Dressage

Develop a Stronger Riding Position

Updated:

September 16, 2019

Riding without stirrups, rider position, horse riding, two point trot, two point walk, posting trot, equine sitting trot, riding position

When riders take the time to build a good foundation with a correct position and basic training skills, they will reach their training and riding goals faster than if they skip these steps in the beginning of their riding careers. A “correct” position is determined by the style or discipline of riding you participate in. I am going to give you some of my favorite rider strengthening exercises for developing a stronger hunter seat equitation position.

5 Steps to Prep for the Horse Show Test

Updated:

June 16, 2019

Lindsay Grice, prepare for horse show, prepare for equine show, showing a horse, how to show a horse, prepare for a dressage test, prepare for a horse jumper class, prepare for a Western horse class

Seated at the head of the quiet classroom, I watched the students in the classes I teach write their Equine Behaviour and Equine Business final exams, noting the happy faces of smug recognition (“Yes, I studied that!”) and the winces (“Rats, I’d hoped that material wouldn’t be on the test”). I empathize with them. I know what it’s like to sit in the “test seat” – as a student in university and, more recently, writing judging exams. And as a competitive rider, every horse show is a test.

Comparing Training Schedules

Updated:

April 25, 2019

am I overtraining my horse? drawbacks of overtraining your horse, how much should I train my horse? how much time should I leave between horse training sessions?

If you are repeatedly training your horse to do the same task every day, a recent study suggests that you could well be spending your time more productively. The research, by equine scientists from Germany and Australia, found that allowing horses breaks of two days between training sessions rather than training daily results in similar learning progress over a period of 28 days. The researchers suggest that such a training schedule might be considered to make more efficient use of trainers’ – and horses’ – time.

Research on Perceptions and Use of Horse Training Equipment

Updated:

March 14, 2019

Equine Guelph researchers are continuing to put Canada on the map in the world of horse welfare research – this time focusing on the use of training equipment in horses. The researchers, led by Dr. Katrina Merkies, were interested in how often riders and trainers use training equipment, such as whips, spurs, and head-control equipment (martingales, draw reins, etc.), and how often horse enthusiasts not actively involved with horses think that the equipment is used.

Jumping, Vaulting, and Para-Dressage

Updated:

September 21, 2018

Jumping, Vaulting, and Para-Dressage at Tryon 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) Box Qutie Anna Freskgård Tryon Equine Hospital show jumping world equestrian games vaulting weg para-dressage, grooms at world equestrian games

At Tryon 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games - Welcome to our third report on the FEI World Equestrian Games 2018 (WEG) currently underway in Mill Spring, North Carolina. The 13-day event, which began on September 11, has seen more than its share of challenges due to Hurricane Florence, and on September 15, two horses pulled up lame during the Mars-sponsored cross-country phase of the three-day event competition and received immediate veterinary treatment.

How to Ride Your Dressage Horse From Half Halt to Half Halt

Updated:

February 11, 2015

jane savoie, half halt, riding dressage, dressage half halt, robert dover

The secret to riding your dressage horse like a professional is to ride from half halt to half halt rather than from movement to movement. The half halt is your connective tissue between the dressage movements. They’re what make your ride or dressage test look like it flows seamlessly like a dance.