Conference noted::equitation

    I do a bit of eventing, dressage and a few working hunter classes as
    well as the odd showjumping class.  I take my lessons on my horse at 
    my local riding centre and I usually have the same qualified
    instructor, and have no problem with my dressage or jumping.  
    
    My horse seems to go better if I have alot of dressage/flat work
    lessons when he jumps, either showjumping or cross country, but I can
    understand that if you have an instructor for each disipline then you
    can get conflicting ideas then you and your horse could get confused 
    I suppose.
    
    I do know that sometimes here in the UK a lot of top riders who event
    have one instructor to teach them dressage and another for their
    jumping.

    I and my horse have particpated in many different equestrian
    activities. Eventing, dressage, jumping, driving and once a log-pull! I
    only go to shows occasionally and take lessons on a similar irregular
    basis. The biggest problem I have found is the breed biases of some
    judges and instructors. Driving people tend to like Morgans, dressage
    folk like German warmbloods, eventers and the jumping crowd want
    thoroughbreds. I wan't to learn how to make my horse and myself go
    better at whatever discipline we doing at that particular moment. That
    is not the same as schooling to the latest judging fad in the show
    ring. Good horse skills are applicable to any of the equestrian
    disciplines. It's only when you get wrapped up in having to win will
    conflicts occur. 

    
    I am very interested in cross training and in the past had some success
    in competing in all three disciplines. 
    
    I have been very fortunate to have a couple of 'hunter' trainers with 
    strong dressage backgrounds that train their horses using solid, basic
    dressage.  (Not 'stylized' dressage, but a real form to function 
    approach.)  These folks also had excellent knowledge and experience 
    with the hunter way of going AND with jumpers.  When we went to events, 
    we did our stadium courses in hunter style -- quiet and controlled, but
    fast enough to make the time.  
    
    One person I trained with also had a strong eventing background along
    with the hunters.  So I learned a great deal from him about riding
    cross country.  And he was insistent that we all rode cross country
    (prelim and lower levels) like it was a hunter course -- with
    sufficient speed to get around, but controlled and relaxed and
    accurate.  And all of us who trained with him did VERY well eventing
    as well as dressage and hunter.
    
    Then I ended up training with a George Morris protege who also had
    an excellent foundation in dressage.  We occasionally went to dressage
    shows and did very well (although we received impolite comments because
    we trained with a 'hunter' person).  Our scores were always very good
    due to the horses being correctly on the bit, forward and free-moving, 
    correctly bending when required, and correctly straight when required.
    
    I haven't evented our here (except for once).  But the barn I am
    training at has a few folks who event part-time.  And one of the
    hunter trainers takes them to events.  She has a background in dressage
    and Pony Club as well as having trained with some excellent 'hunter'
    types.  And those folks do very well when they event.  And also do 
    very well in the hunter ring.
    
    We do have some 'dressage' types in the area who do very well in the
    dressage ring, but because of the type of work they do would probably
    do miserably if asked to go cross country or even do a hunter round. 
    They have a different approach than those that use dressage as a means
    to make their horses jump better.
    
    Mary Jo

    I would think that if you wanted to be successful in all three
    diciplines, you are going to have to have a darn nice horse to begin
    with. Conformation for the show ring, calm, tough, gutsy for eventing
    and obedient and easy to handle for dressage. All this together might
    cost you a bit too. If you got it, why not. 85% of all the work in
    jumping, dressage is flatwork. If you have a good eye, an athletic
    horse, it will jump fine.
    
    To be successful in the showring, you have to have a beautiful hunter
    horse. The points for conformation of the horse in a hunter class are
    75%. In equitation classes is does not matter as much, but to win you
    still need a darn good looking and athletic horse.
    
    My two cents worth.
    

    
    The hunter show barn where I ride has a dressage trainer who works with
    us whenever we want. Occassionally, there is a conflict in style but
    never in function. I have benefitten from many dressage work in
    countless ways - balance, steering, laterals, moving up or steadying
    are all much easier when I'm jumping because of the flat work.
    
    The dressage instructor (Stehpie Baer) has adjusted her teaching to
    accommodate my goals - NEHC Adult Medal - without losing her goal -
    teaching sound horsemanship.
    
    My hunt coach (Lauren Stevens deMont) loves the improvements in my seat and
    ability to regulate my horse. We can contentrate in our lesson on
    putting together courses and teaching me not to land in a heap after a
    jump!
    
    As for my horse - Daniel.  All the dressage work has strengthen is
    hindend and taught him basic lateral movements without smashing into his
    quarterhorse stubborness. I bought Daniel because of his willingness at
    the fences, his basic good nature and the hope that we'd (Lauren,
    Stephie and I) would be able to teach him the concept of balance and
    lateral motion. We don't need the compliments we receive every time
    somebody sees Daniel to know that things have worked out but it sure is
    nice to hear them.
    
    Count 1 as a firm believer in cross training (but you gotta have a
    good working relationship with all the trainers!)
    
    Nancy     

My horse and I compete in the dressage and hunter ring. Our cross country
has been limited to hunter paces to date. I am fortunate in that I 
have a nice conformation horse, that is also an above average mover (oh heck, 
I have been told that he is a very nice mover), that loves to jump.

I have one instructor. Although she teaches hunters primarily, our flatwork 
focuses on balance, accuracy and relaxation. Enough so that we can ride our
way through a first level test successfully. Our jumping is essentially 
flatwork with obstacles. I am half crazy so running and jumping in the woods 
is easy for me and my horse (he's crazy too!).

I think the key is to customize your training to your needs. One instructor
may be adequate for one team (horse&rider) while another may need more
emphasis on one component than the other, requiring a specialist.

$ set personal_opinion/ON

I think that one of the keys to the Stephie Baer / Lauren Stevens combo is that
they have many students that use both of them. They are both outstanding 
instructors in their own right yet they have almost a cooperative relationship. 

They also have complimentary philosophies. It makes it work. There may be 
other complimentary instructors out there. But I can see where you could
run into conflicting opinions between disciplines ( we all have opions ;-) )