Thomas and Shana Ritter.
I’d like to finally introduce ourselves to you. We are Shana and Thomas Ritter.
We live in Germany where we work with riders of all skill levels, all disciplines, and all types of horses. We have taught throughout USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. We have published two books on dressage, one based on biomechanics and the other about the work on the longrein. The titles are:
Our next soon-to-be released book is a systematic process to train the Flying Changes.
And now we teach online courses empowering everyday riders like YOU to train your horse - yourself. We give you the tools to understand the what, the why, and the how.We live in Germany where we work with riders of all skill levels, all disciplines, and all types of horses. We have taught throughout USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, and Switzerland. We have published two books on dressage, one based on biomechanics and the other about the work on the longrein.
LINKS:
Website: Artistic Dressage
Facebook: Ritter Dressage
Website: Arena GPS
Facebook: Arena GPS facebook
ARTICLES
THE CAUSE AND EFFECT OF THE RIDER
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER Throughout the entire history of horsemanship, from its earliest beginnings until today, all relevant authors recognized and emphasized the importance of the correct seat in their […]
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 […]
BALANCE
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER Balance is one of the most interesting subjects in riding, because it is relevant on so many different levels. Most people think of the position […]
THE TRAINING SCALE OF DRESSAGE
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER The “Training Scale” was initially invented in Germany almost a century ago. It is called “Skala der Ausbildung” and was first formulated in the famous Heeresdienstvorschrift […]
THE CONNECTION OF DRESSAGE
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER “Connection” is one of these modern dressageisms that I don’t especially like, because they are essentially meaningless inventions that do not take the traditional terminology into […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
IMPULSION: SCHWUNG
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER Energy is the prerequisite for impulsion, almost like a raw material. As many significant terms, it has a psychological as well as a physical aspect. […]
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 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 […]
CLASSICAL DRESSAGE IN COMPETITION
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER People often ask whether classical dressage can be successful in competitions, or whether you have to sell out and sacrifice the horse’s well-being and the […]
DRESSAGE HISTORY: XENOPHON TO ANTOINE DE PLUVINEL
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER Writing a history of dressage that investigates the discoveries of all the gymnastic training tools that shaped the body of knowledge of classical dressage and […]
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 […]
THE CIRCLE OF AIDS
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER The circle of aids is one of the most central concepts the student has to learn. There are different ways of going about explaining it. […]
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 […]
BALANCE: THRUST VS. CARRIAGE
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER How can the rider gain control over the hind legs? That depends on the horse and rider. Main considerations are the straightness as well as […]
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 […]
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 […]
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
BY DR. THOMAS RITTER When things go wrong and horses begin to misbehave, most riders search for the reason and the remedy outside themselves. The truth is that in most […]
