RC Dressage

05/21/2026

Qualities that make a good leg-yield:

✅ The horse moves both forwards and sideways on two tracks.
✅ The rhythm and tempo remains consistent.
✅ The horse's body stays straight with the shoulders about one hoofprint in front of the hindquarters, and a very slight flexion at the poll away from the direction of travel.
✅ If in trot, the horse's inside legs pass and cross in front of the horse's outside legs.
✅ The horse moves freely forward, working through his back without tension or resistance, and the balance is uphill.
✅ The contact is elastic and consistent.
✅ There is a clear start and end to the movement.
✅ The positioning of the leg-yield remains the same throughout the movement, without steep or shallow variations.

To find out more about the leg-yield (including the aids and how to ride it), check out our newest book on Amazon. Link in the comments.

Illustrations created and copyrighted by How To Dressage

05/20/2026

This is what it’s all about.

At DK Saddlery, it’s never just about the saddle it’s about the horse, the rider, and making sure both feel supported every step of the way.

Hearing reviews like this means the world to us:
�“Cory immediately understood what I was looking for and jumped into action…”

Thank you for trusting Cory, Crystal, and the DK team with your journey. Knowing you and your horse are happy, comfortable, and thriving in your saddle is exactly why we do what we do.

Superior customer service, expert fitting, and genuine care for horse welfare will always be at the heart of DK Saddlery.

05/14/2026

🐴 DRESSAGE SOLUTIONS: Improve Quality of Contact🐴

To help improve the quality of your contact and the connection with your horse …

Imagine that the dynamics of contact are similar to that of sailing a boat. The wind (impulsion and energy) is essential and you use the sails (reins) to harness the wind. You sail forward (and connect the horse from back to front). The goal is to achieve self-carriage with silent aids.
— Bruno Greber

🎨 Illustration by Sandy Rabinowitz

05/06/2026

Renewed for another year! ✨

I’m excited to keep working with such great riders and horses!
Thanks to everyone who makes this so enjoyable 🥰
Looking forward to another exciting and productive year!

05/03/2026

Love my DK saddles!

04/27/2026

When riding, it’s easy to fixate on your horse’s head. After all, from the saddle, your horse's head and neck are right in front of you.

But instead of focusing on what you SEE, focus on what you FEEL through your seat, and shift your attention to your horse’s hind legs.

When the hind legs are working correctly, you’ll feel (through your seat) your horse lift his back and swing forward in a relaxed, regular rhythm. And when that happens, the front end will usually take care of itself.

❌ Focusing on your horse's head (what you SEE in front of you)
✅ Focusing on your horse's hind legs (what you FEEL through your seat)

Illustration created and copyrighted by HowToDressage

04/04/2026

The dressage test movement "allowing the horse to stretch on a long rein" requires your horse to lower his head forward and down while maintaining an elastic contact with your hands and stretching over his entire topline.

Your horse's nose should be slightly in front of the vertical (not curling up behind the vertical), and his mouth should be at least level with his shoulder.

You can allow your horse to lower his head further, but the rest of the qualities of the movement must be maintained for the movement to be correct; It's no good having your horse's nose in the sand if he's just dragging himself along the forehand.

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Illustrations created and copyrighted by HowToDressage

03/17/2026

Some arena thoughts....

• The arena is a truth serum. Ride long enough, and it tells you exactly who you are.

• Dressage is spiritual practice disguised as sport. It punishes your impatience. It rewards your awareness.

• Dressage is just stillness, applied to movement.

• Suppleness is the body’s way of saying “I trust you".

• A dressage arena is just a mirror. And most riders are afraid of what it reflects.

• Ride with the faith that your horse is becoming who you believe it can be.

• You don’t need louder aids. You need better timing.

• Every bad ride is tuition. Pay it. Ride again.

• You don’t achieve connection. You become someone a horse wants to connect with.

• True riders don’t ride to win. They ride to become.

• You can’t fake softness. You can’t pretend to be calm. You have to become it.

• True lightness isn’t the absence of pressure, it’s the presence of understanding.

• Riding isn’t about controlling the horse. It’s about managing yourself so the horse doesn’t have to.

• Progress is invisible, until it’s not.

• You can’t fake collection. The horse will either lift, or lean.

• If you're not failing in the arena, you're not learning, you're performing.

• You don’t fix mistakes. You understand them.

• No one masters dressage. They just get really good at not quitting.

03/16/2026

Kristina Harrison helps a rider fine-tune her aids and improve her horse's suppleness for the walk pirouette in this reader Q&A.

03/08/2026

Sera and I had an amazing 2 days at the Jonathan Field clinic at Crystal’s Carousel Stables. So much learning and collaboration!!

Jocelyn and Spyder came along and made some big breakthroughs in their partnership. Awesome to see ☺️

Jonathan’s horsemanship program is at the heart of RC Dressage! Every exercise, every insight, helps us build connection, trust, and balance with our horses. It’s what shapes the way we ride and train every day.

Feeling inspired and ready to put it all into practice! 💫 🐴

02/14/2026

A good read 👇🏼👇🏼

𝗔 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 (𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀):

Most of the time, it’s not the judge.

When I watch tests back with riders, the issue is rarely the movement itself.

It’s the basics underneath it.

Here are 𝟲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 — 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁 👇

1️⃣ 𝗔 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱

If the horse loses balance, changes rhythm, or drops onto the forehand,

the transition wasn’t good — even if it was on the letter.

2️⃣ 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁

Straight lines need to be straight.

Circles need to be round.

“Nearly right” geometry is an easy way to lose marks.

3️⃣ 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱

Impulsion is engagement and connection.

If the horse is running or the contact isn’t consistent, the movement won’t score.

4️⃣ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲

If you’re crooked, the horse will be crooked.

If you’re busy, the horse will be tight.

Good riding is quiet, stable, and clear.

5️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

The way you enter, halt, and present the horse sets the tone.

It’s not about being fancy — it’s about being organised and confident.

6️⃣ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

You either look at the test honestly…

or you start blaming away.

Only one of those leads to better scores next time.

Most riders don’t need harder movements.

They need to make the simple things 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

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