30/09/2025
💡Free dressage advice anyone
I took on the role of penciller and spectator today as some of my students were coached by my dressage coach of many years Amanda Hocking.
Thanks to Amanda we were able to create a small dressage protocol day for some students to practice their skills in the arena.
As the scribe of the day 📝
Here are my notes to share:
🔸 A halt should be a forward stepping movement. A halt should not be, pull the hand break and take the leg off.
Analogy: a jogger running in the city. They approach traffic lights and have to keep jogging on the spot.
Think of the horses hinds legs “jogging” like that into the halt.
🔸Remember. Mares are not Geldings.
You need to lead a Mare, you can’t boss them. You must have them onside with you and them seeing you as their leader.
🔸Major difference between a Novice horse and a Grand Prix horse is the response time. Response time to the aids you apply.
🔸 When you sit back, sit up straight, think about your posture, sit behind the movement a little, you soon find out if the horse is carrying you or not.
So often you’ll sit up straight and realise that the horses motor is not running enough and isn’t doing anything.
Sit back to feel that, create more energy and sit back to be carried 🌊
🔸 “When your horse is crooked he is in charge. When your horse is straight, you are in charge”.
🔸 A good contact is like a good handshake. 🤝
Supportive, not too demanding or dominating however committed and installing confidence.
Like Goldy Locks and the three bears. Not too soft, not too hard, just right.
Happy riding everyone 🐴
