I think Mark Z. and his crew have created a new algorithm for Facebook – a teaching algorithm. That is certainly how it felt this past week. It started with the news about horse sports getting worse than ever. Dressage, the sport I loved, is turning into “Saddle Seat meets Western Pleasure” – hollow backs, … More Lessons from Facebook
The topic of rider weight has been getting a lot of attention on the internet lately. I’ve seen many discussions on the topic, usually populated with oversimplification of the issue – and usually led by people for whom weight has never been an issue. They have these online “debates” under the pretext of welfare concerns for the … More Weighty matters
I recently ran across a series of videos of Sylvia Loch giving a talk and lesson on classical training methods. She covers a range of concepts in an easy to follow manner. The first and last are short, but the others run over sixteen minutes. So, grab that bowl of popcorn and enjoy! Part 1 … More Sylvia Loch
The dressage horse who retains his relaxation at the highest levels of collection is the ideal. He is dynamic and elastic, swinging, steady and beautiful to watch. The rider doesn’t have to push or work too hard. He just sits quietly because his horse is well balanced. Relaxation is not only physically beneficial for the … More Relaxation is the first goal
In the wake of the World Equestrian Games, with a few good Dressage rides and a number of appalling ones that scored too high, and news of horses dying in other competitions in those games, I felt the need to make my self feel better. I wanted to seek out proof, and reassure myself that … More What Dressage should look like!
During a dressage clinic I once gave in Canada, I met a rider whose horse was ridden with a strong contact and constraint. The horse was pacing (losing the four-beat rhythm of the steps) in the walk. To improve the situation, I asked him to ride his horse in a shoulder-in at the walk. The … More Problems in walk
Horse Crazy Once Again 