Longe Line

dressage rider arm position
Instruction

What is Correct Arm Position for Dressage Riders?

Sandy Osborn answers this reader-submitted question.

dressage rider lower leg position
Instruction

Dressage Rider Position Advice: How to Stabilize Your Lower Leg and Prevent Flopping

Rebecca Langwost-Barlow answers a reader question and explains how to attain lower-leg stability.

Credit: Dusty Perin - DustyPerin.com To develop throughness and good impulsion, the horse needs to respond to the leg aids with the whip as additional support.
Instruction

Increase Your Horse's Responsiveness to Your Aids

Sabine Rijssenbeek explains how to improve this aspect of communication between horse and rider.

dressage horse canter
Second Level

Training Tips to Correct a Horse Who Gets Too Strong In Canter

Elizabeth Madlener explains how address this issue

If a horse is struggling to keep his balance in the canter, it is best for the rider to use the Training Scale to help problem-solve the issue.
Instruction

How to Help Your Horse Maintain Balance in Canter

Lisa Pierson answers a reader question and explains how to balance your horse in the canter with exercises to improve engagement.

no stirrups 2
Instruction

No Stirrups? No Problem!

Check out answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about no-stirrup work. Plus, try some exercises to help you utilize this tool correctly.

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Young Horse

Should I Use Different Aids to Ride a Young Horse?

Sabine Ense answers this reader question.

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Instruction

How Can I Improve My Balance in Posting Trot?

Getting the correct balance and mechanics for a good posting trot can take some time and effort.

Credit: Mary McKenna Always keep your goal in mind: to create harmony between two individual body-movement systems. Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel rides Florenz, a 9-year-old Bavarian Warmblood owned by Sandra Smith.
Instruction

Improve Your Dressage Seat with Isabelle von Neumann-Cosel: Part 2

Now that you have a better understanding of your specific body proportions, find the right exercises to help you progress.

Credit: SusanJStickle.com Rachel Chowanec (shown) and Courtney King-Dye are two long-time students of Lendon Gray who exemplify following the horse’s movement extremely well.
Instruction

The Rider's Role in Self-Carriage

Lendon Gray explains how the use of passive aids can improve a horse's self-carriage.

Credit: Arnd Bronkhorst - arnd.nl The dressage rider’s goal is to develop a classically correct seat (as shown above by Kasey Perry); where she will sit in an ear–shoulder–hip–heel vertical alignment while continuing to swing with the horse’s back.
Instruction

Learning to Sit the Trot

Joan Williams explains this important step in a dressage rider's development and answers a reader's question.

Credit: Silke Rottermann Diamond’s Peppy, a 4-year-old Hanoverian stallion owned by Theo Binder, works in long reins.
Riding / Training How-To

Groundwork with Your Dressage Horse

Two world-class trainers, Stefan Schneider and Uta Gräf, explain their methods for teaching the horse respect and self-assurance.

Williams on Devon, a Westfalen gelding (age 4 in the photo) by Donnerbube owned by Chuck and Joann Smith | Photo by Rhett Savoie
Instruction

George Williams' Kindergarten Exercises to Learn the Aids

George Williams gives you nine exercises to become more effective with the application and timing of your aids.