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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Any excessive closing of knees or thighs takes the rider's lower leg off of the horse. It is more correct to wrap the entire leg around the horse for half halts and downward transitions - as if giving the horse a hug with your legs. This encourages the horse
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"People ask me when I'm going to give up eventing for pure dressage, and I never will." ~ Ingrid Klimke
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"The goal of any rider is to have the horse fall in love with your hands." ~ Tad Coffin
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If you want your horse to look after himself when jumping, you must allow him to do so in training.
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No matter how balanced a horse is while he is moving, he will never be in self carriage if he has a rider that is hanging on his mouth.
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"Dressage is not an easy sport, there are so many variations, but the reaction to your leg, and straightness, are so important. You just don’t see top Grand Prix riders kicking or straining for a result. Don’t tease him, tap there so quick he doesn’t know
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Circles and basic lateral work offer the best opportunities to work on increasing the horse’s acceptance of the rider’s leg.
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Change only happens when we consistently do things differently, not just once or twice! So cut yourself some slack when you are struggling to improve your riding skills. It will take time and lots of repetition!
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The halt must come from the body of the rider, not the reins.
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"When the horse jumps, you go with it, not the other way around." ~ William Steinkraus
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Remember that your "working" trot or canter should show a consistent speed and tempo throughout your Dressage test. It is a common mistake, for example, for the rider to let the trot after the walk be much quieter than the trot immediately after the canter. And this is
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From Facebook fan Deena Cahill ~ "If your horse is really tense when riding him, try riding while having a short conversation about happy things with someone else. You will be surprised how relaxed your horse becomes when your body naturally relaxes!"
