Unless otherwise noted, all quotes on this page are the work of Lesley Stevenson. Please ensure proper attribution when sharing. Thank you!
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Sally Swift gives a good explanation about why the best riders are often not the best instructors: "Many of the great riders have the gift of natural balance and coordination so that they never have to question how to do anything with any part of their body. If they
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Don't feel like you have to stick with the same movements or even the circle size of the Dressage test you are about to do in your warm up. It can be very helpful to utilize some smaller circles and lateral work (if you and the horse are
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"Take your time, but don't waste time." ~ Arthur Kottas
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"Connection is often misunderstood. The horse must be taught to go from the seat and leg to the hand for it to be correct. But some riders will try to force it by working their hands and arms to 'work the horse’s neck back and forth to
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"Under no circumstances (except to save your life) is see-sawing on the bit ever allowed. Nor is sneaky jiggling. The bit should only be moved by the chewing action of the horse." ~ Catherine Haddad Staller
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Throwing the reins away to the point that they are so loose that there are loops in them is not the answer to solving your problem of being too strong/tense/rigid in the hands and arms. You must keep a connection, and learn to be elastic within that connection.
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"At the beginning of every ride you must be willing to explain 'yet again' to your horse what you expect of him with sympathy and empathy. Dressage is our dream, not theirs." ~ Yvonne Barteau
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It can be very helpful to keep all of your Dressage test sheets together, and to take the time to sit down and review them on a regular basis. This can remind you of the type of comments that you regularly receive, which you can use to help point you
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Shoulder in to the right really strengthens the right hind leg, which will help to improve the horse's ability to do haunches in and half pass to the left. And vice versa.
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From Facebook fan Rachel Rogers Laliberte ~ "The hands make contact with the mouth but the riders use of driving aids (leg and seat) create the connection."
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When jump schooling, it can be a good idea think about changing direction after each jump, unless you have a plan to do otherwise for a specific reason. So every time you approach off of the left lead, you turn right afterwards, and vice versa. This way, you get lots
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When lunging, pivot with one foot so that you keep yourself still and centered in the middle of your horse's circle. This way, he will learn to make an actual circle shape, rather than an odd shape.
