PRACTICE TO RIDING A DRESSAGE TEST—by SUE MESA🇿🇦
Often, riders new to the sport do not understand what is being asked when they ride a dressage test because
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In this part of this series, I’ll explain the basics of what to look for when photographing the horse in motion at the basic gaits. PART THREE: MOVEMENT TIMING When I ask what they’d really like to learn about photographing horses, timing and how to get the right moment in..
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When buying a horse all Dressage Classicists always say that a great Walk and Canter are the two most naturally important gaits to look for. A great trot can be developed more easily with time. Many times horses may be referred to as “Heavy/Dull to the Leg/Not Forward Enough/Needs to..
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When people think about arena construction, most of the attention goes to the footing, the base, and drainage beneath the surface. The perimeter is often treated as an afterthought. It shouldn’t be. A properly designed kickboard is not just a safety feature or a finished edge. It is part of..
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Part I: I Wasn’t the Talented One, I Just Wouldn’t Quit My dad always wanted to live on the Ponderosa from Bonanza, and that is probably the easiest way to explain where I grew up. Ots Sunrise Farm was way out in the country in Wisconsin, and to this day..
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In this series, I will lay out the basic structure of my approach to photographing horses. I didn’t really even know I was putting most of these concepts to use for the first many years I was photographing; they were, at most, subconscious for me. I just knew when an..
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One of the biggest misconceptions in the equestrian industry is that the riding surface alone determines the quality of an arena. While footing is certainly important, the truth is that every successful dressage arena begins with something riders rarely see—the base beneath it. A premium footing placed over a poorly..
Often, riders new to the sport do not understand what is being asked when they ride a dressage test because
Part I: I Wasn’t the Talented One, I Just Wouldn’t Quit My dad always wanted to live on the Ponderosa
Often, riders new to the sport do not understand what is being asked when they ride a dressage test because..
Part I: I Wasn’t the Talented One, I Just Wouldn’t Quit My dad always wanted to live on the Ponderosa..
When people think about arena construction, most of the attention goes to the footing, the base, and drainage beneath the..
When buying a horse all Dressage Classicists always say that a great Walk and Canter are the two most naturally..
If you’re a rider, you have probably heard those words hundreds of times. “Use your core.” “Your core isn’t strong..
In this part of this series, I’ll explain the basics of what to look for when photographing the horse in..
In this series, I will lay out the basic structure of my approach to photographing horses. I didn’t really even..
What is a transition when referred to in horse training and riding? A transition can be as simple as turning..
The Western Dressage Association of America is one of the fastest growing associations in USEF. Western Dressage effortlessly blends western..
WHY AUTUMN CAN BE ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS TIMES OF YEAR When horse owners hear the word founder, many..
One of the biggest misconceptions in the equestrian industry is that the riding surface alone determines the quality of an..
Regardless of discipline, we all want happy, healthy horses. We educate ourselves on correct saddle fit to ensure that our..
Saddles are inherently impactful on horses’ moving bodies. Understanding basic horse biomechanics and restriction-eliminating saddle fit principles is especially important..
Horses can carry about one and a half pounds per square inch of their back, so the greater the space..
Controlled exercise is the foundation of any good training and rehabilitation programme (Gillis, 2014). When done correctly, lunging can be..
Dressage is supposed to make horses better. Stronger. More balanced. More rideable. Sounder for longer. That’s the whole point. Classical..
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This article lists, in chronolgical order, top level Classical Dressage, Western Dressage and Eventing competitions. Each listing is preceded by..
Low energy is a common problem in many horses. When your horse seems tired, dull, or unmotivated, it’s crucial to..
Training the Rider When You Can’t Ride—and Why It Matters For riders living in cold climates, winter presents a familiar..
Following is a chronological listing of links to websites for upcoming horse auctions and sales from around the world. We..
As a new year gets underway, I’m hearing more horse owners pause and ask questions like, “Where does my feed..
Horses are taught or trained by a simple conditioned reflex. A simple conditioned reflex is the automatic response to a..
Below are links to current calendars of the United States Dressage Federation, the United States Eventing Association and the Western Dressage Association of America, showing dates and locations for upcoming clinics, shows and events.
Each month, we are requesting results of competitions from the event organizers. We will provide a link to those results we have received. If you want to see results of an event in which you will be participating, be sure to tell the organizer to provide those results so we can include them in the next issue of DressurSPORT.com.
NEWS
DressurSPORT.com is father-daughter effort to create an online forum and e-commerce program. Our goal is to make it a monthly resource and on-line gathering place for Dressage and Eventing enthusiasts to explore all things equestrian and to provide a forum for open discussion. Each issue will provide a link to the US Dressage Federation (USDF), the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) and US Eventing Association (USEA) calendars of upcoming clinics, shows and events. We will provide competition results, or links to those results, including top score sheets and photos and videos provided by the event organizers. Each month, we plan to select a video of a winning ride as the DressurSPORT.com RIDE OF THE MONTH, with a link to that video and score sheet for that ride. If an event is of interest to you, please contact the organizer to request that those results be provided.
We will also include New Product Reviews and articles by industry professionals covering topics like training and techniques for riders and their mounts, tack and saddle selection, fitting and maintenance, apparel, arena and course design, construction and maintenance and current equestrian news. Most importantly, we have provided a reader forum in which subscribers are able to interact with the author of our articles and other readers, or create entirely new topics for online discussion. If you would like to see an article on a particular topic, or if you want to submit an article for consideration, please contact us. The goal of this site is to stimulate and encourage online interaction within the equestrian community.
In our travels, we have observed that stores in the UK and the EU have substantially wider selections of top quality tack and equestrian gear than is available here in the US. Much of this tack is unavailable here in the statues. We are in the process of hand-selecting high quality tack and apparel, made by trained craftsman in the UK and the EU, and primarily only available in the UK and EU, that we intend to make available here in the near future. Recent substantial changes in import tariffs and upcoming rule changes are expected to be finalized some time this coming spring. Once that has stabilized, we will begin offering these products for sale in our e-store.
Finally, we are also working on the creation of a marketplace for our subscribers to offer their personal used tack or gear for sale or to indicate that they are looking to buy specific used tack or gear, and provide a means of establishing contact between buyers and sellers. We hope to have this program operational by the end of summer.
