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…

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Well tomorrow i return to the saddle after a year off!  Feelings are mixed, on one hand i can't wait but on the other i wonder will i fit into my jods and boots!! 

Im am returning with an aim!! always good to have a focus :)  I want to take part in a dressage test (and remember it)  i want to fit into my dressage jacket (which still has labels attached after 18months!)…

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Meet Suzanne. An endlessly jolly character who absolutely loves having lessons and learning new things. Suzanne helps out at a riding school by managing the whole operation on Sundays. She pretty much does everything from mucking out to meet & greet, open and close, feeding the ponies and hacking out with clients. In return, she gets the lessons, mostly on a Cleveland Bay mare, Rosie.

 …

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Many people ask me about the choreography of their freestyle pattern.

One of the confusions surrounding a freestyle pattern is what is

allowed and what is forbidden at a certain level. Before you can begin

to build a pattern you need to know the difference between movements

and figures so that you don't try something that is on the "forbidden"

list at your level.



What is the difference between movements, figures and patterns?



According to the USDF rule… Continue

So this last month has seen some solid progress. Troublesome horses have decided it’s more fun if they play ball and others have decided to let us know that they’re well and truly back on form – let me at it!

A last minute substitution saw Gray head off to Nurstead Court for his first Pre-Novice (PN) of the season. He

did a fabulous…

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Hi everyone... a lot of you have been asking me about how i begin to diagram a pattern or how i start to memorize a test.







I start with blank arena diagrams... I find them useful for a number of things. You can download them from my site. http://www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com/downloads.html



1. Memorizing regulation… Continue

I see no difficulty in bringing together good dressage, jump and cross country training. Indeed I believe it produces a better, more efficient and humane training programme....a point also made by Dressage legend Reiner Klimke who also evented and show jumped to a high level as a young man. I believe the dressage helps the jumping which in turn helps the dressage. It is all about having the flexibility to choose from the fullest range of exercises to benefit each rider and horse…

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Hello and Happy New Year!



I had a great question recently posted to my page about the effect of barn chores on your body, as a rider. Lorel's question about barn choring is actually quite common, so she gave permission for me to post her question here in the blog so that others could benefit.





Lorel's Question:

Hi Heather, I struggle with a problem which I am sure many other riders have. I am employed working with horses then do farmwork when I get home so I have… Continue

When the judges are listening to your music, what are they listening for?



One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “How do the judges evaluate my music?”



I’m going to go over the guidelines that are given to the judges so you can be on the same page as they are. In last month’s newsletter, I did an audio clip on what the judges are looking for. But so many of you have asked me to put it in print so here it is.



There are four categories that the… Continue

Ride your HORSE to MUSIC and solve training issues! Whether you are riding a dressage musical freestyle, or just riding your horse to music, there are TIPS you should know before you start. Over the years, you have told me that the most important thing to you is that you want the RIGHT MUSIC for your HORSE and you WANT TO HAVE FUN!!



You've also told me that:



You want help recognizing the rhythm of your horse's gaits.



You can't maintain a rhythm.…

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Hello friends and greetings from England. After a very rewarding week of work in Ireland last week I now find myself in England enjoying a clinic with the Brit’s and taking time to shoot some new video footage for Riding the Wave 2.



Yesterday I was invited by Roger and Joanna Day to be their guest at the Badminton Horse Trials during the first day, the dressage test, before I drive north… Continue

I am so relieved that our exams are over! We started early this morning, with barn duty at 6.30. The dressage tests started at 8.30 so we had to be on and warming up by at least 8am. I think I was quite nervous because I was really quiet and serious and held a straight face for most of the morning. Usually I act normal before a performance, but I guess I didn't know what to expect because being in front of German judges and riding an unfamiliar horse isn't exactly the most ideal situation!…

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A classic after all these years...

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