As an adult-amateur rider discovered, because it led to dressage breakthroughs
By Lynda Palmer
Most of us adult-amateur dressage riders are always striving to achieve harmony with our horses. As I started competing at Prix St. Georges last year, I realized that the harmony was lacking. I was able to perform the movements, but they did not feel rhythmic and easy. To work toward achieving better harmony with my horse, one of the things I decided to do was to work on my position.
As I looked back on my training to move up the levels in dressage, I realized that my focus had been on my horse—the required movements and her way of going. Although my trainer has coached me on my position, it was not top of mind. Then I began reading about dressage-seat equitation (DSE) competition.
The DSE test directives include “unity of the rider with the horse in motion,” “movements should be obtained with imperceptible aids without apparent effort from the rider,” and “the rider should be well-balanced, elastic, sitting deep in the center of the saddle, smoothly absorbing the movement of the horse with his loins and hips.” I thought: Yes, I want to achieve all of those!
I come from a hunter/jumper background, where equitation classes—in which the rider’s position on the flat and over fences, not the horse, is judged—are longstanding traditions, so competing in equitation was not new to me. Hunter-seat equitation classes typically draw as many as 20 to 30 riders, but DSE classes tend to be very small—and some dressage shows get no DSE entries at all. Having competed last year in DSE and gotten so much from it, I wanted to write this article to encourage other dressage riders to compete in DSE, with the hope that they will get as much from the classes as I did and, most important, that DSE will help them further their quest for that seamless, harmonious ride with their horses.
DSE Explained
DSE competition is open to riders of all levels, with divisions for juniors and adult amateurs. Competitors ride in the show ring together, demonstrating walk, trot, and canter at the same time as directed by the judge. The judge may also ask the riders to perform leg-yields or simple patterns.
Unlike a regular dressage test, in which the focus is on the horse, the purpose of DSE is to evaluate the rider’s seat, position, and effective use of the aids. The class is not taxing on the horse, so you can easily ride a regular test or tests at a show and also compete in DSE. And because all of the horses are in the ring together, most horses seem to enjoy DSE.
DSE Championships
There are championship programs for DSE, as well. Those who earn a score of 70% or better in a DSE class at a USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized dressage competition (or who qualify for the Great American/USDF Regional Championships, excluding freestyles) automatically qualify for the USDF Regional Adult Amateur Equitation Finals. A Final is held at each Great American/USDF Regional Championships.
Riders aged 18 and under also have the opportunity to participate in the USEF/USDF Dressage Seat Medal Program. Those who qualify to compete at one of the nine regional USDF Dressage Seat Medal Semifinals may earn the right to advance to the annual USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals, held as part of USEF’s national dressage championships competition, the US Dressage Festival of Champions.
Last September, I competed in both the USDF Region 7 Adult Amateur Equitation Finals and the California Dressage Society’s (CDS) Adult Amateur Equitation Challenge class at the Great American/USDF Region 7 Championships/CDS Annual Championship Show. Afterward, I had the opportunity to interview one of the DSE judges, FEI 4* and USEF “S” judge Sandra Hotz.
“The first thing a rider should learn is to be in balance with the horse,” Hotz said. “Without that, everything becomes a struggle.” In fact, she said, most of the problems dressage judges see in the tests stem from issues pertaining to rider position and incorrect use of the aids.
“Participating in dressage-seat equitation is a great way to get clear, personal feedback from a judge on your position and to see where you stand compared to other riders,” Hotz said. “And it’s a great way to have the opportunity to ride with other horses and learn to keep your horse under control and stay at a safe distance from others.”
Even if you don’t aspire to compete in DSE, Hotz recommended lunge lessons and work without stirrups as ways to develop a deep, elastic seat. As she pointed out, the rider’s seat has a huge influence on the horse’s way of going. She also suggested that riders have someone take video from different angles, and that instructors stand in various locations around the arena, to get a comprehensive picture of the rider’s position.
A Positive Impact
I asked fellow Region 7 DSE competitor Kristina Huff to explain her goals in participating in these classes.
“As a full-figured rider,” Huff said, “I want to make sure I am doing my part to positively impact my horse’s way of going. Competing in dressage-seat equitation provides me with regular and detailed feedback from a seasoned professional other than my trainer on my position.”
As for my own riding, competing in DSE led to breakthroughs in achieving the harmony I had been seeking with my horse. After I began focusing on my position, movements I had been having trouble with started to become easier, with improvements in the rhythm and flow.
Equitation classes have long been associated with junior riders, so DSE may not be top of mind for adult amateurs. But competing in DSE is a great way for adult amateurs to really pay attention to our seat and how we influence our horses—which will ultimately benefit both our riding and our horses. I encourage everyone who is reading this, no matter what your level, to give DSE a try at your next show.
Lynda Palmer is the Southern California regional director for the California Dressage Society.
