Western Dressage Clinic With Lynn Palm

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By: Jo Johnson/Horsezone

As a long time follower of Lynn Palm's training methods, having moved to western disciplines from dressage some 20 years ago, I was just a little excited about finally seeing this master horsewoman in action at a Clinic! 

I had a fantastic one on one interview with Lynn this morning so I was really looking forward to learning more.

Lynn's Western Dressage Clinic was very educational - I wish I could have joined the lucky riders taking part and been in the arena with them.

Lynn did three separate sections focusing on the four levels of western dressage.

The first section of the clinic covered the 'Introductory' tests and the horses in this section were slower and lower western pleasure type Quarter Horses.

The lovely black horse was what I would class as a real western pleasure type whereas the chestnut was more forward moving.

Lynn took these horses and their riders through manoeuvres from the Introductory tests which focus on working walk, working jog and halt with only a little canter in the final test. It is totally acceptable for these horses to be in a long and low frame, typical of a western horse, with their noses ahead of the vertical.

Precision and accuracy is very important at this, and all levels of western dressage, and Lynn kept reiterating that riders need to ride with their eyes in front of the horse and keep looking ahead at least two letters.

She focused on perfecting their half circles and riding into the corners whilst ensuring the horses didn’t get too low or on the forehand, which Quarter Horse types can tend to do!

Quarter Horses are made very level and can tend to go on the forehand, the power comes from behind so we have to encourage them to be a little more uphill. This is the only way they can round their backs and be light in front.

Lynn was asking the riders to lower their hands and encourage the horses forward with their legs, ensuring they used their calves rather than their spurs.

The final challenge for these horses was developing the canter to create balance – they were able to do this on a circle and given plenty of time to do the transition from jog to lope. The 20m circle is the only lope in the Introductory Test. Horses should exhibit a ground covering free flowing stride.

Lynn encouraged the riders to concentrate on perfecting their own position and keeping their eyes ahead.

She emphasised how important the walk is and that in the free walk a horse should stretch his head down, out and forward, stretching all the back muscles. Riders need to trust their horses and give with the reins to allow them to stretch down into the free walk.

It’s fine for Introductory horses to be long in the frame but it’s important that they are in self carriage with the power coming from their hind end and not on the forehand.

Lynn’s next two riders demonstrated manoeuvres from the First Level tests and the two horses were more elevated and forward moving – one a reining Quarter Horse mare and the other a half Arabian stallion.

Lynn reiterated how important rhythm and balance are, how important it is not to hurry transitions and to ride from your leg to your hand.

A tip she offered for transitions was PPC

P = prepare – review your sequence of aids and sit deep.

P = position – get your legs positioned ready to give the aids

C = cue – actually apply the aids

This gives the best chance of achieving a smooth transition.

The half Arabian stallion was quite anxious and excited so Lynn had his rider perform serpentines for suppleness and had her slow down the horse by sitting the jog rather than rising and relaxing herself.

These horses and riders worked on the working jog and lengthening jog as well as lateral work including leg yields. They then practised turns on the forehand and neat halts – keep straight going into the halt to ensure a square halt. All of which have to be performed in First Level tests.

The next horses out were to demonstrate the Second and Third Levels, which is as high as western dressage goes at this stage – higher levels will develop as the discipline grows.

These horses were the Morgan stallion RanchBoss Cortez with Linda Shaw and Warren Backhouse riding a reining Quarter Horse.

Both of these horses and riders are very accomplished and they worked on more advanced manoeuvres for the higher level tests including 10m lope circles.

So what sort of horse or rider is suited to western dressage? Western dressage is an excellent sport for horses who are not of the big moving Warmblood type and cannot be expected to move up the levels in conventional dressage. Otherwise really it’s just the same as traditional dressage! It’s all about riding in balance and communicating the aids clearly to your horse. If you like to ride with precision and accuracy, use your aids so the horse really knows what you’re doing, and work in harmony with your horse - western dressage could be perfect for you!

I thoroughly enjoyed this clinic and was impressed that there were six different horses being ridden in various types of head gear – bosal, snaffle and bit – at various levels of training, with very different movement, however, all of these horses are suitable for western dressage! What’s not to love?

STAY TUNED FOR MY INTERVIEW WITH LYNN TO LEARN EVEN MORE ABOUT WESTERN DRESSAGE AND THIS SUPER TALENTED HORSEWOMAN!

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