Training a Western horse in English

Question
I am training a western horse in English. Charlie is an 18 year old saddlebred/arabian that has ridden under an English saddle before and has done some jumping. I plan to do mostly dressage with him, due to his age, and am wondering if there is any way  I can keep him interested. I have had problems with training western horses in English and they get bored and will not obey. I am riding Charlie out in the field after every ride so he doesn't get bored, but is there anything else I can do?

Answer
Hello Karly,

18 is quite an age to begin dressage, which is very difficult and demands a lot of effort from the horse. But if you do plan to do it, I would suggest that you alternate ring work, cross country hacking and low jumps. This will build muscle, keep him loose in the joints and also keep him interested in his work.

Happy riding,
Dorothy