Caitlyn Bean Dressage

01/24/2025

I’m so excited to open my doors to a new full training client this March—an opportunity I don’t offer often but one I’m truly looking forward to.

My training philosophy is rooted in developing horses into confident, capable athletes through thoughtful, ethical training. Combining classical dressage principles with a modern understanding of biomechanics and posture, I work to build strong foundations from the ground up, ensuring that every horse feels supported, balanced, and ready to succeed under saddle.

This program is about more than just training—it’s about:
✨ Transforming your horse into a confident, capable athlete.
✨ Honoring the individuality and needs of each horse to unlock their true potential.
✨ Empowering riders to achieve their goals while always putting the horse’s well-being first.

This opening is perfect for:
🌟 Riders seeking an ethical, personalized approach to developing their horse.
🌟 Horses needing the time and care to progress into balanced, confident athletes.
🌟 Owners who value a trainer deeply committed to both their horse’s welfare and their dreams as a rider.

📅 Available March 1st
I don’t often have room to take on new full training clients, so if this feels like the right fit for you and your horse, I’d love to connect! Let’s chat about how we can work together to build a foundation for long-term success.

When we approach training with care, intention, and partnership, incredible things happen. I look forward to welcoming you to this journey. 💛

Indigo Trails Farm

01/23/2025

Dangerous for all living beings 🤦‍♀️ please be conscious of what you are feeding yourself & your horses 🙏

Glyphosate is an active substance of the most popular herbicides worldwide. Its common use results from the belief that it affects exclusively plants. However, studies on glyphosate and its trade formulations reveal that it causes numerous morphological, physiological and biochemical disturbances in...

01/21/2025

✨ Transformation Tuesday ✨

Every horse’s journey is unique, and this beautiful mare and her devoted owner exemplify perseverance, growth, and the power of approaching challenges with a fresh perspective.

Years ago, we worked together when my primary focus was on developing horses under saddle to the highest levels of dressage. While that remains a core passion, my understanding of posture and biomechanics—particularly from the ground—has grown significantly since then. Despite trying various approaches and philosophies in the past, we often felt like we were hitting a wall, unable to achieve the progress we envisioned.

Fast forward to today, and with the knowledge I’ve gained, we’ve taken a fresh approach to her development. We’re now focusing on supporting her from the ground up by:

~Improving her relationship to the ground through the balance and support of her feet
~Unwinding overdeveloped, unhelpful muscle patterns and fostering healthier ones
~Strengthening her foundation while prioritizing biotensegrity throughout her body
~Nutritionally supporting her with an anti-inflammatory diet to promote healing and overall health
This comprehensive approach is helping her break free from a cycle of mystery lameness and repeated interventions that didn’t address the root cause.

Looking back, I realize that a few years ago, I couldn’t offer her what she truly needed. Today, I’m grateful for the knowledge and tools that allow me to better serve horses and their humans. I resonate deeply with the saying, "the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know," and I’m humbled by how much there is still to learn. Even so, the progress we’ve made in just six weeks is a powerful reminder of how impactful the right approach can be.

While we’ve made meaningful strides, we know there’s still a long way to go. True transformation takes time, and we’re committed to the process—one step at a time, with patience, consistency, and care.

Helping horses and their humans find harmony and health is truly the most rewarding part of this work. 💛

01/12/2025

This right here 👏

It has been a very different past 8 months than I would have ideally hoped for, however, it has been a year of immense growth, and for that I am forever grateful to the universe for the obstacles provided.
Many horses in my program needed something different. Many of them have trauma — physical or mental — that I learned needed to be addressed and was causing us to continue to struggle to progress. Going back to the basics and building a stronger foundation for you and your horse is never the wrong thing to do! 🫶

We promote burnout in equestrians by pushing the idea that constant productivity is needed to be a “good rider.”

That if you take a break from riding, or even showing, for that matter, you lose value as a rider.

That your perspectives aren’t as valid unless you’re constantly producing content related to riding or “proving” your worth by riding.

Consistently, this is one of the more common means people use to invalidate my own perspective on a lot of the things I post.

“You barely ride anymore!”

“Your opinion doesn’t matter if you aren’t even a real rider”

And yes, I have been riding less.

I’ve noticed the toll that the pressure of feeling like I needed to constantly be progressing towards riding goals was taking on me.

I had extenuating circumstances outside of horses that impacted my motivation to ride.

I had horses who were injured, too young to ride or in need of some type of rehab — be it emotional or physical

I simply had lost the desire to ride in the same way that I used to — with the goal of competing.

I worried I was losing my passion and chose to preserve it by not pushing myself.

All of that aside — I shouldn’t even need to provide an explanation for it. No one should.

There should be a respect and understanding for the fact that everyone’s life fluctuates.

Finances may prevent their participation, even when they desperately want to.

Mental health is also a major factor.

People shouldn’t have to list off their struggles in order to evade judgment from people who calculate someone’s worth as a horse person off of how much saddle time they have.

Experience doesn’t disintegrate from taking a break.

There’s also a lot of learning that occurs out of the saddle that is constantly being devalued and shouldn’t be.

The interesting thing is the pressure and focus is always on riding — you seldom hear anyone being chastised for their lack of growth out of the saddle.

Their lack of focus on learning how to do better ground work.

Their lack of study of learning theory and behaviour.

And the reason for this is that these skills are often devalued when they shouldn’t be.

So, if you find yourself on a hiatus for riding, for any reason, don’t feel bad about it.

There are many other important things you can focus on that will make you a better horse person, even if not directly related to horses.

Focus on making yourself feel better and doing what feels right for YOU.

Anyone who tries to degrade you for that is just telling on themselves by projecting their own insecurities.

01/03/2025

This right here 👏

Holding space, setting boundaries, and staying safe.

Kumbaya horsemanship has really become popular, but, lets be clear, this should NOT come at the expense of your safety!

Repeat after me, "boundaries are beautiful!" Holding space for your horse does not mean that they get to walk all over you. It does not mean they get to show dangerous behavior that puts you at risk. You cannot love a horse into behaving anymore than you can with your kids.

This does NOT mean that you have to be violent with your horse, but you do have to be clear that certain behaviors are not acceptable when they put you or others at risk. The horse should understand that you are made of glass and they are not to run into you. I once heard Frederic Pignon say, "your horse wouldn't spook into a tree or a fence post, they shouldn't run into you either".

If you've ever been to any my clinics or lessons, you know that I am very soft, kind and gentle with the horses, but when we have horses that come in that are exhibiting dangerous behavior, I am very clear about setting boundaries, and the horses actually seem to be relieved, and it gives them confidence when I let know what "lines to color in", or "which lane is theirs."

I just felt like I needed to speak up on this topic because over the last several months I have had many people come to me with very dangerous situations that had been escalating for weeks or months. I am the first person to say that I am so happy to see people moving away from the round penning, flooding, and rope shaking training. The pendulum always swings both ways before it finds center.

I think it can be very detrimental to both the human's safety, and the horse's long term wellbeing to believe that everything is cupcakes and rainbows as it can be portrayed on social media. I'm not saying you need to beat your horse, but you also can't let your horse be beating on you!

I'll share a short video clip tomorrow of what this may look like. I also have a module in my online library, "Setting Your Horse Up For Success", entitled "Dealing with Undesired Behavior", and just a teaser, but I'll be collaborating with another professional this year to do an in person clinic on this very topic ;)

Photo explanation: This is a 4 year old stallion, in the spring feeling his hormones. He wanted grass and was tired of me saying no. He's never been beaten, his doesn't have trauma. He's just testing the boundaries because he's 4 and full of testosterone. Do you not remember high school? 🤣

12/30/2024

To most, this seems like just another day at the farm — no big deal.

To me, this moment feels anything but.

This is the first time our 4 year old mare has been outside in many months due to a large suspensory lesion.

She has honestly been one of the most challenging horses I’ve had to deal with during rest and rehab so far. She was born and raised here at Indigo Trails, and has been one of the easiest horses to handle and train— so this being a complete 180 shift caught me off guard.

After coming home from Kentucky where she had surgery and stem cell treatments — between Rood & Riddle and Spy Coast Rehabilitation Center — she had absolutely lost her mind. At this point she had been stall rested for 2 months and was on a large amount of Trazedone. I believe she had an adverse reaction to the Trazedone and it made her more on edge and explosive.

The morning after she arrived home, she flipped around and kicked toward my head which my hand caught and we were on our way to the ER. Thankfully, nothing was broken, but a definite scare to see a hoof that close to my face.

Getting her back to at least a small turnout where she can feel less trapped and a little change of scenery has been important to me since she came home — but it was easier said than done. There were a lot of pieces that needed to fall into place before that was able to become her reality. For some horse, that possibly could’ve take a week, for Sage — it took months.

I think I’ve probably heard every single option and opinion out there (solicited & unsolicited) — she should be full turnout — she needs to be stalled for a year or until completely healed — handwalk her 20 min three times a day — change the scenery and put her in a panel stall outside during the day — put her on Trazedone — lip chain her to walk her anywhere — and soo much more.

Having so many different opinions with different lenses and philosophies will confuse anyone.

So eventually, after asking everyone and their mom trying to find the “secret sauce” that worked for other horses — I came back to my intuition and my inner circle of professionals that have guided me well many times in the past.

Dr. Martha M. Faraday,, Dr. Howard Ketover, Kendra Skorstad, Emma Frimml, Katherine Lowry, & Celeste-Leilani Lazaris — they know me, they know my experience, they know Sage, they know the nitty gritty details that really matter in a situation like this (details that would make this post way too long)
I literally cannot thank them enough. Through the stress, through the emotions, through the thinking with my brain vs. my heart and balancing what felt right vs the science — you guys have supported me more than I could’ve ever asked.

So just a little celebration post for my girl Sage. This is a big step towards healing (please keep your head screwed on straight and be a well behaved citizen in turnout 🤞 so that we can get back to dancing in the arena as soon as possible)

And a little PSA.
Often, we don’t know all the details. What you see in a moment, a picture, a short video, a lesson in a clinic, etc — you are seeing one moment in time. We are all fighting battles behind the scenes that the rest of the world knows nothing about. Instead of judging the situation or person — bring curiosity to the table. Ask questions. I know there are some people that don’t want their whole personal life out in the open — but I am an open book! If my life experiences can help you, I would love to share and support you. I’ve been extremely lucky to have people in my life that really have supported me by being open and honest about their life experiences. It’s one of the most beautiful things in my opinion. Learning and growing from each other 🫶

12/19/2024

❤️❤️❤️

Being a professional in the horse industry, I have experienced and witnessed a lot of negativity from mean girls to bullies to poor riding to animal abuse to lack of safety to poor sportsmanship and horsemanship.

I’ve forever been an advocate for the opposite of all of the above. I’m not sure it’s earned me any fans. Regardless, I will always stand up for what is right, even if I’m standing alone.

I hope to see…

Less pointing fingers, more helping hands.

Less Instagram, more education.

Less abuse, more understanding.

Less aggression, more compassion.

Less mean girls, more camaraderie.

Less upper level movements, more basics.

Less drilling, more hacking.

Less rollkur, more open throat latches.

Less perfection, more progress.

We need so much progress…

For the love of the sport. For the love of the art. Most importantly, for the love of the horse.

🌻 Cara

📸 Max & Maxwell: Equestrian Photography

12/19/2024

Yes yes yes! So much negativity spiraling these days, before judging or criticizing, bring curiosity to the table and ask more questions. We all have a different perspective. 🫶

Can we really say it’s poorly shod?

The heels are contracted. The frog is narrow, thin, thrushy, and elongated. The heels bulb shape suggest the digital cushion is under developed. But is it poorly shod? How would you know from this view alone?

I’m curious to hear your thoughts.

It’s too easy to make judgments and jump to conclusions based off of one photo. There is always more to the story than what one photo could possibly convey.

Can we pause and ask a few more questions before jumping to conclusions?

I’m for building community and building bridges. Creating division by making posts that illicit some sort of emotional response based on a fixed belief system is not my jam.

I think as human beings we want things to fit neatly into a box, black or white. Life is just not that simple.

Of course, we know that metal shoes alter the function of the hoof but so does any other prosthetic device attached to the hoof, including boots.

Of course our creator made the horse functional and perfect as it is. Barefoot has the potential to be the Golden standard. But with human interventions and domestication, we have altered that. Injuries and compensation patterns have shifted the definition of ideal too.

Just like any athlete, pushing the limits of their sport they seek the tools to help them have that competitive edge, to be comfortable and function as well as possible, given the circumstances, then why do we demand that horses, who are also athletes, being asked to do unnatural things be asked to do it naturally barefoot?

I’m not saying that shoeing is the right answer nor am I saying that barefoot is the right answer.

I’m saying that the answer lies within as many factors considered for each horse and that the realm of possibilities is vast.

There is no one right answer or Ideal that is right for every single horse.

I think in order for our community to start coming together we need to start understanding that there are many roads to Rome and try to understand all the possibilities and factors for each horse. Only with more information and education and understanding, can we start to make decisions about trimming and shoeing that will actually serve the horse and bring us all together.

12/10/2024

✨ The spark is back ✨

**ignore the monkey ba****ck riding — we still have a long way to go** 😆

This big, sexy, dark bay boy has completely stolen my heart all over again. 💕 About two years ago, when he came into my program to continue his development under saddle, I knew he was special. When he was eventually put up for sale, there was no question—he had to be mine.

What I didn’t know at the time was just how much he would teach me. Shortly after bringing him home, we began treating for ulcers and unraveling what felt like an endless web of physical challenges. There were so many unanswered questions, so many moments of frustration, and so much heartbreak in feeling like I couldn’t help him the way he needed.

But Darti kept pushing me. He demanded more. He inspired me to ask better questions, to explore new approaches, and to keep growing. Along the way, I was blessed to meet some angels who completely changed the way I view and train horses.

Yesterday, for the first time in what feels like forever, we just played under saddle. No checklist. No rehab plan. No pressure. Just pure joy and connection. We danced. We were a team.

This horse has been a rollercoaster of a journey, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. He’s reminded me that the tough ones, the ones who challenge you and push you out of your comfort zone, are the ones who make it all worth it.

Here’s to the next chapter with this beautiful boy. I am so excited to continue developing him, learning from him, and celebrating every step forward. ✨

Thank you to my team of people who have been there every step of the way for Darti ❤️ & especially Katherine Lowry, Kendra Skorstad, Emma Frimml, & Dr. Martha M. Faraday, PhD, for the love & guidance that you always bring to the table!
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Indigo Trails Farm

12/04/2024

It’s not about the grass…

Something that comes up a lot is people saying they have trouble training their horse because the horse lives on grass, or where they work with their horse is on grass.

I think many times this is because they wish the grass was not a factor, or they want to train like the grass is not there. This is just denying reality. Horses, and grass, are both nature, and if there’s one thing horses will teach you is that you can’t go against nature, you have to learn to go with it.

My son surfs, and the ocean is the same. Surfing is not fighting the ocean, it’s blending in with it for a harmonious outcome.

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be a presenter at Horsemanship Hub - Horsemanship Showcase in Leighton Buzzard, England (that’s a real place name in case you have the giggles right now). One of the things I did there was judge a liberty competition (along with the amazing Holly Barber and Ben Atkinson) which was on video. One of the competitors had filmed their video ON GRASS.

Liberty- no tack at all

On grass

With a (drum roll) - pony !

And this was not the advanced competition, this was the (can’t remember what they called it, maybe elementary or something like that). But that doesn’t mean what they did wasn’t advanced, and watching the video you would not know there was any grass present.

I heard a saying years ago that said “you need to be more interesting to your horse than grass”.

So the problem is not the grass.

The problem is not that you have a pony.

The problem is many wish the situation was different and fail to interact with reality. Understanding the nature of horses ( and the nature of nature) goes along way to having success with them.

11/21/2024

This is SO exciting!! 🎉 Kentucky Horse park is magical, just not in November 🙃

Big news! ‼️ United States Dressage Federation and US Equestrian are thrilled to announce that the 2025 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan® are scheduled for October 30 – November 2, at the World Equestrian Center (WEC) in Wilmington, OH. Based on consistent feedback from competitors over the years regarding the unpredictable nature of the November weather, WEC was selected as the site of the 2025 and 2026 US Dressage Finals, affording competitors and attendees alike an equivalency of experience in all aspects of this highly revered event. The selection of WEC was based, in large part, on the facility’s over 200,000 square feet of climate-controlled riding space, in which all championship classes will be held, more than 750 permanent climate-controlled stalls, delicious onsite dining, and numerous luxurious lodging options.

Learn more about this update to our marquee ‘Centerline of Champions’ competition here: https://www.usdf.org/press/news/view-news.asp?news=1074

11/21/2024

It is a beautiful journey, and I am grateful for the learning opportunities ✨

Last year, Caitlyn embarked on an exciting journey toward her goal of competing Grand Prix, aiming to complete her gold medal by summer. But as the season progressed, things didn’t feel quite right. Some horses struggled to keep up with the intensity, weren’t recovering as expected, and small signals began to add up. Listening to these signs, Caitlyn made the tough but necessary decision to pump the brakes on her goal.

This past year has been a season of growth, adaptation, and humility—embracing the need to pause, reset, and support the horses in their foundational strength. Caitlyn invested in building them back up, ensuring they were physically and mentally prepared to take on the demands of this sport. Now, with a renewed approach and stronger foundations, Caitlyn is heading into winter training with excitement, ready to prepare for a promising season next year.

The lesson? Sometimes, achieving big goals means being willing to pause, reflect, and adjust. Stay open to learning, keep an unwavering focus on the well-being of your horses, and trust the process. When we listen to our horses and stay true to their needs, we’re always moving forward. ✨

11/19/2024