...disciplines have you ever ridden? have you ridden at the same time?

There are several things I want to do with my horse and I'm trying to be patient - doing hunter and beginning jumper for a year (get the WTC basics down first), I love to trail ride (all-day and camping out), my horse would make a good driving horse. And at our barn one trainer also does western like cutting and barrels. I also do lower level dressage about once a week.
 

As long as your horse is enjoying what he's doing I'd say there's nothing wrong than doing all that stuff. I've worked with a lot of horses that got so sour and bored from just sticking to one specific discipline and it's great to be able to go trail riding and do different things. I currently train and compete in Dressage with my gelding but we periodically play over fences and ride around the barn property and just relax. It's great for their minds and gives them something new to do!!

My thoroughbred, Cheyenne, and I have done the following: trail, dressage, hunter/jumper, team sorting, gymkhanas, and probably more.

I've also briefly done eventing (getting back into that) and I drive (currently just my minis, but we do parades, trail, combined driving, show driving, obstacle driving, and drill team). Oh, and I show halter and showmanship, and halter obstacle, too.

I like variety ;)

Jessi

Our pony trail rides, does H/J and has done western, though not for years.  Didn't want to confuse him or my daughter when he was been trained english, but now it would not be a problem.

P.S. Loved the picture of your daugher and the Halloween decor plus the goat.  They look so happy!

My last year of 4-h, I qualified to go to state in both dressage and pole bending on my old TB, we won our dressage class and were 4th in the poles. This horse was an ex-eventer, Accomplished Equitation horse, had competed to Prix St. Georges dressage, team penned,  and was a fun horse on the trail.

My personal take on this is, a horse can do lots of different things, but some disaplines are best done "by themselves" due to the nature of the disapline and how it many contridict other disaplines.

I think trail riding is something that can and SHOULD be done by all types of horses. I know many hunters who practice basic dressage with their horses to maintain responsivness and suppliness.

As for barrels and cutting...Depending on the horse, barrels can ruin a horse's mindset. I owned one it did not, but I've seen it happen. Many a good horse has been mentaly incapable of doing anything else but barrels.

As for thr rider, I have been told my many folks they prefer to see people start out english to establish a better seat *shrugs* I dont know if its true or not, but I knw Im thankful for my drill sergents...er, instructors when I evented and rode dressage making me do painful exercises to make sure my seat was there.

When I am asked what was the hardest thing switching disaplines(when I went from dressage to western, first barrels and now reining) It was the lack on contact. English horses are ridden on more contact then a western horse and this was a huge hurdle for me to overcome.

 

Cb rides saddleseat, Huntseat, little bit of western and runs barrels and does trail.

Wow...what disciplines haven't I ridden? lol! Over the years, I have done hunter, jumper, dressage, halter and showmanship, western, saddle seat, gymkhana, driving, eventing, fox hunting and I think that might be it. Of course, that wasn't all at the same time. But now, my riding has pretty much condensed to jumping, dressage, and cross country with the occasional fox hunt thrown in for good measure. Gotta stick to what you love!

I showed western pleasure and trail and also did competitive trail rides on my old Arab mare. I did gymkana on a QH gelding I was paid to ride. I wanted to start my mare on gymkana, but had to sell her because we were moving.

I've been jumping. That's about it. But I'd like to do vaulting and stunt riding and joustling - the kind you see on medival times.. It seems so cool - though I have NO idea where you can learn such things !

Thanks, though lol, that's me ;) I know I look like a young teen, but I'm 27 ;)

Jessi