Loving Presence with Horses

02/12/2025

If your stretchy circle in Training and First Level tests feels like something you just hope goes okay, there's usually a reason.

Your horse might not lower their head at all, or they do but only for a moment. Maybe they stretch but can't keep it for the whole circle. Or they trot faster the moment you let the reins out.

When this happens, most riders try the usual things: lengthen the reins more, fiddle with one rein, or lean forward without meaning to.

But none of those fix the stretchy trot for sure.

Because few riders have ever heard an explanation of what the stretchy circle is actually testing.

It's not testing whether you can get your horse's head down.

It's testing whether your horse is relaxed enough to reach into the contact or whether the rider has just been holding them together with too strong a contact.

Once you understand the difference, everything about your connection changes, and not just the stretchy circle.

I put together a free guide that walks you through exactly how to teach your horse to reach into the contact, so the stretchy circle becomes the easiest part of your test.

Click this link to get your free Stretchy Trot Guide:
subscribepage.io/Stretchy-Trot-Exercise

28/11/2025

You're already using positive reinforcement with your horse.

Maybe for groundwork, husbandry, liberty work.

But when it comes to riding—especially dressage movements like canter departs, half-halts, collection—it gets confusing. Complicated, complex, tricky and complex (murky)

How do you mark? When do you reinforce? How do you keep flow without stopping every three strides?

Most R+ trainers I work with hit the same wall: They know the theory, but translating it to 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 feels completely different.

So I put together the 5 questions I get asked most about making positive reinforcement work under saddle.

Real answers. From 25+ years of actually doing this.

🖐️ 𝟱 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 (𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲)

👉 subscribepage.io/Honest-Questions-Dressage-Riders-Ask-About-Positive-Reinforcement

25/11/2025

14/11/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝟵𝟬% 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿–𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸. When this happens, you get your horse adding at least one or more strides of trot on the way down.

The problem starts in your mind. The moment you 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 “walk.” your mind and body unconsciously want to make it happen immediately right then and there. This is just one of 3 major mindset problems that can cause the trot steps you don’t want.

Let me show you a quick way to fix your mindset. When you’re cantering along and think want to walk, pause a nanosecond. Then say 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺… 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺… 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘴. (𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘵: 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥 “𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺….𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺….”)

Those few heartbeats give your horse time to organize their body and step into the walk with few or no trot steps. Try it next time you ride!

13/11/2025

Most dressage riders train their horse but don't train their own mind.

That's the missing piece.

Here, you'll find arena exercises that refine your horse's training and mindfulness trainings that strengthen your mind so you can ride smarter dressage.

07/11/2025

You're trying to collect your horse, but it feels like you're just making them tense. Sound familiar?

The difference between truly collected and tense is subtle—but once you feel it, you can't unfeel it. And that changes everything.

The riders who make it look effortless aren't guessing; they've trained their awareness to recognize one little subtle thing.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹. Not something you have to be born with.

You don’t have to be "advanced enough" or have the "right" horse. All you need to get started is to train yourself to recognize one little thing.

𝗜𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿

🎧 Get the free audio here → subscribepage.io/wGkCX9

04/11/2025

Grooming isn’t just about clean coats. It’s where you can find out what you need to work on when you ride.