| Twenty years ago, when a western reining
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| | the ring in the gaits, walk, then trot,
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| trainer admitted that he took dressage
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| | and then canter. "The riders barely
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| lessons to improve his horse's reining,
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| | understand how to circle correctly. In
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| his fellow cowboys thought he had lost
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| | many cases, you see trainers just
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| his mind. Some 20 years later finds
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| | focusing on jumping. Flatwork just
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| several hunt seat instructors actively
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| | becomes a term meaning getting the horse
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| using aspects of dressage in their
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| | warmed up enough to jump," she said.
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| training. Christy, a hunt seat equitation
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| | "When I go to some of the large local
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| instructor, commented that if you look at
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| | hunt shows, I'm amazed that riders aren't
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| the old hunt seat equitation videos and
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| | balancing their horses, or even riding
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| photos of students instructed by George
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| | them correctly through a turn." She
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| Morris and others, the horses are in a
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| | described watching strung out ponies in a
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| training level dressage frame. Celine, a
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| | hunter class. "They got over their
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| hunt seat/balanced seat instructor, noted
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| | courses by the grace of God." "I was
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| that dressage is the basis of all riding.
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| | aghast by the strung out, unbalanced
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| "Classical dressage has its roots in
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| | approaches to jumps and the rushing and
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| cavalry riding in war; whereas hunt seat
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| | diving over each fence," she said. She
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| has its origins in long cross country
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| | finds that dressage helps her riders gain
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| rides across fields on a hunt. Hunt seat
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| | a balanced and rhythmic approach to
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| was adapted for the show ring," she said.
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| | fences. She described one hunt seat
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| She noted that combining the elements of
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| | student she had recently met who had no
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| hunt seat and dressage brings balanced
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| | concept of getting the horse to work back
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| seat. Christy uses the rider-based
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| | to front or flexion though she had her
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| training that she received from her
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| | own horse and was taking lessons with her
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| dressage instructor for her hunt seat
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| | instructor for five years. "When she sat
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| students. "At their first lesson, I put
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| | in on other lessons her friends were
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| them right on the longe line and take
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| | having with other instructors, she felt
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| away stirrups and reins immediately," she
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| | she was missing out on a world of
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| described. "I spend a lot of time helping
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| | education with her horse. She said her
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| them build independent hand, seat and leg
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| | lessons just revolved around her
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| in exercises on the longe line before I
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| | instructor who called out 'heals down,'
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| have them ride on the rail." Christy has
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| | 'shoulders back,' 'posting trot,' etc."
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| found that by doing so, the riders have
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| | Celine uses dressage to focus on the
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| feel and balance more quickly. "Beginner
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| | points of the ring by keeping the horse
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| issues like steering just seem to fall
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| | correctly between and in front of the
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| right into place even though they've
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| | rider's leg. "How do you get your horse
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| spent their first several lessons on the
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| | from point A to point B, not A to D?" she
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| longe line." Celine also likes to apply
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| | explained. "When you focus on riding
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| dressage concepts early on in hunt seat
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| | every stride, as in dressage, your hunter
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| education. "I start right away with
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| | or equitation horse will always know what
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| rhythm and balance, teaching the student
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| | you want," she explained. "You can
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| how to sit with balance. Then I address
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| | circle, go straight, change gait, jump
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| how the horse moves and how to find the
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| | and make it look so easy, balanced and
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| horse's natural rhythm. When you apply
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| | fluid. Riding hunt seat this way gives
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| the concepts of dressage early on,
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| | the horse the correct muscle development,
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| students have greater 'feel' for their
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| | impulsion and work ethic."
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| horses." She noted that in everyday hunt
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| | .99 cent equine classifieds with instant
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| seat, she sees horses just going around
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| | 12 site distribution.
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