Surprised About Dressage?

I think the thing that surprised me most was how much dressage benefited both myself and my horses when we were jumping. It gave me a greater sense of control without getting heavy in the hand, and being able to use my body more effectively to adjust my horse as needed between fences, or even out of the trails.

What surprised me is how my dressage background helped me when I switched to western disciplines. With so much more tack under me, I thought I would loose some of the “feel” when riding, but I think dressage made me more perceptive and made it a much easier transition.