19/07/2026
The hardest thing to teach in dressage isn’t piaffe. It isn’t flying changes. It isn’t pirouettes.
It’s feel.
People often think becoming a better rider is about learning more movements or riding a higher level. Those things matter, of course, but they’re actually the easy part. I can explain how to ride a shoulder-in, where your legs go for a flying change, or the aids for a half pass.
Feel is different.
Feel is knowing whether the horse is truly in front of your leg or just moving faster.
It’s recognising the difference between a horse that’s soft because it’s honestly carrying itself and one that’s simply dropped behind the contact.
It’s noticing the instant a horse starts to brace and knowing why… before it becomes a problem.
It’s knowing exactly when to ask for more and, even more importantly, when to leave the horse alone because you’ve already achieved what you were after.
Now, before anyone jumps in, I do think some people are naturally gifted with feel. Just like some people have a natural ear for music or an instinctive athletic ability, there are riders who seem to “get it” almost immediately.
But natural talent is only the starting point.
The rider born with incredible feel still has to refine it. The rider who wasn’t born with as much can absolutely develop it. Time in the saddle, thoughtful instruction, riding a variety of horses, paying attention to every response the horse gives, and constantly asking why all build feel over time.
And here’s the really fascinating part: feel is a moving target.
The feel that allows you to ride a lower level test well is not the same feel required for the middle or upper levels. The feel that gets you through the early FEI levels evolves again at Grand Prix. Every horse teaches you something different. Every challenge sharpens your awareness.
No matter how experienced you become, your feel is never “finished.” It’s something you continue to refine throughout your entire riding career. In many ways, that’s what makes this sport so addictive. There’s always another layer of understanding, another subtle conversation to have with the horse.
A good coach will help you develop feel. They can point out what you missed, explain what the horse is telling you, and help sharpen your timing, but eventually, you also have to learn to recognise those moments for yourself.
The riders with the greatest feel aren’t necessarily the ones riding the fanciest movements. They’re the ones who notice the smallest changes. They appreciate the basics. They ride with curiosity, constantly listening to the horse instead of simply talking at it.
The horse is always giving you feedback.
The question is… are you learning to recognise what they’re saying?
