Western Dressage Trainer’s Corner: Kristin DeLibero

Kristin DeLibero is a recognized Georgia and Florida Western Dressage Trainer. She shared her Western Dressage journey with us.

Where do you give lessons or provide training?

I operate DeLibero Show Horses LLC located in Canton, Georgia, on the Alpharetta line. I accept all age and level of riders for lessons as well as horses in training. I offer haul in lessons and clinics at this location as well as travel to outside farms for lessons and clinics.

How should people contact you?

Email: info@rideas1.com
Phone: (770) 298-7415
Facebook: www.facebook.com/deliberowesterndressagehorses/

Why Western Dressage?

I have always loved the classical training scale of dressage as well as the idea of taking your time and not pushing your horse too fast but building a great foundation. So when western dressage began to take off I felt it was a much needed avenue in the western world. I love the principles of starting with a training scale and moving up as your horse is ready, and I also feel it is a discipline that focuses on the rider learning to ride their own horse. Western dressage is about creating softness, harmony and natural movement for each individual horse. This gives every horse and every rider an opportunity to excel and continue to learn and grow.

Describe your personal journey to become a Western Dressage trainer.

I began training and coaching AQHA riders and horses in the all-around events on a national level in 2000. I began to look for an avenue that developed the connection and relationship with the horse and began focusing on rehabilitation for mental and emotional trauma in horses in 2009 as well as going through 3 years of facilitation training to earn my Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning certification. This brought forward a mental and emotional strategies training program for riders as well as learning to build a deeper relationship and partnership with their horse. I still coached and trained all-around horses of many different breeds and riders in the hunter and equitation ring.

When Western Dressage began to form I felt it was an answer to a long search. A way to incorporate harmony, softness and developing a classical foundation for horse and rider. I went to the Lynn Palm Western Dressage Symposium to learn from the judge’s perspective, a classical dressage trainer’s perspective and the Western Dressage perspective. I am both a recognized Florida Western Dressage Trainer and Georgia Western Dressage Trainer.

What’s the most challenging aspect of Western Dressage?

I believe the newness of the sport itself is the most challenging aspect. People are just learning about Western Dressage and developing an understanding of what Western Dressage is.

What sort of horse excels at Western Dressage?

The great thing about Western Dressage is any horse, of any breed can excel at Western Dressage. I believe that Western Dressage is about teaching correctness in the horse’s way of moving and carrying themselves, softness and harmony between horse and rider. Any horse can benefit from Western Dressage and learn Western Dressage. I have many clients who cross train with Western Dressage and it has carried over to their other disciplines, such as barrel racing, competitive trail, horsemanship, reining and more. I have worked with all breeds, including gaited horses doing all disciplines that have experienced the benefit of creating a well-balanced, responsive, soft horse. I have worked with horses who did Classical Dressage and have now switched over to Western Dressage and who enjoy the change in tempo. That is what makes Western Dressage so amazing — any horse can excel and benefit from it.

What sort of rider excels at Western Dressage?

A patient rider, who has determination to learn and teach their horse correct movement and spend the time to work with their horse to teach them for the long term. I find riders who want the longevity in their horse, both physically and mentally, who are willing to progress at the horse’s pace enjoy Western Dressage the greatest. This is not a sport of quick results and payoff is about creating and teaching the foundation to move up through and learn and grow for a lifetime.

Riders who love patterns, and the small details really enjoy the complexity of the maneuvers, movements and the aspects of the tests. I also find that riders who want to build a partnership with their horse to create “invisible” cues to create complete harmony really enjoy learning the way of riding their horse with their body to look as if the horse and rider are moving as one without a conversation about it. It is really about creating true harmony in horse and rider to move together through complex movements as one. That is what I find is the most thrilling part for riders who want to really work with their horse and create that invisible conversation. It is truly about learning how to have a new conversation with their horse in a way that creates happiness and responsiveness with the least amount of cue possible. It can be as simple or deep as a rider wants to go so it is something that meets each rider where they are and at which direction they want to take it.

What’s the one thing you would tell anyone considering competing in Western Dressage?

This will change your relationship with your horse! This is the most fun I have ever had in a show arena since I began showing myself in 1989. (And I had lots of fun and great moments in the show ring.) You need to try it to understand it as well. Once you try it I think you will really enjoy it.

How would you describe your Western Dressage training style?

Soft and diverse. I believe in teaching the classic principles and foundation on every horse and build one step at a time. But I also believe in feeling and seeing the transformation so I choose to focus on the one aspect that speaks up the loudest to me that needs to be worked on first. My goal is that after one lesson an owner or someone taking a lesson on one of my horses can “feel” and see the difference that has been achieved. I believe in explaining exactly “why” we are doing and working on the aspect we are working on. “What” the result is we are working towards and “how” that will change the horse. I use biomechanical explanation as teaching correct carriage and body position is the same in every horse — it is just shifting how you apply the pressure and cues for each horse. I feel I bring forward my own knowledge and years of experience working with so many different horses to know what each horse needs and HOW to help each individual horse. Some horses do not like pressure, some horses need more pressure, each horse will tell you how they want to be ridden if you can learn to listen, and that is the foundation of my training — listen to each individual horse and work with to teach them in a way that is the most productive and harmonious for them.

What’s the most common mistake you see people make in the Western Dressage show ring?

The lack of knowledge of what impulsion is in a Western horse. At the lower test levels such as Intro and Basic it is not about collection at this point yet, but showing a horse learning to move forward freely without resistance and moving back to front. It’s a deeper understanding of what impulsion is and forward movement and how that relates differently to each horse. It is not about speed. It is about creating a V where the back leg and foot are stepping up to meet the front leg to create a V. Each horse has the best impulsion and forward movement to achieve their best individual movement overall. THAT is what is so great about Western Dressage! Each horse is shown to the best of their ability and movement so you don’t show any two horses the same way. You want your horse to move forward as much as they need to so they engage their hind leg to move uphill from behind and get light upfront. Some horses move slower with less forward then others to achieve the same step. It is finding what rhythm and how much forward your particular horse needs to achieve the desired movement. That is what I love about Western Dressage, but it can be harder to understand when showing as you will see so many different variations based on each horse. BUT once you master where your horse needs to be to move their best it is a great feeling and big “ah-ha” moment.

How do you memorize a test?

I walk through them on foot, over and over until I know where I am going. Walking in an arena is the easiest way for me, but I have clients print out blank dressage arena pages and use their finger to draw their path from one maneuver to the next.

What do you wear in the show ring?

I like classic and subtle. Each person can design their own individual style and you can wear Cinch-brand shirts for the Western cow horse style, traditional Western show clothes (no bling is the acceptable style) on the all-around type horses or vaquero for the Spanish type breeds. I personally go for traditional and subtle. I wear a nice-fitting button-up show blouse in a color that complements my horse with black jeans and chaps. At the local shows I use the nice show blouse with clean blue jeans.

What kind of bit/tack do you use in the Western Dressage arena?

I use my Western work saddles so not a lot of bling or a Western Dressage saddle built especially for the discipline. A plain show pad looks great. I use plain Western headstall with split reins and I show all Intro horses in a plain D ring snaffle or bitless bridle. I prefer to keep all my horses in a D ring snaffle at Intro and Basic level or bitless and then move up to a short shank snaffle as my next progression. The rules state you can use a snaffle or a shank bit all levels with one or two hands. The classical side of me personally stays with tradition on plain D ring snaffle until Level 1 and then a short shank snaffle for Level 1. You have to do what works best for you and your horse.

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned from Western Dressage?

How it shifts how any breed of horse can go and how it works universally with any breed and any gait of horse. It is such a true foundation program for anyone.

Describe one of your clinics.

I start my clinic with a thirty minute overview of Western Dressage, what is Western Dressage, and what the maneuvers are that are being asked for. I then do a private 30 -45 minute ride with each horse/rider. They can perform a test of their choice and then I go over feedback on the test. We then decide which particular movement or area needs the most work and we work through exercises and changes in that particular aspect. If people do not wish to ride a test we work through individual pieces and focus the most time on the weakest aspect to have things to work on and focus on with exercises when they go home. At the end of the clinic I do a demonstration and we have Q & A for all auditors and riders at that time. I love the clinic environment as everyone can learn from each other. I try to keep it fun and enjoyable while teaching as much as I can.

What’s been your most rewarding experience with Western Dressage?

I have had so many it is hard to decide which one is the most rewarding. I think for me it was taking a client’s horse who was having soundness issues upfront due to a degenerative issue and by changing him from a hunter-under-saddle all-around horse to Western Dressage, I changed how he was moving and carrying himself. With the change in correctness of body position and taking the weight off the front end entirely, he has stayed sound and I am now successfully showing him in Western Dressage. Watching a horse who was not always sound to ride become sound, happy and strong to move forward to be able to show competitively was the biggest reward I could ever ask for. A horse getting a career and longer longevity in life — that is priceless to me.

How do you plan to grow the sport in Georgia in 2016?

I continue to offer clinics, lessons and network to grow awareness of the sport. I am working closely with some individuals in the dressage venue who are willing to help push Western Dressage to gain more recognition in 2016 and grow the future with the local dressage community and shows as well.

I will be continuing to show and bring clients to all the Dressage shows offered in Georgia to try and grow the excitement and class sizes locally. I have been in touch with other states which are growing rapidly and will continue to network with everyone I can in the equine community in Western Dressage. We will be attending out of state large shows as well to help to grow our presence and awareness of the Western Dressage community in Georgia. We will be at the 2016 Pinto World Championship to compete in the Western Dressage classes as well as the 2016 WDAA World Championship show.

What do you think is the next big thing in the world of Western Dressage?

I believe more and more large breed associations are getting on board and behind Western Dressage. As more large breed associations offer Western Dressage classes at their shows, the faster and greater the awareness and growth of the discipline will become. I believe as more exhibitors see a new discipline where they can ride and show their own horses as well as gain a partnership, while enjoying and being competitive with their horse, the sport will flourish.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I can not express the technical aspects and sheer joy of Western Dressage. It is not new as it has been around since vaquero horsemanship has been around, but it is growing strength and is a new venue to go back to a classic horsemanship, so that is so exciting for the horse world in general.