How many methods of dressage training are there? The answer is: How many dressage trainers are there? While there are several mainline schools of dressage thought and most trainers subscribe to one of them,the individual experiences and thoughts that the trainer brings to the training experience makes their method different from anyone else's.
Do all roads lead to Rome? NO. If the horses that a trainer rides are constantly pinning their ears, wringing their tails and kicking out, that road does not lead to Rome. I once watched the same trainer ride three different horses in the same level test and each horse reared at the beginning salute at X. If you find yourself headed down this road with a trainer, stop immediately and turn around. That road will definitely ruin the suspension of your vehicle.
Which roads lead to Rome - to the maximum potential that you and your horse can achieve? You may have to explore a little to find out. You may take a wrong turn and find yourself on the wrong road. Fortunately, in dressage, many of the decisions you make, the turnings that you take, are reversible. You simply turn around and head back to where you know and start again from there. And you may find that a wrong turn taken now might be the direction you want to take later. Something that won't work now will be successful later.
How do you know if you are on the right road? Read up on some of the notables in the history of dressage - Decarpentry, Podhasky and Baucher. They were not only on the right road, but blazed a trail for the rest of us to follow.
One fork in the road that you encounter in dressage is the bend-'em vs the send-'em methods of training. The bend-'em method believes that the horse must be supple both latitudinally and longitudinally in order to carry his weight in a balance that is appropriate to his level. Only when supple, can he move forward and with impulsion. The send-'em school of training emphasizes the importance of moving forward with relaxation prior to being able to refocus the weight distribution necessary to progress. Either of these methods might be more appropriate depending on conformation and temperament of the horses as well as level of training of horse and rider.
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