Western Dressage Schooling
A 3-Week Plan for Rhythm, Bend, and Self-Carriage
Editor’s note: This plan is deliberately simple. The point isn’t to cram in more exercises — it’s to repeat the right ones until your horse goes, “I know this job,” and you can start riding with less effort.
If western dressage appeals to you in theory — softer feel, calmer horse, clearer communication — the next question is always the same:
What do I actually do when I get in the saddle?
This is a simple, repeatable 3-week plan you can run in short sessions (20–40 minutes). It’s designed for UK reality: mixed facilities, mixed weather, and mixed ability of horses and humans.
You’ll work on three outcomes:
Rhythm you don’t have to micromanage
Bend without falling in/out
Self-carriage without leaning on the rein
When the pattern makes sense to the horse, the ride gets quieter — not because you’re doing less, but because you’re doing what works.
