Judging at the unaffiliated event at glorious Lanhydrock reminded me of a thought I have regularly, especially when a potential new pupil warns me about the fact that: `my horse does not like dressage'. 

I wholeheartedly agree that if ones aim is to do a decent enough dressage test at prenovice or novice level, as that is the standard which most riders aim for when eventing, dressage is thoroughly boring. Not just for the horse but also for the rider. As the standard of an intermediate, let alone an advanced, cross-country is seldom within reach , most riders don't think beyond that boring novice test.

Let us take a different approach. Your horse is going to get older and probably one day needs to slow down. There are several options. One is to just do some hacking or some local shows, which is fine if you are happy with that. However, it is possible to have another competition career, if you have done your homework right. Dressage isn't actually that boring if you change your view from training for a novice test to training to maybe do a medium test with some shoulder-in, a half-pass. Maybe even an advanced test with some flying changes.

Not interested? Feel free, but you are missing out. You think it's out of your reach? Probably not. 

If you think a little more long term and work seriously on your basics. Then  gradually dare to extend the comfort zone of you and your horse, it takes away the dead-end feeling and your horse will become interested and learn to like it. I can guarantee you that. The bonus is even better: higher marks when you do your tests at your events.

As I am not a show-jump expert, I can not be certain how this is similar for the show-jumping. All I know is that my pupils have always improved each phase of their performance dramatically, when taking both their dressage and their show-jumping serious and spend equal amount of time training for them.