is correct for the rider’s individual
body, but as a generic rule they are just
above the withers and held approximately
6 inches apart.
There is a starting point for everything.
Lower levels of dressage are not looking for
perfection, they are looking for consistency.
I have never received a test back with a
comment that said my hands were 7 inches
apart and out of the 6 inch range. What
I have received as a comment is “Rider
needs to continue work on raising her
hands while asking for the free walk” simply
because my horse needed that lower hand
set to lower his head. It was not that it was
being done incorrectly, the judge was
simply pointing out she understood why,
but it needed to continue to be on my
training goals to achieve with the correct
hand position. Western dressage can be
ridden with two hands or one-hand and
look for the same position in relation to the
horse.
IN CERTAIN TESTS WE KNOW
THERE ARE TRANSITIONS
BETWEEN WALK AND RUNNING
WALK, WHAT ARE THE JUDGES
LOOKING FOR DURING THESE
TRANSITIONS?
Just like our rail classes, the judge wants to
see a clear change of gait with the horse
moving from back to front. When the horse
transitions down, the head position should
remain in the same place. Points will be
lost if a horse throws his head up. The lower
level tests give the horse and rider an area
to transition as opposed to a specific spot.
The test may read to transition from a flat
walk to a medium walk between F and A.
This is an area of 16 meters or about 52 feet.
For a halt, the horse should stop square
and stand without moving or fussing. Lower
levels allow a transition from a flat walk to
a walk before calling for a halt. Teaching
your horse to stop from your seat and leg
helps the horse balance himself in the
halt and gives the appearance of being
seamless. In the Introductory level, I am
usually happy if he just stops in the correct
spot! It is all about stages. The running walk
is not introduced until higher tests. As your
horse progresses, they will also be asked to
transition at a specific letter as opposed to
a general area.
NWHA National News / March 2019
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