This series of Western Dressage exercises are designed to improve suppleness, balance in movement, and responsiveness. Each exercise has a specific goal in mind, and they are organized by different areas of focus: softness, looseness, rider development, engagement, adjustability, and ground work. With illustrated step-by-step instructions and full arena diagrams, you'll quickly be on your way to mastering this exciting discipline. The exciting new discipline of Western Dressage allows riders of Western pleasure, work, or competitive horses to take advantage of the benefits of traditional dressage using Western tack and attire. This book, the first on the topic, has step-by-step instructions for the 101 key exercises.
Jec Ballou is the author of 101 Western Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider, 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider, and Equine Fitness. She is a national advisor to the Western Dressage Association of America and contributed to the current rules for the sport. She teaches clinics across the United States. She lives in Santa Cruz, California.
Stephanie Boyles is the co-author of 101 Western Dressage Exercises for Horse & Rider, founder of Unbridled Rider, and the creator of the mobile applications 101 Dressage and 101 Western Dressage. Boyles lives in Boulder, CO.
Al Dunning has been training award-winning Quarter Horses and outstanding riders for more than 40 years. He and his students have won numerous national titles in reining, cutting, working cow horse, and other disciplines. He owns Almosta Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona (www.aldunning.com). Contents
Foreword by Al Dunning
1. What is Western Dressage?
2. Softness
1. Correct Flexion
2. Releasing Tension
3. Arena Diamond
4. Random Rails
5. Serpentine with Poles
6. Haunches-in Prep
7. Circle 8s
8. Circle Prep
9. Lope Chute
10. Box Turns
11. Testing Balance #1
12. Testing Balance #2
13. Leg-yield to Smaller Circle
14. Lope Lightness
15. Quarter Pirouette and Halt
16. Fine Tuning
17. Half-pass to Leg-yield
18. Shoulder-in to Haunches-in
19. Two Circles at Once
3. Looseness
20. Controlled Wandering
21. Snake over Poles
22. Circle Review
23. Free Wheelin'
24. Sit and Stretch
25. Warm-up Figure 8
26. Stretching and Rounding
27. Cavalletti Half-circles
28. Suspension Square
29. Testing the Walks
30. Adjust the Walk #1
31. Adjust the Walk #2
32. Raised Fan
33. Turn Both Ends
34. Jog Diagonals
35. Three Step, Three Step
36. Leg-yield to Lengthening
4. Rider Development
37. Getting Centered
38. Rider Posture
39. Rider Coordination
40. Independent Seat
41. Finding Feel
42. Developing Seat
43. The 4x4x4
44. No Hands
45. Pelvic Rock
46. Mindful Corners
47. Lope Transitions on Centerline
48. Box Transitions #1
49. Box Transitions #2
5. Engagement
50. Circle Up
51. Balance Pattern
52. Over and Forward
53. Working to Lengthened Jog
54. Two Poles plus a Stride
55. Step Under
56. Collected Walk
57. Collect – Extend
58. Schaukel #1
59. Schaukel #2
60. Collection Serpentines
61. Jog Half-pass
62. Lope Bowtie
63. Counter to True
64. Counter-lope Serpentine
65. Lope Half-pass #1
66. Lope Half-pass #2
67. Pirouette to Half-pass
68. Very Collected Strides
69. Shoulder-in on Circle
70. Counter-lope Circle 8s
71. Rein-back to Lope
72. Lope Pirouette
6. Adjustability
73.
