I recently had the opportunity to chat with Cliff Swanson, who has been instrumental in many facets of the program, including authoring and editing the new tests, working with the Rules Committee, developing the Train The Trainers™ Program and conducting a wonderful series of Skill Set Clinics. Cliff also sits on the Advisory Board for the WDAA.
According to Cliff, “We developed the tests to conform to a number of things, especially the natural feel and training progression for the horse. As we progress in the test levels and they become more difficult, our maneuvers flow into each other, so that we use one shape or form on the test to shape our horse and set up for a later maneuver. For instance, we develop the correct momentum, impulsion, bend and flexion to pick up a lope to the right. We’ve taken great pains in putting these tests together to try and make them a nice training progression for the rider. We want it to be simpler, so as they go through the exercises correctly, the horse falls into higher maneuvers with a lot more ease and understanding.”
The prior USEF tests are no longer part of the program, Cliff explained to me. “There are sixteen brand new tests, written by people who have experience in training horses and riding dressage tests. These authors and the test committee have lots of miles in the horse industry.”
The new rules were also taken from a large group of experienced horse people, coming from both classical dressage and those with the history and spirit of the old West. “We adhere to the old stock horse type,” Cliff described. “And we use a lot of things good Western horse people have been using in training horses for years, combining it with dressage. This training progression has been developed for over thousands of years from the ancient Greeks. Their program was designed to train horses for war as weapons and has developed through the ages as a method to train horses to move the way people want them to move."
| “We also used a lot of standard tried and true rules from different National breeds along with USEF, resulting in the new Western Dressage Rules.” |
Other new things to be included in the program are an Equitation Division and a World Championship to be held in Tulsa in November. “This is the first World Championship for WDAA, open to all breeds, any horse, and any rider. The prizes are wonderful – saddles, buckles, jackets, medallions. This will be a very nice show, headed by Darrell Bilke, Vice President of WDAA.”
| “This is an exciting year coming up for Western Dressage in all phases and aspects,” Cliff exclaimed. “It’s taken a lot of hard work to put together. Affiliates from Coast to Coast have been waiting for the new rules and tests. The energy and interest are huge. We’re going to jump by leaps and bounds now!” |
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| Cliff Swanson works with students at a Skills Set II Clinic earlier this year in Colorado. |
Pat Van Buskirk serves as the Technical and Website Manager on the Board of Directors for the Western Dressage Association® of Colorado, a WDAA State Affiliate. She is an avid horse enthusiast and has been writing for various horse and auto magazines since 1994.
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The Western Dressage Association® of America is a 501(c)3 educational non-profit organization focused on providing a model of horsemanship which optimizes the partnership of horse and rider for their mutual benefit. The mission of the Western Dressage Association® is to honor the horse, to value the partnership between horse and rider and to celebrate the legacy of the American West which it focuses on through its offerings of educational opportunities and events to the equestrian community. Read more about Western Dressage and the WDAA by visiting http://www.westerndressageassociation.org.