Or maybe showing isn’t for you, but you’d like to have a measure of your training progress. A ride-a-test dressage clinic is just the ticket for all of these situations and more.
In recent years, both English and western dressage organizations are offering in-person and virtual ride-a-test clinics. They’re also sometimes called “fix-a-test” clinics, which may more accurately describe what is involved.

What Are Dressage Ride-a-Test Clinics?

Cheryl Holekamp, a United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) licensed “S” dressage judge who has competed through FEI levels in dressage as well as in eventing, explains more about the goal and what is involved with a ride-a-test clinic.

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“These clinics are designed to help riders learn how to improve their scores in a dressage test in competition,” she says. “They are beneficial to both dressage riders and eventers. Participants ride a test of their choice which is judged, then the judge then goes over the test with the rider, followed by a lesson working on parts of the test and the basics that need improvement.”

The format of a ride-a-test clinic varies a bit depending on the group hosting. Sometimes you’ll ride your test, get feedback from the judge, and then ride the test a second time for another score. Other times, after you ride your test, the rest of the session is devoted to schooling individual movements and basic principles that will boost your performance.

Some instructors even offer multi-day intensive ride-a-test courses where you’ll get advice on choosing a test, followed by practicing the individual movements, and eventually riding the complete test. On the final day, you perform that test in front of a guest judge. Along the way, sports psychology exercises and demonstrations by professional riders supplement learning.

Holekamp says the fix-a-test clinic offers the opportunity to interact with a judge, ask questions, and gain a better understanding of the directives and purpose of the level and the judging process.

“I am first concerned with the safety and welfare of horse and rider,” she says. “The goals are to help [you and your horse] achieve the best harmony and identify steps to follow to develop and improve skills.”

Dressage rider and United States Dressage Federation (USDF) L Education Program graduate Nancy Bryant points out that the ride-a-test format offers a rare chance for riders to get actual instruction from a licensed judge.

“According to USDF rules, judges should not use terminology that is teaching when they are working at a competition,” she says. “Instead, they’re supposed to use directives in their comments on the test sheets, such as ‘lacks impulsion’ or ‘circle not round,’ which tell the rider why they were scored a certain way, but not how to fix it. However, in the ride-a-test clinic situation, the judge is allowed to advise the rider on improving their performance.”

Bryant says that you should make the most out of a ride-a-test opportunity.

“I would ride the most technically challenging test that I would be showing that season,” she says. “Doing that with the judge in place allows me to get the best feedback. Another advantage of test-riding clinics is you don’t have the stress of having to braid your horse or dress in show clothes. You can ride in workman-like lesson attire and tack as long as it’s safe, clean and tidy.”

Clinic Preparation & Participation Tips

To find one of these clinics near you, search for educational events offered by local equestrian organizations or training barns. Another option is to participate virtually by having someone video you riding your test of choice and submitting that video to a dressage professional who offers ride-a-test reviews and followup instruction.

Holekamp gives this advice when you’re preparing for a ride-a-test clinic:

◆ Carefully review the schedule and format of the clinic you choose and register by the deadline. Contact the host for stabling information and directions, or in the case of submitting a test virtually, for instructions for submitting your video and information on how to receive feedback.

◆ Choose a test of appropriate level and plan to warm up ahead of time just like you would at a show. Know the test well. You can either ride a test you have struggled with during competitions or a test of a higher level for which you are hoping to develop skills and proficiency.

◆ Review the purpose of the level and familiarize yourself with the directives for each movement. Definitions of the levels and descriptions of the individual movements can be found in the Dressage Division of the USEF Rule Book, which is available online to all members. Go to www.usef.org and look under the “Membership” and “Compete” tabs for more information.

◆ Bring several copies of the score sheet for the test you will be riding: one for the judge, one for the scribe, one for your reader if you have one, and one for you to review. You can find copies of the tests on the USDF website here.

◆ Be on time for your ride and factor in the warmup so that you’re ready to go into the ring in your designated slot. If possible, try to arrive at the clinic location well ahead of time or plan to stay after your ride so you can watch other sessions (if allowed) to gain even more insight.

◆ Clinicians often ask what a rider would like to work on. Bring a list of questions to maximize the value of your session.

◆ If possible, arrange to have your clinic session videotaped. “Video is a wonderful learning experience,” says Holekamp. “A good video and the test with judge’s remarks from competition are like a mini clinic and a great way to understand that what you’re feeling during a test may actually look quite different.”

◆ Tips for your videographer shooting the video to submit for a virtual clinic: Hold the camera or phone horizontally; have the videographer stand at dressage letter C; and make sure that there is adequate lighting in the arena. If you’re outside, don’t point the camera directly into the sun. Have them state the names of you and your horse and the level and test number being ridden at the beginning of the video right before you enter the ring. They may need to use zoom when you’re at the far end of the ring.

Valuable Knowledge

Ride-a-test clinics offer huge potential to gain knowledge. Holekamp says she always finishes each rider’s session with homework for them to use to build on their clinic experience.

“Hopefully riders take home a better understanding and exercises for improved basics and execution of the test movements.”

Meet the Dressage Experts Cheryl Holekamp is a USEF licensed “S” judge who has officiated at licensed shows from coast to coast. As a dressage rider she has earned her USDF gold, silver and bronze medals, all on homebred horses. She also competed in eventing on a homebred horse. An accomplished sport horse breeder along with her husband Dr. Tim Holekamp, they own and operate New Spring Farm, originally in Columbia, Mo., and now in Ocala, Fla. Over the years, they’ve stood several notable stallions, including 2004 Olympic eventing medalist Windfall and FEI-level eventer Amethyst. They have also produced many successful competition horses, including Boyd Martin’s Olympic mount Tsetserleg, a son of Windfall. She enjoys giving back to the sport through teaching clinics. Nancy Bryant has competed in dressage through FEI levels and has earned her USDF silver and bronze medals aboard her homebred gelding Lansom’s Ransom and her subsequent gelding Handsel, whom she trained through FEI levels. She is a graduate of the USDF L Program, which qualifies her to judge schooling shows. Bryant is a Past President of the Midwest Dressage Association (MDA) and an active volunteer who enjoys giving back to her sport. Over the years she has volunteered at the 2017 FEI World Cup Finals, the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, and has served on numerous MDA committees. In 2020 and 2021, she organized a USDF Instructor Certification Program. In her professional life outside of horse sports, Bryant is a registered nurse.

This article about dressage Ride-a-Test clinics appeared in the March 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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With his looks and breeding, Wally should’ve been a champion something-or-other, but he hated being a show horse. When I plucked him from an auction, he was a ring-sour beast. Since I’d recently retired from showing hunters, I didn’t care. I just wanted a flashy trail mount. Wally’s distaste for group activities was fine by me.

A Door Opens for Western Dressage

Yet after several months of trail riding, I felt lured back to arena work. I devised ways to cajole Wally into compliance. Most involved peppermints. To keep him interested, we worked on lateral movements and transitions, and I taught him flying lead changes. His resentment abated and soon he’d amassed a notable skill set.

A few years down the road, my husband and I moved from Southern California to the high country of Arizona with Wally in tow. The trail riding was spectacular, but about once a week I schooled Wally in the community arena. One day I was joined by a local dressage rider aboard her Andalusian. She watched Wally and me practice shoulder-ins and leg-yields.

Finally, she said, “You really should do western dressage on that horse.”

“Is that a thing up here?” I asked. Most competitions in this part of Arizona seemed concerned with barrel racing or roping cows.

She explained that, yes, there was a local dressage club that sponsored clinics and shows. “They always have western dressage classes.”

I felt a spark of adrenaline when she uttered those words. Did I still harbor some yearning to compete? Could Wally actually hold it together for an entire dressage test?

Learning the Ins and Outs

I immediately went home and researched everything I could about western dressage, from tack requirements to the various levels and tests. I watched countless online videos of high-scoring rides. As a final sign of commitment, I joined the dressage club and set my sights on their upcoming shows.

Unfortunately, in my zeal for this newfound pursuit, I’d forgotten that I’d never ridden an actual dressage test. While hunter courses had a natural flow from one obstacle to another, dressage relied on letters set around the arena to mark where each movement was to happen.

Quite frankly, the placement of those letters made no sense to me. They weren’t in alphabetical order, and I couldn’t figure out why several letters (like I and P) were invisible. So as the shows approached, I resorted to tactics my husband found confusing.

I went into our kitchen armed with a stack of sticky notes bearing the letters and stuck them onto the tiled floor. Then I “rode” my test. About the time I was cantering a 10-meter circle next to the dishwasher, he called to me from the living room.

“What the heck are you doing?”

“I’m practicing western dressage.”

Long since indoctrinated to the silliness that’s associated with horse-crazy women, my husband shook his head and went back to watching TV.

Scraps of paper, book margins and a whiteboard we used for leaving notes to each other were soon besmirched with my dressage test doodles. I drew rectangles, added those confounded letters and then traced the loops, lines and circles of my tests.

Once I had them memorized, I practiced aboard Wally in my neighbor’s makeshift dressage arena. Occasionally I’d go off course, curse, and then ride back to X and start again.

The Ultimate Reward

By the time the show series rolled around, I was confident I knew my tests by heart. I was less confident predicting Wally’s behavior. I was worried he’d succumb to horse show PTSD and become completely unhinged amid the hoopla.

Thankfully, that never happened. Wally trotted up the centerline in both of his tests with an air of relaxed bravado. He was alert, responsive, and—dare I say it—happy to perform.

Our scores from that show, and the ones later that summer, were consistently in the 70s (dressage is scored as a percentage, with most winning tests in the 60s and 70s). By season’s end, we had an armful of blue ribbons, one tri-color championship, and a western dressage high-point award.

The ultimate reward, however, was reading the comments from the judges.

“You and your horse obviously have a special relationship,” one wrote. “The two of you are a joy to watch.”

Those were words I’d never seen on a hunter scorecard. I knew I would treasure them—and Wally, my western dressage horse—forever.

To learn more about western dressage, visit the Western Dressage Association of America’s website.

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If you’re the type of person who enjoys setting a goal and tackling each step to achieve it, chances are good you’ll find a western dressage show quite satisfying. For the newcomer, barriers to entry are low, but the payoffs in terms of training refinement and partnership with your horse are enormous.

Shows are affordable, low-key, and do not require special equipment or attire. Mastering a western dressage test pushes you to polish and assemble many of the skills you’ve probably already worked on in clinics and everyday schooling. Many riders discover that they can perform certain skills in isolation, but weaving them together in a dressage test is an unexpected challenge. But it’s a challenge that often gets riders hooked.

Below are some tips and guidelines to get you started or further your involvement with the sport.

Making Contact

The first question that arises for most people, especially those coming from other western disciplines like reining or pleasure showing, is how much—or how little—contact the horse and rider should have with the bit.

The short answer is a slight positive tension. The longer answer is that it all depends on how ideal the horse’s body carriage and gaits are. In other words, slackness or drape in the reins will not be prioritized above the horse moving with correct rhythm, body mechanics and alignment.

A western dressage horse moving correctly on the bit should stretch into the contact. He shouldn’t be shown with exaggeratedly draped reins. Instead, there should be light rein tone evident. It should appear that the horse is seeking a feel of your hands, with his neck arching and stretching forward from his body.

This is called “looking through” the bridle. As the horse progresses through the levels of training and showing, it’s expected that the rein contact will become lighter as a result of attaining perfect posture and balance. At this point, the reins will appear nearly loose.

Riding one- or two-handed is permitted, but you must perform the entire test without changing back and forth. Curb and snaffl e bits are permitted, with snaffle bits being most common.

Using strong, visible rein cues, constantly bumping the bit, or causing a horse to gape his mouth are considered serious faults. Special emphasis is given to a quiet mouth with head carriage that reflects the appropriate degree of collection and balance for each individual horse. This means the judge takes account of your horse’s natural conformation and balance when evaluating his specifi c outline or frame during competition.

Western Dressage Movement

The western dressage horse should demonstrate a full, swinging stride in all gaits with the hind feet coming forward and landing under the rider. He should move with impulsion, a forward-thinking attitude, engagement and looseness.

The general assumption is that a western dressage horse moves slowly, but this isn’t necessarily the case. A horse that moves well, as noted above, is more important than how rapidly or slowly he jogs or lopes. Slow-moving gaits are not an end goal unto themselves; they should be proof of balance, the result of correct training that includes schooling in lively working gaits.

A correct tempo for each western dressage horse differs according to his individual conformation, limb length, and ability to flex his hindquarters. As your horse’s balance and strength increase and he’s able therefore to carry more weight on his hindquarters, his tempo will naturally slow down. What he gains in loftiness and joint flexion and a softly swinging back, he trades for the quicker gaits of an undeveloped, unbalanced horse.

Competition Notes

As you prepare for a western dressage test, it’s important to keep in mind that this quality of movement is what you will be primarily evaluated on. A successful test is not just the ability to ride an accurate pattern, though that is a component of what judges look for. A much larger part of the evaluation comes from consistent, high-quality gaits and movement demonstrated throughout the pattern.

For competitions, working western attire and equipment are the norm, as opposed to flashier show-ring styles. A clean pair of riding jeans and plain long-sleeve shirt will get you started in the sport. Chaps, chinks, and helmets are optional.

Western dressage was officially branded in the U.S. in 2010, and in 2013, the U.S. Equestrian Federation named the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) an affiliate organization. At whatever level you choose to participate—locally, regionally, or beyond—your horse’s athleticism and longevity will bloom.

This article about western dressage originally appeared in the October 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

Further Reading

• Get Started in Western Dressage
• Need a new challenge for the coming year? Try Western Dressage
• Western Training: To Post or Not to Post

The post Try Western Dressage appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

The 2019 U.S. Equestrian Lifetime Achievement Award has been awarded to Ellen Di Bella. She will be honored at the 2020 U.S. Equestrian Annual Meeting at the Hilton West Palm Beach in West Palm Beach, Fla. during the Pegasus Awards presented by Adequan on Friday, January 10, 2020, along with other prestigious U.S. Equestrian award winners.

Di Bella of Parker, Colo., is the founding president of the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) and is now its director emeritus. WDAA has been key to the rise of western dressage in the U.S. She has devoted her life to inspiring others, creating opportunities for equestrians and their horses, and working for every horse to be valued and cherished. She also served on the U.S. Equestrian board for a decade and is currently on five U.S. Equestrian committees.

In addition to her work for the WDAA, Di Bella has been a stalwart supporter of Morgan horses, serving on the boards of both the American Morgan Horse Association and the American Morgan Horse Institute. She’s a lifelong competitor, too, and has showed her Morgan horses in western pleasure for 38 years before discovering western dressage.

She has worked on show committees at all levels, including every year for the WDAA World Championship Show and seven years for the Morgan Grand National and World Championship Show, and she served on the board of the Colorado Horse Park. Apart from her work for horses and equestrians, she helped found the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center Foundation, which provides financial assistance to cancer patients and their families in meeting living expenses while fighting cancer.

To learn more about the U.S. Equestrian Lifetime Achievement Award, U.S. Equestrian’s 2020 Annual Meeting and registration, how to purchase tickets to the 2019 Pegasus Awards presented by Adequan, as well access to a full schedule, visit www.usef.org/annual-meeting.

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During the Western Dressage World Championship Show, put on by the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA), there was camaraderie between fellow exhibitors, amongst the cadre of volunteers who showed up to make things happen, and most especially between horses and their riders—the most important beneficiaries of this sport that fosters that essential partnership.

The event was held September 27-30 at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie, Okla. Final numbers showed nearly 900 rides, 202 exhibitors and 178 horses, hailing from 32 states from coast to coast, as well as Canada. Forty breeds of horses were represented, everything from stock breeds to gaited horses to POAs and ponies—and even one mule.

Competitors were vying for 77 world championships, more than 30 breed high-score awards and 20 divisional championship belt buckles. World Show judges were Ronald Bartholomew of Martville, N.Y.; Donna Longacre of Longview, Wash.; Fatima Pawlenko-Kranz of Algonquin, Ill.; and Charlotte Trentelman of Anthony, Fla..

Thanks to sponsors, the show was live-streamed for free, allowing a much wider worldwide audience to tune in and see some of the best examples of western dressage. Class videos are archived at https://totalhorsechannel.com/wdaa. Additional thanks go to all individuals and companies who stepped up to sponsor the show at a variety of levels.

It’s important, too, to recognize the multitude of volunteers. 2018 marked the first year that a concerted effort was undertaken to recruit volunteers and place them in key positions, and the World Show was much better for it.

The World of Western Dressage

The Western Dressage World Show also featured a full day of rail classes, amazing freestyle competitions, exhibitor parties and the debut of therapeutic riding exhibition classes, illustrating the full benefits of western dressage and the partnership it can create with a horse. USEF CEO Bill Moroney was on hand at the Western Dressage World Championship Show to visit with competitors and bear witness to the growth of the discipline.

WDAA President Cindy Butler enjoyed watching the senior horses who have found second (or more) careers in western dressage, as well as the wide variety of equines. “We have horses who were rescued from kill pens and became successful in western dressage, and riders who came from other disciplines and found new life in western dressage,” Butler said.

“The atmosphere at our show is like no other,” she continued. “Western dressage is a refreshing new way to compete against your own best performance as you and your horse learn. You set your own pace, move forward a step at a time, and accomplish what you never dreamed you could.

Overall World Champions

Open Champion – Laurie Hedlund on Lyka – 80.8%
Open Reserve Champion Tim Christensen on Shari Gemini – 78.095%

Amateur Champion – Julie Cain on Larks Best Bett – 83%
Amateur Reserve Champion – Jay Cain on Happyhoursat3 – 79.75%

Junior Champion – Korbin Eckert on Paddys Irish Starlet – 79.524%
Junior Reserve Champion – Corbin Eckert on Spindoll – 76.5%

Eckert also won the World Show Sportsmanship Award.

See the full list of World Champion Overall and Division Winners and Breed High-Score Winners online.

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The Dressage Foundation (TDF) is pleased to announce that dressage clinician Lynn Palm has established a new grant fund—the Lynn Palm Western Dressage Grant Fund—in celebration of her 50 years as a professional equestrian and to give back to the sport she loves—western dressage. Palm believes that the classical training principles of dressage are applicable and beneficial to all levels of riders, breeds of horses and riding disciplines. Palm herself has earned seven Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) World Championships, won 34 American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World and Reserve World Championships and been named 2007 AQHA Horsewoman of the Year. Grants from the Lynn Palm Western Dressage Fund will provide financial support for equestrians and groups that are hosting educational events, such as clinics, camps and symposia for western dressage riders.

Lynn Palm Western Dressage Grant Fund

“My goal for this fund is for it to help grow the sport of western dressage,” Palm shared. “I believe that education is how this can be accomplished! My hope is that these grants will support events that include riders who might not yet be involved in western dressage but have an interest in learning about it. I would like for riders to receive quality instruction in western dressage and learn the biomechanics of the horse, how to develop him slowly and learn to ride ‘back to front.’”

Palm continued, “If you are a western rider and like to achieve harmony with a willing and confident horse, western dressage could be a perfect fit. The dressage principles will benefit you and your horse, no matter the discipline. I also hope to bring the ranch riding enthusiasts together with western dressage through this fund, as both disciplines focus on riding accurate and precise tests while emphasizing the horse’s natural self-carriage.”

Grants of up to $2,000 will be available for events that meet grant requirements and are selected by an independent review committee. Further details about the grant fund are available at www.dressagefoundation.org under “Grants and Programs > Educational Events.”

Contact Jenny Johnson, TDF’s Executive Director, at (402) 434-8585 or jenny@dressagefoundation.org with questions or for more information.

The Dressage Foundation

The Dressage Foundation is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt, donor-driven organization that is dedicated to educating, supporting and advancing the sport of dressage. The organization solicits contributions, appropriately allocates the donations, and awards grants and scholarships to dressage riders, judges, instructors, breeders, high performance teams and nonprofit equestrian organizations. For more information, please visit www.dressagefoundation.org.

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