WDACO Membership Questionnaire

WDACO Membership Questionnaire 2025

Membership, Interest in Western Dressage, Learning Western Dressage, Community Building Events, Staying Connected, and Clinics

1About You

2Clinic Questionnaire

Thank you for participating in this survey. The mission of WDACO is to bring informational, enjoyable, and competitive events to its members around Colorado and neighboring states. Your responses will help us provide subsequent seasons filled with relevant and meaningful clinics, shows, and events.

Name

(Optional)

First Last

(Optional)

Phone

(Optional)

Membership:

To which organization(s) do you belong?

WDAA

WDACO

USEF

Other organizations:

Are you aware of the Annual WDACO Membership Meeting?

Yes

Have you attended the Annual WDACO Membership Meeting?

Yes

Please let us know why or why not: What would you like to see offered at an Annual Meeting:

Interest in Western Dressage

What are your reasons for learning and riding Western Dressage? Check all that apply.

I like learning to improve my riding

I enjoy being part of an equestrian community

Both my horse and I benefit from WD training techniques

It is open to all breeds of horses

Shows and clinics have supportive atmospheres

Other top reasons

Learning Western Dressage

Do you work with a trainer?

Yes

Do you work with a trainer skilled in Western Dressage?

Yes

Do you collaborate with a trainer from another discipline?

Other

If Yes list other

If you do not work with a WD trainer, would you like to?

Yes

Would you like WDACO to help you to find a WD trainer

Yes

Community Building Events:

Would you like to participate in WDACO community events such as:

Potlucks/BBQs

Tack Swaps_

Fun Days (a play date of games with our horses)__

Trips or Events. i.e., the Stock Show, other WD or related clinics/ shows, conferences held by other WD or equine organizations locally or out of state.

Please share your own ideas for community building events:

Staying Connected

Do you follow WDACO on social media:

Facebook

Other

Other Social Media you follow for WDACO:

Do you follow WDAA on social media:

Social Corral

Other

Other Social Media you follow for WDAA:

In what area of the state do you live and ride:

What areas of the state would you like to see these events (and others) offered to members:

WDACO Committees

Would you be interested in joining a committee to help WDACO organize and put on the best events possible?

Yes

If so, which one or more of the following would most interest you?

Hospitality at Shows and Clinics

Organizing Clinics

Organizing Shows

Membership

Organizing Volunteers (Before, during, or after a show or clinic)

Possible Speaker Series

Is there another way you would be interested in participating in WDACO?

Clinics:

Have you participated in Clinics?

Yes

If YES, which kind(s)?

Horseless Clinics (speaker, videos, simulations of riding/training,)

Demonstration Clinics (Clinician with demonstration riders)

Mounted Clinics (Horse/Rider participants)

Please share if and how you have benefited from these clinics.

Please share how you would like to see them improved to ensure engagement, learning, and fun.

Horseless clinics:

Speaker Series

WDACO would like to offer its members and other equine enthusiasts a Western Dressage speaker series. It would be offered in a local establishment and/or on-line. No trainer, no problem. We are here to help you learn more about this wonderful sport.

The ideas for learning listed below were suggested in part by the membership’s past responses to WDACO surveys. Please indicate whether you would be interested in the topic. You may include short annotations.

1. Turning out for a show: Horse, tack and rider.

Rules/requirements for a Western Dressage show. Where do we find them? What is legal for the horse, the tack and the rider? What is not? Why? Various types of Western Dressage turn- out will be presented, examples provided, and questions answered.

Yes

1. Please name any professionals you think are local experts on the topic.

2. Using the WDAA Training Wheel to improve your riding?

The WDAA Training Wheel diagram depicts the training needed: to reach the goal of lightness and thoroughness with harmony and to serve as a guide for riders to evaluate and improve their Western Dressage riding/training. Depending on your level of development, you may focus on different elements of your wheel and determine which part of the wheel needs improvement to keep the wheel balanced. All elements are equally important. Learn how to put this information to use! Are you interested in learning how to use it for training, and how judges use it?

Yes

2. Please name any professionals you think are local experts on the topic.

2. Are you familiar with the WDAA training wheel?

Yes

3. Western Dressage Through the Levels

Learn about each of the levels, Introductory through Level 5, and watch horses/riders demonstrate a test from each. The judge will score and comment on each test. Each horse/rider will ride the test again, incorporating the feedback. This may be presented with demonstration riders or videos. The clinic attendees will clearly hear the trainer/judges' comments.

Yes

3. Please name any professionals you think are local experts on the topic.

4. How to take the pressure off: Equestrian Sport Psychology and Performance

How do we prepare ourselves for the stress and unpredictability of a show? How can we counter where our brain wants to take us? What should we focus on before, during and after our rides? Get coaching from the pros.

Yes

4. Please name any professionals you think are local experts on the topic.

5. Differences between how humans and horses think and learn.

Understand the parts of the horse’s brain they do and do not share with humans. How does this impact the way they think and learn? Learn why horses may react as they do to specific situations and stimuli. Learn how horses use their senses, and why this knowledge helps you prepare and confidently ride through otherwise scary situations.

Yes

5. Please name any professionals you think are local experts on the topic.

6. The History of Western Dressage (WD)

Did you know that WD started right here in Colorado? Many of the riders, judges, volunteers, clinicians, and trainers in your own WD world were part of its inception, the organization, rules, and test writing. What was the motivation to start WD? Who were the players? How do they see the progression of the sport? What is next for the discipline?

Yes

6. Please name any professionals you think are local experts on the topic.

7. Developing Partnerships with our Horses

We know we are supposed to be listening to our horses. But we haven’t been told what to listen for…. Are our horses sending us signals we are ignoring or attributing to bad behavior or laziness? What signals indicate anxiety? Trauma? Requests for calm? Pain? Learn to recognize what your horse is trying to communicate with you.

Yes

7. Please name any professionals you think are local experts on the topic.

8. Horse Nutrition through the Ages and the Seasons

TBD

Yes

8. Please name any professionals you think are local experts on the topic.

Please provide additional ideas for topics in this series.

Mounted Clinics:

Ride A Test

Ride a Test and similar clinics continue to be popular. A qualified judge evaluates the participant’s riding of a test and provides immediate feedback and training ideas to help the team improve. The rider has a chance to re-ride the test or specific movements.

Yes

How to Improve your Test Scores

Judges may be looking at aspects of our test that we are not even aware of. This clinic helps riders improve their Western Dressage test scores by helping participants 1) understand the most common challenges that cause riders to lose points and 2) learn strategies and techniques to avoid these costly and common mistakes.

Yes

Riding to Music

Riding to music can been enjoyed by riders of all abilities, at any stage of their riding education, and using any type of horse and/or pony. It can be a fun way of schooling, helping riders to maintain consistent rhythm and tempo in all three gaits. Learn to ride to music and get directions for choosing music and creating your own freestyle.

Yes

Using obstacles to build on and improve your WD dressage skills.

This clinic will help you use and further develop your partnership with your horse and the principles/effective aids of WD. Offered in a different, fun context, you will learn to apply your WD to take on the challenges of obstacles such as bridges, gates, and other props and tasks. You will take these learning experiences and confidence back to the dressage arena, to any other discipline you ride, and certainly to the trail.

Yes

Western Dressage: Critical training for equestrians of all disciplines

Western Dressage is not just about the tests. WD training improves the horse’s lightness, calmness, attentiveness, safety, rideability, flexibility and suppleness…. And for the rider, it develops clear, effective, subtle light aids and hands, and a confident seat. A win/win for all riders and horses! We welcome horses and riders of WD and other equestrian disciplines who want to learn about the value and application of WD in all disciplines, for all horses, and for all riders. How can you apply your WD learning to trail riding, barrel racing, hunter jumper, jumper riding, reining…. or any other discipline?

Yes