By PEGGY CUMMINGS What prevents dressage riders from going beyond Training or First ... continue reading...
LESSONS
THE MAKING OF A QUADRILLE TEAM
By JOAN WILLIAMS So you want to start a quadrille team but don’t know how to begin. Here are some ideas to help get it off the ground. Talk to […]
IN THE ARENA: RATIONALE, STRATEGY AND TACTICS FOR EXERCISE
BY DR. NANCY NICHOLSON Working in an arena has multiple goals for developing a horse mentally and physically. As a benefit, carefully considered training agendas can develop a trainer’s perception and […]
MY FAVORITE SCHOOLING EXERCISE
BY JENNY ROLFE Introduction Have you ever been to the gymnasium for a workout? What exercises were you given in preparation for the more strenuous athletic movements? In my […]
BUILDING A BETTER TOPLINE
By JOAN WILLIAMS I think the understanding of ’Riding Long and Low’ for new dressage riders is the most misunderstood concept, as they hear and read that the poll must be […]
THE TRAINING
STEP BY STEP
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER You hear more and more often of riders who try to train their horses in record time. Some argue that foals can perform practically all […]
LONGEING
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER Almost everybody I talk to tells me with great confidence: “Yea, yeah. I know how to longe.” And these people will probably skip this article, […]
DEVELOPING FORWARD MOVEMENT
BY ARLENE RIGDON Riding the horse forward on the bit is basically simple to understand in principle, but most difficult to execute. If the horse is correctly on the bit, […]
INFLUENCING THE HORSE: THE HALF HALT
BY CYNTHIA HODGES, J.D., LL.M., M.A. The ultimate purpose of dressage is to teach the horse to carry himself in balance under the rider. To develop balance and self-carriage, the horse […]
THE RIDER
DELFIN, MY GREATEST TEACHER
BY JENNY ROLFE Many of us will know wonderful horses during our lives; but for a few of us, there may be just that one special horse who becomes […]
THE JOURNEY NEVER ENDS: OBSERVING THE BASICS
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER True progress in riding can only come from an improvement of the basic skills of both the horse and the rider. Any training approach that tries […]
THE BALANCED SEAT
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER The centered seat will always be a correct seat. The word “correct” sometimes gives rise to misunderstandings in this context. Many people take it to […]
RIDING FOR ALL AGES
By MELONIE KESSLER Riding for all ages for the rider Dressage is a fun and challenging sport, and no matter the age, can be enjoyed by everyone willing to work hard. As […]
THE HORSE
GAIT ANALYSIS
BY IDA ANDERSON NORRIS Gait Analysis is best broken down into its parts- 1. The Type or style of Movement exhibited and 2. The Quality of movement. First, it […]
THE ABC’S OF EXERCISE
BY JEC ARISTOTLE BALLOU Horses must become athletes first, and only then become dressage specialists. Many horses end up stuck in a training rut because they lack basic physical conditioning, which […]
BREEDING THE SPORT HORSE
BY ARLENE RIGDON Certainty doesn’t exist in the world of horses; perfection is an elusive goal never attained. The best we can hope for in our pursuit of breeding sport […]
BUILDING A POWERFUL TOPLINE
BY DR. NANCY NICHOLSON Introduction and Background A top line outline is one of the first things we notice about our horses. They literally carry themselves with its ligaments and other […]
THE SHOW
FROM THIS POINT OF VIEW: EVERYBODY KEEP RIGHT
BY IDA ANDERSON NORRIS “Everybody, keep right” my father used to say. In fact, everyone from dads to grandmothers to school teachers said it to us when we […]
WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT BASICS FOR HORSE AND RIDER? Answered by........
By GAEL BOURQUIN - For me, the most important basic for horse and rider is balance. It is a vast topic and in order to simplify I will ... continue reading...
By JOAN WILLIAMS – The most important basics for the rider: Basic Balanced Position (BBP) I believe the most important component of ... continue reading...
By CHRISTINE RIVLIN - Basics, I feel, are important for the horse. I always suggest people review, or at least have an idea of the classical training ... continue reading...
BY GIGI NUTTER - Over the last five centuries, thousands of pages have been written about rider’s position and ability to influence a ... continue reading...
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE THE HORSE’S TOPLINE? ANSWERED…..
By JEC ARISTOTLE BALLOU - To improve the horse's topline, you must strengthen the horse's bottom line. As the horse's bottom line strengthens, a ... continue reading...
By CYNTHIA HODGES - If a horse has a low, weak back, the rider can improve his topline by combining exercises that will strengthen the ... continue reading...
By CHRISTINE RIVLIN - The first way would be through correct riding. Making sure the horse has a correct connection through the bridle and is using ... continue reading...
By JOAN WILLIAMS - Developing your horses topline is an important part of keeping him healthy sound and strong. There are many exercises both on and ... continue reading...
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF RIDING FORWARD? Answered by……..
BY GIGI NUTTER - The old Master’s directive was to “ride your horse forward and straight.” It is important for a rider to understand that ... continue reading...
By JOAN WILLIAMS – “Ride your horse forward and straighten it” and “Freely Forward” are just two well known dressage and pony club ... continue reading...
BY LINDA LANDERS - Forward riding has two components in my mind. First, the horse must respond by going forward from the leg and seat aids ... continue reading...
By CYNTHIA HODGES - Forward riding is an essential element in achieving the ultimate goal of dressage: balanced self-carriage. To carry the ... continue reading...
