As you know I occasionally receive a story from a Western Dressage rider and this week I would like to share with you the story behind a beautiful magazine cover photo that appeared recently in Paint Horse Journal and which featured coverage of Western Dressage. The photo was of Katrina Sanders and her Paint horse Pirate. Here is what Katrina shares with western dressage enthusiasts this week:

“Thank you so much for offering to feature my photo in your blog!  I am honored and so grateful :-)  The article in the Paint Horse Journal featured interviews with a few other people. I was in good company with the likes of Lynn Palm! I was contacted about a month and a half ago from the editor. She explained that she had seen some photos I had posted on the NAWD Facebook page and really liked what she saw. She was putting together a piece on Paint horses doing Western dressage and wondered if I could send her a few fresh pics along with how I got started in the discipline. Along with the cover shot, my horse, Pirate on Deck, and I ended up in the PHJ 3 more times! 

As you know, we (Jeff and I) are aligned more with Cowboy Dressage and I explained to Jessica (editor) that we were excited to see that finally the dressage influence was being recognized in the Western horse. Our California Vaquero heritage is rich in dressage and it's practical application and we are thrilled that more and more venues are opening up to recognize this fact. We are happy for the horses and the students who wish to participate in a show environment, while still honoring the Vaquero traditions. To us, Cowboy Dressage and Western dressage aren't new concepts, rather they are ideas and methods that have been in place since the Spanish landed in California. Only in the last 50 or 60 years has the dressage influence left the Western riding world to finally be rediscovered and resurrected by a few dedicated and hard working people in the forms of Cowboy Dressage and Western dressage and of course with those who are dedicated to preserving California Vaquero horsemanship. We feel this is really just the beginning for the resurgence of classical equitation or dressage in the Western horse and that finally the lines between what's considered "English" and "Western" are becoming more blended. Good training that considers the biomechanics and integrity of the horse have no boundaries and the inclusion of Cowboy Dressage or Western dressage reflect it matters not what type of tack you have on your horse, only that the training remains true to these principles.

I will share with you that one of our main concerns with these new "disciplines" is that they continue to honor classical principles, rather than rewarding for "modern" show movements. Jeff and I are dedicated to preserving the pre-1900's equitation and horsemanship of California.  With that said, our horsemanship is more akin to what would be considered Baroque era equitation, as California remained virtually an island from influence by the Anglo's until the mid to late 1800's. As with any discipline that becomes a "sport" there is the danger of losing sight of remaining principle based and becoming more influenced by the needs of the humans driving the sport. Our hope is that people can put their egos aside and strive to honor an agreement with the horse and his needs rather than their desire to win or gather points. There is great potential in the growth of Cowboy Dressage and Western dressage and I, for one, have high hopes for a renaissance in classical equitation which embraces the Western horse.” 

With Gratitude,
Katrina Sanders

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].

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."