A few years ago, the Mother Lode Show, a Morgan horse show in northern California, started offering dressage classes for riders who wished to compete using western tack and attire. The classes became so popular that word spread in the Morgan horse community. Several enthusiastic riders came to the Morgan committee of USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) and asked for help getting these classes approved.
The Morgan committee worked with the USEF to develop rules and guidelines for judging these classes as well as tests for Western Dressage classes based on the tests used in classical dressage.
The Western Dressage Association® of America has these Rules and Guidelines posted for your review along with links to the USEF Western Dressage tests.
Western Dressage classes are judged by USEF licensed judges. The guidelines were written to assist these licensed judges when officiating in Western Dressage classes rather than classical dressage. These guidelines may be helpful to students and instructors of Western Dressage to better understand what the dressage judges will be looking for in the tests.
WESTERN DRESSAGE TESTS
SCORING
- 10-Excellent
- 9-Very good
- 8-Good
- 7-Fairly good
- 6-Satisfactory
- 5-Sufficient
- 4-Insufficient
- 3-Fairly bad
- 2-Bad
- 1-Very bad
- 0-Not performed
Example of Western Dressage Basic Level Test 1
Demonstrated by Chris Newbert and his Quarter Horse “Chico”
Western Dressage is trained and shown in specific levels which build on each other and which reflect the development of the skills and abilities of both the horse and rider. The tests ridden in shows are used as a measure of the correctness of the horse’s (and rider’s) schooling. The collective marks are based on:
- Gaits: the freedom and regularity of the horse’s movement
- Impulsion: the horse’s desire to move forward, elasticity of steps, roundness
- Submission: the horse’s attention and confidence, harmony with rider, lightness of movements, and acceptance of the bit
- Rider’s position and seat: correctness and effect of the aids
WESTERN DRESSAGE ARENAS
The small dressage arena measure 20x40 meters.
The large dressage arena measure 20x60 meters.
