This photo shows Larissa Williams on her Premium Oldenburg mare Sans Souci. Larissa purchased Sans Souci as a schoolmaster. She was trained up to Prix St. Georges and is now training Larissa through the levels. After two years, they are competing at Third Level, but in this picture, they are showing First Level, Test 3. Larissa Williams purchased schoolmaster Sans Souci to help her move up the levels. © Shawn Tinkman There is a famous statement from the old German masters: Young horses need an experienced rider—and young riders need an experienced horse! Being a “young” rider, Larissa did ..read more

The nearly 800 people who gathered for the Ingrid Klimke Masterclass in the Wine Country Dec. 2-3 left with oodles of conditioning, training and rider position points to apply at home. © Kim F. Miller/The West Equestrian Ingrid’s passion for horses was the most tangible takeaway, especially as it factored into her approach to each of the 15 horse/rider pairs participating. The sunny weather at Southern California’s Galway Downs Equestrian was the perfect setting for the 5-time German Olympian’s positive messages. Tailoring the work to each horse’s personality, abilities and brain is critical ..read more

Focusing on the details of riding correctly shaped 20-meter circles is important for two reasons: Firstly, if you don’t ride accurate 20-meter circles in your dressage test, you’re throwing away points. The less accurate the shape of your circle in competition, the more the dressage judge will penalize you. Secondly, riding a correctly shaped 20-meter circle helps your horse achieve the right balance for his level of training (see “The Right Balance” below for more on balance). I have an exercise that I use with my less-experienced students and young horses to give them the feeling of riding a ..read more

A Training Spiral showing how a horse at Introductory Level may start at Tier 1, working on Rhythm (indicated as the red band), and progress up the tiers of the Spiral as he works toward Third Level. At Third Level, he may have completed five tiers on this Spiral, which would have likely taken him several years to complete. Courtesy, Trafalgar Square Books The basic idea of the Training Spiral is that you can progress through all the elements of the Scales in order (Rhythm, Suppleness, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness, Collection), without having to perfect each one be ..read more

Courtesy, Jacqueline Harris, Roam Photos The shoulder-in is the first lateral movement involving collection that you encounter as you move up the dressage levels. Introduced at Second Level, it is one of the most important movements for you and your horse to master. First, it allows you to move the horse’s shoulders. This is necessary for more advanced collection that requires, among other abilities, the mobility and elevation of the shoulders. It also allows the rider to displace the shoulders without the horse thinking that he must move in the direction the shoulders are pointed. Moving the ..read more

This picture shows Laura Oliver riding her 17-year-old horse Brontesaurus. “Bronte,” as she calls him, is a Percheron/Thoroughbred crossbreed, and he looks as if he got the best from both sides. They have been together for 14 years and are showing Third Level. Laura Oliver with her 17-year-old Percheron/Thoroughbred Brontesaurus © Rebecca Sturdy To be with a horse over such a long time builds a strong relationship. You can see in the picture that they trust each other and are focused on their task. What struck me first was how special it is to see such a big horse being ridden by such a light ..read more

Para-rider Katie Jackson is missing her right leg below the knee. Her right thigh is strapped to the saddle, and she carries a whip in her right hand. “She is a beautiful rider,” says trainer Chrissa Hoffmann, “but she’s had to work very hard in her seat and her body alignment to keep [her horse] straight. Where we take for granted that we keep the horse straight between two legs, she has to work a little bit harder, but she does an excellent job at it.” Katie Jackson and Scrabble showed at a licensed show at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida. © Stephanie J. Ruff Jackson purchased ..read more

A fantastic flying change in dressage is a lot like a fabulous jumping effort in the hunter ring. All of the following characteristics stay the same before, during and after the change, just like they do in a hunter jump: the quality and rhythm of the canter the horse’s balance the straightness through his body and the straightness of the track the “throughness” over his back (supple connection from his hindquarters, over his topline to the bit) the confidence and relaxation Producing great flying changes requires longitudinal and lateral suppleness, a clear understanding of the aids, and a ..read more

This picture shows Leila Smal on her horse, Utah. She wrote about him: “He is a rescue horse, and I’ve owned him nearly 3 years now. I show novice with him and recently started elementary schooling. Utah taught me not only patience and selflessness but also how to live, be brave and above all conquer self-doubt.” Leila Smal rides her rescue horse, Utah. She had owned him for nearly three years when this photo was taken. Denford Studios South Africa Utah sure was lucky to find Leila to rescue him. The angle of the picture does not allow me to fully judge his conformation, but the first impressi ..read more

This picture shows Julie Reck riding her 4-year-old Oldenburg gelding. They are competing at Training Level. Julie Reck rides her 4-year-old Oldenburg gelding at Training Level. Courtesy: Sharon Packer To be able to bring a young horse into the competition world is rewarding and exciting. Julie’s horse already looks very focused and seems to behave like a “pro” in the ring. He is moving with nice cadence, looks supple and is obedient to his rider’s aids. The way he is picking up his legs shows that his movement is elastic, and when looking at his hindquarters, I can see that his pelvis (croup ..read more