http://www.eurodressage.com/equestri...11-cdio-aachen

The two images that caught my eye were, first... Rath and Totilas and second... Peters and Ravel.

Take a close look at them......Rath is hard on the snaffle and the curb, while Peters rein contact is less.

However, their heads are nearly in the same place......

Rein connections…

     Hi everyone, sorry it’s been so long since my last post. You see, I had some unwanted drama in my life this past month and I’ll share the details with you soon, but first I wanted to share this short video of Chance and I. We were filmed a few weeks ago for the “Story Tellers” segment on the AZ Central website. You can find the finished product here:…

I have been preparing for a clinic this weekend at Infinity Farm. It’s the my favorite clinic every year: Fundamentals of Dressage. One of my clients asked if it was going to be the same as last year. (Eye roll -is this a trick question?)

Nope, the fundamentals of dressage have not changed in the last year, or the last century for that matter. Dressage is the art of riding with balance…

The foundation of Dressage for the rider/horse is rhythm. I define that as a balanced combination of relaxation and forward. It sounds deceptively simple.

A rider/horse can not sacrifice forward for relaxation, or relaxation for forward. The art of riding is in negotiating the balance of the two in both the rider and the horse. Forward must be consistent; sometimes the rider relaxes…

http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2011/06/07/fn-training-seminar-hess-and-graf-quality-equitation-leads-success

Ok.  Here it is!.   Read the whole article and you will find that it was demonstrated ALL of the GP dressage movements in a bitless bridle.   The image shown clearly demonstrates the…

     This past weekend Chance and I had a fantastic time at the 2011 Del Mar National Horse Show CDI!!! After a hard week of training in preparation for the show, we arrived at the show grounds on Wednesday to get Chance settled in and used to his new environment. Then on Thursday we had a great warm-up ride before the start of the show and I was definitely pumped up and ready to ride!…

Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz rode a real crowd pleasing test on the fabulous PRE Stallion Fuego XII. It wasn't a medal winning test, but it certainly gained the most approval from the crowd!

 …

It's foaling season at Sweetwater Ranch.  One of my clients bought a lovely dressage mare by Olympic Ferro already bred to Grannius II - and I covered two of my own mares with Louie.  So, this year I will get to see what he produces, and we already have one foal on the ground.   He has been named Sweetwater's Alliance - barn name Lance - and he is lovely with good straight legs, up on his pasterns and nice feet all around.  And BIG.  In fact, Dr Marteney said he is the biggest foal he has…

Top 10 Wind List:

The advantages of not having an indoor arena on the flat, windy, treeless plains of Colorado.

10. Less time is spent working the arena -as all hoof prints are erased hourly, along with the top inch of sand.

9. Wind helps with the spring grooming -working like a brand new shedding blade.

8. Riding with feel is increased as your goggles get covered with dust, or you simply ride  with your eyes closed one direction .

7. Un-cued, near…

     This past weekend Chance and I had the great opportunity to ride in a two-day clinic with Shannon Peters thanks to a $400 grant I received from The Dressage Foundation. It was so much fun! On Saturday Shannon started right off the bat by…

Dressage Canada has recently announced new safety rules in regards to helmets. Riders at the fourth level and below are now required to wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet while mounted on show grounds. See below for the full and complete rule change:



As of May 1st, 2011, the following rule regarding safety headgear will be adopted by Dressage Canada:



1. ASTM/SEI or BSI approved headgear must be worn by all riders showing Fourth Level and below, regardless of age, when…

Attention eventing enthusiasts! Canadian Eventing Dressage Tests are now available for your your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch on the iTunes Store at http://bit.ly/fGFqcw

Canadian Eventing Dressage Tests include:

• Entry Division Test 1
• Entry Division Test 2
• Pre-Training Division Test 1
• Pre-Training Division Test 2
• Training Division Test 1
• Training Division Test…

     Chance and I had another great show March 9th – 13th!  We packed up and headed to Del Mar, CA on Wed. for The Dressage Affaire CDI.  We had a pretty large group from the barn going with Ashleigh showing Fab, Alex showing Ari, Tori showing Viktor, and Colby showing Capri.  It was a lot of fun and we all had a great time together. …

Yesterday i was at a dressage show, chatting with a 'trainer' who I know, but never trained with. Was telling her who I was working with, and she made a snide comment. Not what I would expect, but, well, some people are petty.



So, today my little girl had another session ground driving. We talked about something they wanted to try with her. And, my trainer, as she always does, says you need to be comfortable with it, this is how it works, the vast majority of horses figure it out…

It’s generally considered good manners in the barn to graciously take the blame anytime your horse is less than spectacular, and give your horse all the credit after a good ride. But it is more than manners, it is also a rider’s responsibility.…

We all recognize the Trakehner as a world class horse. They have excelled in the hunter/jumper and dressage ring as well in various other equestrian pursuits and made numerous appearances at the Olympics for years. They have also played influence in developing more modern types of warmbloods such as Canadian and American warmbloods. So it’s hard to believe such an elegant and versatile breed was nearly lost during World War II.



Trakehners were first bred and developed in…

Professional Dressage Groom's Top Ten Grooming Items for Horse Shows

By: Justin Ridgewell

- Over the past six years I have been a professional groom and working student to the elite dressage training facility Oakcrest Farm. I have had the great opportunity and pleasure of traveling across Canada, the USA and even to Europe with grand prix…