Riding High

Level 2 in the Open Division. I have also been a member of the North American Western Dressage (NAWD) for the past seven years. This last year (2022) Cowboy and I saw real success at their shows for Western dressage. (They were TRAX Gaited Champion and TRAX Open Versatility Reserve Champion.)

SA: Of all the equestrian disciplines available to you, what made you choose to participate in Western dressage and Working Equitation? Was there something special about them that appealed to you?

JL: I started doing Western dressage because of how welcoming the discipline is. There is a section of the rulebook that says gaited horses can participate. Working Equitation is also a passion of mine because its foundation is in dressage. There is so much involved in Working Equitation that they don’t care how your horse’s feet move as long as you get the job done. The Working Equitation community is also super welcoming. It’s just a fun discipline to be a part of.

SA: Do you employ a professional instructor, or do you do most of the work yourself?

JL: I have done almost all the work with Cowboy myself. I started him from a green broke horse. I do take lessons with a dressage instructor that comes to our barn and works with Cowboy and his gait.

SA: Are people surprised to discover that you are riding a gaited horse in Western dressage or Working Equitation? If they are, why do you think they are surprised?

JL: People are surprised that I ride a gaited horse in Western dressage. I have gone to many shows where judges were taken aback and didn’t know how to judge my horse because they lack the necessary training. On the local level however, dressage shows have been very welcoming to us.

SA: What misconceptions about gaited horses would you like to dispel?

JL: I would like to dispel that gaited horses cannot do dressage. While classic dressage is based on a horse’s big, bouncy, swingy gait, there is so much more to it that gaited horses should be judged on.

SA: What is your focus point in your training?

JL: I believe that the training scale is the same between both gaited and non-gaited horses. To be successful in either, you must focus on the rhythm and relaxation. With Cowboy, I focus a lot on stretching and maintaining rhythm in the gait.

SA: Would you say dressage work has improved your horse?

JL: Yes. Dressage has made him more balanced, relaxed and allowed us to do so many things together.

SA: Do you think being a part of showing organizations is beneficial?

JL: I do. It is important to be a part of these organizations because it brings awareness to how special gaited horses are. By getting more people involved, different gaited horses get shown off, and we can change the narrative that these horses can’t do things.

SA: Is there was one thing that people would be surprised to know about you and/or about your horse?

JL: Cowboy actually suffered an injury a while back. He broke a bone in his hock. After plenty of rehab however, he is back and in action. We are currently working back up to the level we were at before the injury.

SA: What advice would you give people just starting out in Western dressage or Working Equitation?

JL: Stick with it. You’re not going to be perfect but keep going and do everything you can to educate yourself.

SA: What are your goals for 2023?

JL: I want to keep showing with NAWD and keep performing our musical freestyle. I also want to qualify for the Eastern Zone Championships in Working Equitation this year. Most importantly, I just want to keep improving and grow into the level that we have just moved into.

When asked if she had anything else she’d like to say, Julie replied that she “would really love to see more people get out and do things with their gaited horses. They are a versatile breed and deserve to be a part of the spotlight.”

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