A couple weeks ago a friend and I attended a WSH Dressage Show halfway across the state to ride the NAWD tests. The weather was gorgeous, the drive uneventful, the horses well behaved.  The show was at a beautiful facility, with a qualified judge I trust to evaluate our western dressage horses.  My stallion was perfectly behaved even in the warm-up area with the little ponies and their tiny children. Sounds like a perfect horse show weekend huh?

It was, but for one thing. I was confused! 

For the first time in this western dressage journey, I had trouble committing to the training work we do every day that helps us create regular, relaxed, forward moving, balanced western horses in the ring. I had just written the blog “To Jog or Not to Jog?” and it was the strangest feeling to enter at “A” and not know whether we should jog, jog-trot (whatever that might be) or trot! As you can imagine, my horse didn’t know either, given he has a long career as a western pleasure horse. So there we were, during the tests…we jogged some and trotted some, lost balance, broke in the lope (WHAT!?), crawled through the free walk (longest diagonal of my life…) and meandered into the halt with his neck so far down my saddle almost skied down it.  Yikes.

After the show I spoke with the judge. “What happened?” she wanted to know.  I said “I don’t know. I was confused!”  “It looked like it.” She replied.  “How did that happen?” How indeed? 

The conversation that has surrounded WD especially in the last six weeks or so clearly impacted my conviction and thus our performance. I failed to support my riding partner as I was wondering how the judge was actually going to judge. Whose rules have been influencing her understanding of WD?  What does “jog-trot” mean to her?  What if “western” means “jog” to her? I better slow down… Jeez, this is not dressage… I better speed up… too late… oh no, what did the reader just say? Dang, he’s on the forehand… You get the idea.  And so my nearly 70% horse from mid-May turned into a barely over 60% horse in June.  I could hear my mother’s words ringing in my head… “How can you compete when you don’t know what you are supposed to do?” How indeed?

During the last month, Western Dressage enthusiasts, horsemen, riders, breeders, trainers, and USEF members have been writing in to USEF to voice concerns, suggestions, recommendations and make general comments regarding the selection of the recognized Affiliate that will represent western dressage at the national level. Several of those letters have been shared on various FaceBook pages and I would like to share excerpts from them with you now. A surprising number of people, including myself, belong to both organizations and have raised concerns about everything from unprofessional behavior to rules like allowing two hands on the curb to who sits on the boards and committees that will make this decision. While these letters were sent to USEF and were publicly posted on FB as well, I share these excerpts anonymously. I have chosen these bits because I think they provide good food for thought as USEF embarks on the next stage of the decision making process.  Despite the current confusion, you might be surprised what some people think is the best approach. 

a. “Western Dressage is NOT ready to have a USEF Recognized Affiliate. It is still too young, there are still too many discussions going on in both camps as to how a "finished" western dressage horse is supposed to look. What USEF needs to do is sit down with representatives from both organizations, NAWD and WDAA, and start the grueling process of bringing minds together from both camps. If you choose one organization over the other, there will be even more dissension than there is at this time. But I believe that this discipline must be encouraged to grow in a strong and thoughtful way, and I believe that USEF must take some responsibility in making sure that happens. The western horse deserves it."

b. “I would like to recommend that the USEF recognize neither Western Dressage applicant as the official recognized affiliate. Rather, I recommend that a task force be formed with 2 members from each organization and one from the USEF to attend a summit during which we will come together in compromise to form rules and select tests in order to form ONE voice for Western Dressage. “

c. “Choose neither until we can come to the table together and join forces. “

d.  “It is clear that recognizing one organization exclusively may not be in the best interest of the sport, nor of the USEF. There is already significant division and confusion within Western Dressage. If you recognize one organization and not the other, the division will continue.”

e.  “Honestly, I think it is too early in the development of the discipline to make this caliber of decision which has the potential of impacting the horse world so profoundly. As a member of both organizations, in my opinion, neither organization should be approved now as the official WD affiliate.  If there is any chance of a unified association working for the benefit of ALL exhibitors and trainers interested in the sport of Western Dressage, I strongly urge the tabling of approval of either application via which either organization might gain the right to claim being the "official" USEF voice for Western Dressage.”

I hope that USEF takes the letters seriously and takes its time making their decision, whatever it is.  This is not a decision that should be ramrodded through or secretly influenced internally, or paid for.  It is a decision that requires thought, careful articulation, management and planning in order to develop Western Dressage in the best possible way. For my part, I will continue to work with my western horses using the fundamental dressage principles that my teachers have given me over the years. With that in mind, you can be sure that we will not be jogging much and that we will strive to ride our horses forward into the connection from behind, over a relaxed back and with a light contact, following the training pyramid as we develop their bodies and gaits to their fullest and most expressive. 

Thank you all for taking the time to read this blog and for your interest in Western Dressage. I welcome your input regarding anything you have read in this blog, your rescue horse’s story as well as your western dressage story at [email protected].

For more information about Western Dressage, to read articles, explore the 2013 Rulebooks, see the tests, or start your memberships visit NAWD at http://www.northamericanwesterndressage.com, and join them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/NorthAmericanWesternDressage.  Find Cowboy Dressage online at www.cowboydressage.com, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/eitanbethhalachmy.  Locate International Performance Horse Development Association at http://www.iphda.com/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IPHDA1.  Finally, WDAA’s website is http://www.westerndressageassociation.org/

Michelle Binder-Zolezzi is the founder of the Relational Riding Academy. Relational Riding is a program that utilizes dressage as fundamental training for all horses performing in all disciplines. She has been an ARIA certified Instructor since 1989. She is currently working on her second book “Relational Riding: A Horsemanship Tutorial,” and has completed work on two professional video productions, “Any Horse, Any Rider: Relational Riding: A Universal Foundation” and "Understand Riding From the Ground Up."