Dressage

Ontario Equine Expo Grows in Second Year

Updated:

March 31, 2026

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With only nine weeks to prepare, Miranda and Ryan Kent, owners of RMK Trailer Sales, recognized a need for an equine educational exposition and decided to make it happen. Although they had no experience running an event of this kind, they brought together horse-related vendors, clinicians, and associations, sold tickets, and opened the doors to the first Ontario Equine Expo at the Markham Fairgrounds in March 2025. By focusing on educational clinics that appealed to a wide range of equestrian enthusiasts, they created a learning environment for guests while discovering what worked and what did not.

Tight Nosebands Compromise Equine Welfare and Affect Movement

Updated:

March 27, 2026

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A recent study confirms that tightening a horse’s noseband may do more than change appearance or control the mouth — it may also affect the horse’s movement.

Dressage Pioneer Sheila Skene – A Grand Prix Person

Updated:

March 12, 2026

Dressage pioneer Sheila Skene’s lifelong dedication helped shape the sport in Canada through riding, judging, mentoring, and volunteer leadership.

To describe the qualities of dressage in romantic terms is to speak of patience made visible, strength softened by grace, and discipline guided by empathy. In this artful discipline, every step is a promise kept, every transition a whispered conversation, and every moment a reflection of harmony and partnership born from time, devotion, and love — qualities that become unmistakably evident when speaking with Sheila Skene, who so beautifully embodies them all.

Spring Conditioning Your Horse

Updated:

March 2, 2026

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Where Should You Start? By Jec A. Ballou. When spring finally arrives, the sunny riding season ahead can greet riders with both excitement and anxiety. Where do I start, you might wonder as you calculate how unfit your horse has become from a winter of being off work. How long will it take to ease him back to fitness? What sorts of exercises and timelines should I use? In this article, I’ll answer these questions plus offer a simple schedule in addition to some rules you never want to break.

Turn Pushy Horses Around with Three Simple Lessons

Updated:

February 14, 2026

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You are who your friends are. That adage can apply to horses, too. How we treat them will often be reflected right back at us - for good or bad. Sometimes the difference between a harsh cue and an appropriate one can be subtle. Pressure can be effective, but intensity and timing can make all the difference.

Dressage for Gaited Horses: Unlocking natural movement

Updated:

January 16, 2026

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After many years as a dressage instructor and trainer, I received a phone call requesting help for an unlikely candidate — an Icelandic mare whose natural gait had disappeared, replaced by a shuffling amble-like movement. Little did I realize how many other gaited horses — from Foxtrotters to Tennessee Walkers — would soon follow.

Does Your Horse Need a Lot of Leg?

Updated:

December 19, 2025

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Who doesn’t love a horse with a laid-back disposition, the unflappable sort, unfazed by snow skidding off the arena roof? The downside of that laid-back horse is that he’s liable to be laid-back about his rider’s aids, too.

Sidepass and Backing Obstacles: Benefits Beyond the Show Ring

Updated:

December 1, 2025

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The popularity of obstacle disciplines is growing. These include Working Equitation, Mountain Trail, Show Trail, Ranch Trail, and Extreme Cowboy. Riders tell me the appeal of obstacles is a change and challenge from dressage circles or the Western pleasure rail. Others are opting out of jumping for a less risky challenge. An eventing coach friend calls Working Equitation her “Senior Eventing” — the three-phase format with the precision of obstacles in place of jumps, and yet with the fun of a speed phase. Many obstacle events offer in-hand options so folks can get out with younger horses not yet ready for ridden obstacles.

The Benefits of Cantering Your Horse

Updated:

November 27, 2025

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When it comes to cantering, riders seem to divide in two camps. In one camp are those who favour it above all else, while the other camp includes those who find it scary or unpleasant. I would like to add a third camp: riders who understand the unparalleled physiological benefits of cantering their horses. Beyond the obvious cardiovascular conditioning, cantering can improve muscle tone, symmetry, and flexibility more than other gaits. Let me explain this further, in addition to offering some tips and guidelines.

Understanding and Building Your Horse’s Topline

Updated:

November 5, 2025

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Topline is the term used to describe the muscle coverage over the top of the horse’s neck, withers, back, loin, and croup. Because topline is muscle, a horse with a good topline will be stronger and more athletic, and will present a more pleasing appearance. What should we feed to develop the perfect topline? First we must understand that the shape of the back can vary greatly from one individual to another, and so the topline will vary in length and in curvature, with some relationship between the two. Horses with toplines that are sunken in over their withers, concave along the back and loin, or dished in around their hip bones and hindquarters will have diminished strength in those areas.