Dressage & Sport Horse Magazine

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 SHOULDER-IN

BY DR. THOMAS RITTER History The Old Masters generally considered the shoulder-in to be the foundation of all other dressage movements, since it increases the horse’s shoulder freedom, […]

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 […]

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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, […]

THE VOICE AS AN AID

BY GIGI NUTTER The Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania provided an idyllic setting for my childhood. My parents opened a trail riding business in the 1940’s to support local, […]

DRESSAGE: STRENGTHENING THE HIND LEGS

BY CYNTHIA HODGES, JD, LLM, MA Strengthening the hind legs is key in dressage because balance is the ultimate goal. When the horse can carry himself and the rider in balance, […]

View more TRAINING

TEACHING AND LEARNING TO FEEL

BY DR. THOMAS RITTER There is a technical /mechanical side to riding. There is a scientific/academic side to riding. There is an athletic side to riding, for both […]

RIDING WALKS AND AN INDEPENDENT SEAT

BY DR. NANCY NICHOLSON Walk is a foundation gait for horses and for humans. In dressage, walking is a gait with four phases that are heard as hoof beats. Further, […]

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 […]

View more of the RIDER

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

View more of THE HORSE

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...

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT BASICS FOR HORSE AND RIDER? ANSWERED BY LINDA LANDERS

BY LINDA LANDERS The basics of the rider must come before a rider can really train the basics to a horse. This means that riders progress the most ... continue reading...

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT BASICS FOR HORSE AND RIDER? ANSWERED BY GIGI NUTTER

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 THE MOST IMPORTANT BASICS FOR HORSE AND RIDER? ANSWERED BY GAEL BOURQUIN

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...

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE THE TOPLINE? ANSWERED BY CYNTHIA HODGES

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...

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE THE TOPLINE? ANSWERED BY JOAN WILLIAMS

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 ARE SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE THE HORSE’S TOPLINE? ANSWERED BY JEC A. BALLOU

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 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...

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF RIDING FORWARD? ANSWERED BY CYNTHIA HODGES

By CYNTHIA HODGES - Forward riding is an essential element in achieving the ultimate goal of dressage: balanced self-carriage. To carry the ... continue reading...

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF RIDING FORWARD? ANSWERED BY LINDA LANDERS

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...

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF RIDING FORWARD? ANSWERED BY GIGI NUTTER

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...

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF RIDING FORWARD? ANSWERED BY MELONIE KESSLER

By MELONIE KESSLER – The question of the importance of riding forward is a very interesting topic. For me, it is also over-thought and analyzed, like ... continue reading...