BY DR. THOMAS RITTER “Connection” is one of these modern dressageisms that I don’t especially ... continue reading...
LESSONS
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 […]
IMPROVING THE LATERAL BEND
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER The old masters considered balance and suppleness to be the cornerstones of dressage, because they are the prerequisites for obedience, agility, lightness, impulsion, and collection. Almost […]
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 […]
LATERAL MOVEMENTS
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER This article contains a general overview over the topic of lateral movements. “Lateral movements” is the term that is used to designate exercises in which the horse […]
THE TRAINING
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 […]
LOOKING AT IMPULSION
BY JENNY ROLFE Have you ever taken timeless moments to look over the gate of the field watching your horse when he is relaxing and grazing in the field? […]
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 […]
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, […]
THE RIDER
LEARNING TO LEARN
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER One of my teachers used to say that you can’t teach anybody how to ride. The student either gets it, or they don’t. Another one said […]
THE THINKING RIDER
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER The Prussian cavalry officer and book author Otto von Monteton wrote in 1877: “After having trained a charger for five years during my turn of […]
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 […]
NATURALLY CLASSICAL – MASTER YOUR CONFIDENCE
BY JENNY ROLFE INTRODUCTION Our confidence would appear to be like the rest of nature as it ebbs and flows. Confidence will flow when you feel happy within yourself and […]
THE HORSE
THE SADDLE AS AN ADAPTER
BY ZSUZSU ILLES What is the number one point to keep in mind when fitting a saddle to a horse and rider? The saddle must fit in motion. When the saddle […]
KNOWLEDGE SPEAKS, BUT WISDOM LISTENS
BY GIGI NUTTER The title is a quotation from musician Jimi Hendrix. It captures a training concept that took me almost four decades to truly understand. Growing up in […]
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 […]
FITNESS FACTS FOR THE BACK
BY JEC ARISTOTLE BALLOU No part of your horse is isolated. Everything in the muscular and skeletal systems is interconnected! As riders, we spend a huge amount of time on our horses’ […]
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 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...
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...
WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE THE HORSE’S TOPLINE? ANSWERED…..
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...
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...
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF RIDING FORWARD? Answered by……..
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 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...
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 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...
