Leading Edge Dressage

02/15/2025

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One critical truth about training horses is that on no given day is it possible to make much progress, but on any given day it is possible to set a horse substantially back, and, worst case, even possible to destroy a horse.

Improvement is a slow as watching grass grow, but one temper tantrum, one hard gallop, one big over-jumping session can scare or hurt the best trained horse.

Slow to make a well trained horse, but fast as a lightning bolt to ruin one. And after that has happened, no amount of regret can change it.

Watch grass grow, Nothing visible happens, Same with the daily, weekly horse schooling. It’s happening, but too gradually to see. But in keeping with the grass analogy, all that growth can be mown down in one instant.

No temper, no drama, much safer. Temper can be as lethal as a scythe blade.

02/15/2025

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Monica Theodorescu, Germany’s dressage coach tells us:

“There are a lot of riders who sit well on a horse, and you think they are quite educated riders, but a lot of them don’t know what they are doing on a horse: what aids they are giving, they are not so conscious of what they are doing or what they want to do. They are not sure what they aim for on that day. We should say, today I want to work on this, and achieve this, more suppleness on the left or the right. They just ride along and do some exercises without really having in mind – ok, diagonal and straightness: get the bending, get the outside rein, where is my inside leg?”

———

Just because a “trainer” has their medals, doesn’t mean they trained the horse to get there. A rider and a trainer are two very different things…it never ceases to amaze me how many “trainers” don’t actually know how to train - on the ground or in the saddle.

I was so lucky that my childhood trainer was fantastic at starting and training horses and she let me be a part of starting many horses. As I’ve gotten older, I finessed and added so much to the ground work that she taught me - from body movement training to dressage in hand to liberty play. And all of that translates under saddle so that we have a willing, joyful equine partner.

I wish that just anyone couldn’t hang a sign on the fence and be a horse trainer. It does a real disservice to so many horses. 😔

🌻 Cara

02/11/2025

The simple truth..

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🐴DRESSAGE SOLUTIONS🐴 To improve your horse’s suppleness and agility on bending lines …

Imagine the curve of your horse’s spine bending similarly to the way a whip flexes (poll to tail). Pay close attention to the turn of the horse’s head (or flexion at the poll) as that helps curve the neck correctly. Moving your horse laterally sideways on circles and in corners makes going straight more fluid and forward.
— Holly Mason

Holly Mason is a dressage instructor and author of It’s Never Too Late, a comprehensive overview of the biomechanics of horse and rider. Having studied with many of the modern masters of dressage, Holly has coalesced the biomechanical concepts of the classical principles into teaching methods
designed for contemporary riders.

🎨 Sandy Rabinowitz

01/31/2025

This is great news! A proactive approach for the future!!

The FEI has created a dedicated Working Group to develop a comprehensive strategic Action Plan for Dressage to establish a clear vision, realign objectives, and develop actionable plans to enhance Dressage at all levels. George Williams ©Mary Phelps Comprised of leading figures in the Discipline,

01/31/2025

The Dressage Foundation is pleased to announce additional grants and awards that will be available for FEI-Level riders in 2025: the $15,000 Carol Lavell Developing Dressage Prize and three $5,000 Anne Barlow Ramsay Fund Awards for U.S.-Bred Horses.

With these additional awards, TDF hopes to support and foster U.S. representation within the international dressage arena and to help elevate dressage in the United States.

🌟$15,000 Carol Lavell Developing Dressage Prize:
The Carol Lavell Developing Dressage Prize was established to help support a pipeline of international-level riders and horses in the United States. The purpose of this $15,000 grant is to provide financial assistance for the training and competition of horse and rider teams competing at Developing Prix St. Georges, Prix St. Georges, Intermediate 1, or USEF 7-Year-Old Test. Successful applicants will show potential to reach and excel at the elite, international standards of high-performance dressage. Application deadline information coming soon.

✨$5,000 Anne Barlow Ramsay Awards for U.S.-Bred Horses:
The $5,000 Anne Barlow Ramsay Awards for U.S.-Bred Horses will be awarded to the owner and breeder ($2,500 to each) of the highest-scoring horse at Prix St. Georges or Developing Prix St. Georges at the HITS Del Mar National Dressage Show (April 17-20), U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions (August 18-24), and Dressage at Devon (September 23-28). These new awards aim to recognize and promote the excellence of the top horses bred in the United States.

Beth Baumert, President and CEO of TDF, said, "Carol Lavell would be thrilled at this expansion of her grants, because she travelled the long path to the top, and she was extraordinarily aware of the challenges along the way. Likewise, Dr. Barlow Ramsay's passion for the American-bred horse is reflected in this recent expansion of her awards. TDF is honored to be the stewards for these grants."

Additional grants available for FEI-level riders include the $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize (Applications due February 5 and August 31), the $25,000 Anne Barlow-Ramsay Grant for U.S.-Bred Horses (Applications due August 15), the $25,000 Debbie McDonald Fund Grant for FEI Riders (Applications due June 15) , the $2,500 Patsy Albers Award, and more.

Visit https://bit.ly/4bUzgJ5 for information and applications.

Photo of Sabine Schut-Kery, recipient of TDF's 2024 $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

01/31/2025

6 year old Just Whimphof x Krack C gelding.

01/31/2025

So grateful for this opportunity! It was a wonderful 2 days of learning!!

Christine Traurig and Monica Theodorescu help dressage trainers explore new teaching methods and training tips at the 2025 USDF Trainers' Conference.

01/31/2025

This!!!!

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“A horse knows instinctively if a rider is frightened or confident, angry or pleased, short of time or tuned in.“

Make sure that you don’t let your emotions affect your horse, or your riding. When you have a clear training framework, you are better able to leave any unhelpful feelings behind.

The Lucinda Green XC Academy can help you to overcome your fears and grow your confidence, improving both your riding and your relationship with your horses.

Sign up to the waitlist here: https://thelucindagreenacademy.com/courses/membership-wailitst/

01/27/2025

It might be hard to believe with this weather, but the Rearing2Read 2025 Virtual Dressage Show opens today!

We will accept rolling submissions Jan 15-April 1 and will judge and post scores as we go! Get ahead on the 2025 season!

Amazing prizes, positive feedback from our judge, and an amazing cause!

https://sites.google.com/view/rearing2read/2025-virtual-show?authuser=0

01/27/2025

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"Lessons are called riding lessons, not horsing lessons. Their primary purpose is to develop a rider. Once there is a good rider, he can become a trainer of horses, yet often riders are asked to train before they have the skills to do it."
- Charles de Kunffy,
Dressage Principles Illuminated p. 128
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http://www.charlesdekunffy.com/

01/25/2025

Enjoy…I sure did❤️

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01/24/2025

My favorite quote from Christine Traurig!!

"A supple horse you can bring into correct alignment. Correct alignment leads to straightness. A straight horse is always supple."

That's it my friends, that is the key to all thing's dressage at all levels.

01/22/2025

Wow!

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Bitless dressage allowed and nosebands and double bridles optional in new Danish rules

Read more via link below

01/21/2025

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Christine Traurig and Monica Theodorescu help dressage trainers explore new teaching methods and training tips at the 2025 USDF Trainers' Conference.

01/21/2025

Day two has been wonderful so far. It’s wonderful to see the improvements with each horse/rider combination. Both instructors are talented instructors, I love how they are so positive and encouraging.