Elhanan Equestrian

09/15/2025

Year-End Standings & Awards Current Standings Pony Breed Division Current Standing Small Horse Canadian Pony Standings Canadian Small Horse Standings      Pony and Small Horse DivisionTo be eligible for NDPC Pony or Small Horse Year-End Awards, each pony/rider and horse/rider combination must bec...

09/15/2025

Diorissimo EF by FS Don’t Worry out of Die Chanel. Red dun stallion prospect at the Westfalen NA inspection today at . Thank you to Ann Daum and Otto Schalter, to for graciously hosting, , for braiding and Jimmy Sieg for handling my baby boy! ❤️ Especially Jimmy! 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️😂

09/11/2025

📣 Just a reminder, if you wish to participate through The Jockey Club T.I.P. in USDF's All- Breeds Awards, T.I.P. requires a one-time form, photo(s) and fee in order for a horse to be deemed eligible. This is in addition to the USDF's requirements.

For all information and a link to the T.I.P. forms, visit https://tjctip.com/About/USDF. Please submit all T.I.P. requirements by September 26.

USDF Requirements, eligible horses and those not yet accepted can be found at https://www.usdf.org/awards/all-breeds/.

09/07/2025

So proud of Kenna! Winner of written test with the highest score - 92, and winner of her equitation class with an 80%. Now off to ride the Jr Team Test!

I am currently at the Atlanta Youth Dressage Festival (after a two day TEAM clini with 22 riders - thank you Rachel Chowanec Kaney for helping with the teaching). What an amazing job Liz Molloy is doing building up the base of youth dressage in this area. Congratulations to those who scored 90 or above on the written test - McKenna Sykora, Isabella Robinson, Elizabeth Junius, and Ella Bates. Practice jog is done. Turn out inspection, dressage, equitation, and team tackroom decorating is underway.

09/05/2025

: Sitting deep in the saddle is not about leaning back. It’s about using your core muscles to be more of a presence in the saddle. I like to think of my torso as a French press. To sit more deeply, I push the plunger down. All leaning back does is push my lower leg out in front, disengage my abdomen, and make my low back squish in a direction that is not conducive with my own long term soundness.

📸 Susan J Stickle Equestrian Photography LLC

09/05/2025

Top dressage stallion Jovian has died at 11 following gelding complications, days after winning bronze for Denmark at the Europeans with Andreas Helgstrand.

09/05/2025

Thinking Thursday - Riding Long and Low

Long and low is used to help the horse develop elasticity in their back by relaxing and stretching the topline muscles. In order to do so effectively, the horse must engage his core and step farther underneath the body.

There is also a mental relaxation component to long and low. Allowing the horse to go forward while stretching encourages the horse to calm himself mentally, thus, adding to its benefit. In essence, long and low has been proven to build the horse's strength to carry the rider efficiently.

Be patient with your horse as he learns to go long and low. Long and low should be ridden rising. It is important that the rider does not land heavily on the horse's back or push the horse to go too forward as this will upset the horse's balance and cause them to hollow out their back and fall on the forehand because they are rushing.

09/04/2025

Frequently changing your horse's frame in your schooling sessions is a very useful training tool, as long as it is done correctly.

Working your horse in a shorter and taller frame for short periods followed by work in a longer and lower frame will improve your horse’s thoroughness, connection, engagement, strength, and overall body suppleness.

Changing the frame frequently can also help prevent tiring muscles, ligaments, and joints, which can come from asking your horse to work in the same frame for an extended amount of time.

For more info, check out the link in the comments.

Illustration created and copyrighted by HowToDressage.

09/03/2025

Great weekend at Georgia Dressage and Combined Training Association Labor Day Classic I&II! Congratulations Kenna on High Point Junior 3rd Level.