12/07/2020
Many times I have heard riders comment, "Dressage is hard.", "Dressage isn't fun." or my personal favorite "My horse isn't a dressage horse." The overall principle of dressage is merely "riding and training a horse in a manner that develops obedience, flexibility, and balance." While I do not claim to be a jumper, eventer, or western pleasure rider, I would argue that in all disciplines regardless of the tack, or lack thereof, all riders aspire to achieve suppleness, relaxation, and balance in their horses. Dressage is merely a tool to teach the horse and rider to develop suppleness, balance, and, most importantly, relaxation. All horses and all riders can 'do' dressage. As a trainer, I teach riders to ride the entire horse, especially the horse's mind. We must ride the whole body, not just the back or legs. All of this derives from the communication between horse and rider. Why do you think the effective use of aids is a collective mark on a test? As riders, we must feel our horses, listen to them. The horse is always talking, are you listening?