In Part I of Dressage Mysteries Solved, dressage clinician, author and three-time Olympic coach Jane Savoie outlined the connecting aids required for putting your horse on the bit:Close your legs on the horse...
What does it look like when my horse is on the bit?Hindquarters: "You want to see active hindquarters and your horse stepping well under himself," says Savoie.
Back: Just behind the saddle, the back should look round, not...
On Saturday, June 6, 2015, the Triple Crown drought finally ended. American Pharoah became the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to win Thoroughbred Racing’s Triple Crown: The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness Stakes, and The Belmont Stakes. Watch his...
American Pharoah wins the 2015 Kentucky Derby
On June 6th, the world will watch with anticipation as American Pharoah seeks to win the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park and become the first horse to sweep the Triple Crown since Affirmed...
If the speed and precision of pole bending has ever called to you, it’s time to give it a whirl. This fun, fast sport requires many of the foundation skills that will help your horse succeed in all his...
Although jumping is a lot of fun, a lot of things can go wrong when you aim your horse at a fence. When he slams on the brakes and stops in front of the fence, it’s called a refusal....
Q: I do dressage with my very lazy, thick-skinned Friesian. He doesn’t respect my leg or whip. What can I do to get a better response?
A: There are classical training methods to address the situation you have with...
Everyone wants a gorgeous tail in the show-ring. Once you get to the bigger stock-breed shows, tail extensions are common. Check with your association’s rules, however, before you spring for a tail extension. Arabians and Morgans, for example, must...
The half-halt is elusive to many dressage riders. Performed correctly, it remains nearly imperceptible to onlookers, while providing necessary balance and connection to the horse. Fortunately, this technique is not as complicated as it sounds.
American Grand Prix dressage rider...
Two happy campers, Kristin and Bellinger in the summer of 2014 after their first Prix St. Georges test at Virginia Horse Center. The pair went on to win the USDF Region 1 Jr/YR Prix St. Georges Championship that year....
