Fieldstone Farm

10/01/2024

07/31/2024

Too hot for lessons this afternoon …atoms heading this way after 4:30.

05/21/2024

This is the line up so far for the June Brad Clinic…..let me know if you want to reserve a spot.

05/15/2024

Updated May Brad Cutshall Clinic. Have a couple of open spots….

05/14/2024

This weekends Brad Clinic updated…

05/14/2024

From our Ottercreek show this last weekend… showing 1st 3 and 2nd 1 and 2…

04/22/2024

May Brad Cutshall Clinic…

02/23/2024

See everyone tomorrow…190.00 per ride. Pot luck lunch…

02/21/2024

Camp dates are open….i fixed the problem that was blocking the registrations from going through….if there are questions please give me a call or text….320-492-0902

11/11/2023

Kristina Harrison answers this reader question.

10/04/2023

Try this advice from Jane Karol, which includes proven methods for overcoming show anxiety to help you perform at your best.

10/02/2023

To help keep the horse from falling to the outside in shoulder-in...

The rider’s outside leg should act as a guarding leg. It passively guards the horse’s outside hind leg so it steps straight ahead and parallel to the long side. It is like a guard protecting a castle. He isn’t attacking but is there if needed.—Laura Ashley Killian

Killian is a USDF gold, silver and bronze medalist and USDF Certified Instructor through Fourth Level and was the recipient of the 2021 George Williams Young Professional Grant from The Dressage Foundation (TDF). She teaches and trains out of Laura Ashley Dressage in Loxahatchee, Florida.

🎨: Sandy Rabinowitz

09/27/2023

Let’s talk about the difference between rhythm and tempo. I hear these words used incorrectly all the time, and it’s more than just a nit picky thing to correct. It’s a very important concept to understand.

Rhythm (in dressage) is the footfall of the gait - 4 beats for walk, 2 beats for trot, and 3 beats for canter.

Tempo is the SPEED of the rhythm. You can discover your horse’s ideal Beats Per Minute (BPM) for each gait.

A huge moving warmblood and a tiny Shetland pony have the same rhythm in trot, but they have VERY different tempos.

If you have a RHYTHM problem, you have a big problem. If the walk is lateral (leaning towards 2 beats rather than 4), or the canter is a 4 beat canter - this is a big problem. Could be a physical issue with the horse, but you will need good help from a pro with a rhythm fault.

Most riders have a TEMPO problem - too fast, too slow, too varied. Ideally, the tempo should be like a metronome - steady and reliable, and YOU have to set it for the horse. (Side note - it’s super easy to download a free metronome app on your phone and ride with one. It will be seriously annoying to find out how NOT steady your tempo is 😂. But it’s very helpful to discover your horse’s BPM for each gait and try to stay steady.)

The rider has to be like the conductor of the orchestra - you SET the tempo for the horse, but you don’t play all the instruments. Tell your horse how quickly (or slowly) to march in walk, push in trot, and jump in canter. Then leave him alone and only adjust when that tempo goes too fast or too slow. You have to be a quiet, feeling rider to notice immediately when the tempo begins to slow down or speed up too much.

Illustration by Susan DiFelice Design

09/27/2023

Kate Fleming-Kuhn explains how to be sure you and your dressage horse are prepared before moving up a level.

09/24/2023

German Olympian Hubertus Schmidt explains the functioning dynamics of the half halt.

09/19/2023

"In addition to the horse’s mental development, we must also be aware of how the horse’s underneck can prevent throughness. The underneck is often the place that prevents the horse’s energy from flowing through from back to front. Tension or holding of the underneck serves as a kind of dam—a wall—that stops the energy," says Olympian Lisa Wilcox.

"When the underneck relaxes, the crest of the neck lowers, and that’s when you see that beautiful arc in the middle of the neck. When this muscle is visible, the horse is carrying his neck. This muscle enables the development of the topline. With training, that muscle becomes very well defined. Unfortunately, too often horses are developing very strong undernecks. The overdeveloped underneck can be related to the horse’s conformation (low set-on neck) or sometimes it’s because the rider is holding on to the rein to keep her balance in the saddle, which causes the horse to hold with the underneck to support the rider."

In this photo, Wilcox points out a bulging lower neck. When the underneck relaxes from your half halts, the neck lowers and you get that beautiful arc along the topline. We build the crest on this, and the top muscle becomes very defined while the lower muscle atrophies.

In the article, she explains how your half halts can relax your horse’s underneck so his energy can go through his entire body 👉 https://bit.ly/GreaterDegreesofThroughness

📸: Susan J. Stickle

09/19/2023

Fran Kehr shares her advice on suppling the horse and suggests exercises to help you shift your horse's balance.

09/13/2023

[video] Seat Bone Control In Walk
https://dressagetraining.tv/seat-bone-control-walk/

Some riders move around too much in walk, which gives them little control over tempo or the length of the horse's stride.

In this 2 minute video, in the above link, we talk about seat bone control and show a little exercise which prepares you for developing better control of tempo and better control of your seat.

The final exercise is a precursor to learning how to halt by simply stopping your seat bones.

08/22/2023

Some changes on times…
Potluck for meals.

07/04/2023

German dressage star Helen Langehanenberg explains the training quality of submission and shares how you can develop it in your horse.

06/28/2023

An Excerpt from "The Training Spiral" by Sue Grice.

06/26/2023

Sarah Tubman shares a four-part suppling exercise to produce fantastic flying changes. Plus, an entomologist advises on strategies to help minimize fly infestation.

06/22/2023

Brad Cutshall will be back to the farm August 25/26/27…

06/20/2023

Learn how to refine your aids to a whisper as you progress in dressage training.