Do cleveland bay horses make good dressage horses?

Answer 1

Depends on the individual horse and what level you want to go to. A good dressage horse has a natural uphill movement and long reaching strides. You should also feel like you are softly bouncing at the trot- not jarring (easiest way for me to explain the trot). It does not have to be a fancy over extender- that will hamper it once it reaches the high levels.
Technically, any sound horse should be able to do through 1st level. They may not win everything, but should be able to do all the movements.
Any horse with the correct type of build and movement can do dressage. Breed really means nothing.
For instance, I have a 17.2h full draft (Gypsy horse) that I am showing first level on, and training second level. She luckily has a lot of suspension and collection and is a little uphill (not as much as the best ones, but we still win ribbons at the shows). I think we may even be able to do 3rd level, if I learn it before she dies of old age, lol.

Answer 2

BREED CHARACTERISTICS
* Great substance.
* Clean-legged with excellent feet and flat cannon bones.
* Immensely powerful quarters that contribute to jumping ability and dressage.
* Strong powerful shoulders allow movement with ground covering power, which is ideal for carriage work and dressage.
* Long lived.
* Prepotent, transmitting uniformity in type and substance.


Of course, it all depends on the individual horse, and the training methods employed in it's education.

Check out this link to the cleveland bay society site:
http://www.clevelandbay.com/info.htm