I was one of those riders who hated Appaloosas. I swore I'd never own one. Now, I have two and can't imagine life without them. I'm a prime example of making sure I was doomed to own an Appy by declaring I most definitely never would.
I started Dressage lessons when I was 12 yrs old. Now that I have fallen in love with Appaloosas I am doing my best to tie my passions together. I have started Dazzle, my mare, in Dressage and she is doing nicely. That is us in the blog title, on October 17, 2008.
Dressage is a discipline every sound horse can participate in. I love it as the basis of anything else. Since I ride Dressage, I can "fake" any other discipline. I won't look like a show rider doing it, but I'll be able to do the manuevers required. You can build on Dressage to get to whatever sport you're passion is. Why would I give that up when I got my Appaloosa?
So, now the difficult part. Appaloosas are not usually in the Dressage ring. They are well-known in the Western world, in the Hunt Seat world, in the Endurance/Trail world. They are versatile and capable, intelligent and hearty. There is no reason not to promote this wonderful breed in the Dressage world. With this blog, I hope to help break down the stereotype that Appaloosas do not belong in the Dressage ring, that they can't be successful at a competitive level, that they shouldn't be bred specifically for Dressage as it "ruins" the breed.
With this blog, I hope to bring together other Dressage riders choosing to use an Appaloosa for the sport. Please contact me if there is a topic you would like to see explored, if you have pictures to share, etc.
