Like most riders, you might resent the thought of one more day in the arena. Even when armed with homework from your last lesson, arena riding can become uninspired and boring. When this happens, it’s difficult to find clear...
The days of dressage riders in top hats seem like a distant memory, but it was only a few short years ago that helmets were the exception, not the rule, in dressage competition. A revision to the United States...
The basics of dressage focus on asking your horse to move forward into contact in a relaxed manner so you can create a connection. In the quest for connection, riders spend countless hours on the 20-meter circle. However, there...
The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is pleased to announce the new Dressage Rider Tests Program for the 2013 competition year. Designed and drafted by a joint working group from the USEF Dressage Committee and appointees from the United...
Q: My 8-year-old gelding has only been ridden in a hackamore. I’d like to start dressage with him, so he needs to wear a bit. I’ve tried every kind of snaffle and he seems to hate them all. He...
Q: A few months ago I bought an older horse that had spent the last few years as a trail horse. Before that he was a lesson horse after retiring from a successful career in the show ring. While...
Eitan Beth-Halachmy and Santa Fe Renegade performed at the 2006 and 2010 World Equestrian Games. Photo: Leslie PotterWestern and English riding have always had their differences in style and technique, but they find common ground in a new discipline...
The sitting trot holds a unique, and perhaps even a little notorious, reputation. Many riders are of the opinion that the sitting trot is difficult to master and is punishing, too—jarring, bouncing, uncomfortable (regardless of how experienced you are)...
As you enter at A, the judge’s steely eyes will be firmly fixed upon you and your horse for the next few nerve-wracking minutes. But what’s going through her mind as she watches you? Is she judging the perfect...
Maintaining a balanced, consistent, and controlled canter on the correct lead presents enough challenges. But what if your horse has trouble holding his canter? If your horse starts off fine but repeatedly breaks to the trot, then you need...
