Mattalyn Rogers Dressage

11/13/2025

Great reminder! We get so in the habit of mindlessly asking our horses to do things that were flood them with information and cause them to shut us out more. Less is more but getting clarity is always the priority. Make your aids meaningful!

This message from a few years back still rings just as true today...

Often our aids cover up our lack of presence energetically. When we aren’t present in the space, a horse cannot really hear us and we use our aids to fill the gap. We often think of our aids as the first point of communication with the horse instead of a tool to support and back up our energetic intentions. Think about it as a way to intensify your focus on your own energy. The biggest challenge for most of us is to show up and speak authentically in the space. Let your aid amplify your feelings and authentically release your energy to be felt by those around you. Do not think of the pressure as a way to make something happen as this will only create tension, but instead use your aid to help you practice authentic release of a thought, feeling, or energy that you would like your horse to sense. Your inner and outer state must be congruent in order to be heard clearly.

04/11/2025

May is chocked-full! Looking ahead to June, we will be hosting an informal Dressage Ride-A-Test in preparation for the Dressage show at Three Bulls Farm!
This will be the 21st of June (show is the weekend of the 28th).

Never done a ride-a-test? No problem! Bring the test(s) you want to practice. You’ll ride through your test with Mattalyn as your judge. Once finished, she will give you a short lesson, focusing on the weaker points of your test, then you will ride through your test again judged to see how much you’ve improved!

It’ll be a great, low-key way to get out and about, get some great feedback from an FEI rider and trainer who has been through part 1 of the USDF L Grad training!

04/09/2025

Just another day in paradise. 🫠😵‍💫🤷🏻‍♀️

04/04/2025

❗️UNPOPULAR OPINION❗️

✨You have to be okay with your trainer doing “nothing” with your horse🙃

“How was Fluffy this week?”

“Great! I rode them once, long lined once and then we went on a hand grazing adventure the other day.”

*blank stare*

Oh, that sinking feeling. As a trainer, you can tell exactly what your client is thinking in this moment, and sometimes they even have the nerve to say it. “I don’t PAY you to hang out with my horse.” 🙄

Well, yes, you do actually. You see, for me to get the best work and change out of your horse, I need to have a relationship with them that is based on mutual trust. Trust isn’t gained by making demands and riding 3-5 days a week. Trust and partnership is built in the quiet moments, the hairy moments, and yes of course the ridden work as well. But if all your horse associates your trainer with is “work” then you’re really missing out on how much is to be gained by them actually having a relationship with your horse. Also, dare I say, EVERYONE benefits from a relaxed program with minimal pressure to perform. If you can’t trust your trainer to work your horse without you staying on top of them, you really shouldn’t be training with them. Some trainers earn a reputation for not doing what they say they’ll do, others don’t, but instead suffer from the opinions of over-bearing owners. My humble opinion is that if you send your horse away for training you should know how to let go of control and let the trainer use their best judgement as to what your horse should do day in and day out.

What are your expectations for your trainer and horse on a weekly basis?

03/17/2025

Get the year started out on the right foot! All breeds/disciplines welcome. We will have handouts, diagrams, journaling materials and more as well as hands-on exercises tailored to your horse’s specific needs in order to set yourself up for achieving your goals this year! Regardless of whether your goals lie in competition, trail riding, or bringing your horse back from time off or injury, this clinic is for you!

12/01/2024

Have you been looking for a way to get yourself or loved one into horses? Have you been out of horses for a while and want to get back into it? Do you have horses but just don’t feel like you know enough and would like to fill in the gaps in your education to be safer and enjoy your horses more?

We’ve got the perfect program for you! This program is all-encompassing and will teach you all about horse care from feeding and first aid to ground-work and problem solving to riding in whatever discipline you desire!

This program is designed to be budget and family friendly, with discounts given to family members and groups. Scheduling to follow, based on response to announcement, so get in quick and make your requests early!

11/20/2024

Luna’s first time with the reins hooked directly to the bit! I’m a huge believer in preserving the mouth at almost any cost. While you will see me get in a horse’s way if they’re pushing through me, with a green horse’s sensitive little mouth I am VERY careful. For this reason, and also because it teaches them to follow the feel of the rein with their whole head/neck/shoulder/body, we attach the rein to the rope halter THROUGH the ring on the bit. This dulls the effect of the bit some, but also helps them with the transition from halter or side pull to bit without a huge jump in the feeling in the mouth. Luna has had lots of opinions about the bit and we’ve taken a long time to get her really comfortable with it. You can obviously see moments where her greenness shines through, but what I love to see is that she is learning to follow the feel of the rein and turning her shoulders (instead of turning the head/neck and falling out with her shoulders) while following through with the hind legs, which she isn’t quite convinced exist anyway! 😝

11/19/2024

Not sure what to get your loved one for Christmas? Tired of telling your parents/significant other what to get you? Give and get the gift of learning with horses! We are offering exclusive Christmas packages that come with all kinds of MRD SWAG! Lessons/sessions/intensives can be scheduled up to a year in advance, or saved until you’re ready to use them! (We get it… nobody wants to ride in February in Tennessee! 🙃🥶)
Message us today to buy yours, and be sure to like and share the post so your loved ones can GET THE HINT!

11/19/2024

While it may seem like nothing, Rourke standing this quietly “tied” by himself (no other horses around) is a huge step for him! It began with him trying to go up and over the round pen gate (not on video as I was focused on keeping him safe) and ended with him taking deep breaths and regulating. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: patience is one of the most valuable skills (yes, I said SKILL as it is learned!) you can teach your horse, along with inconvenience. They need to learn things can go the way they don’t want them to and still they can be okay. This is often enforced by creating a situation of learned helplessness, but by teaching these things incrementally and with the right timing, the horse can become patient vs shut down, calm vs introverted, and regulated vs disassociated.

11/06/2024

Baby’s first trail ride!

Seeing the progression of confidence in young horses is ONE of my favorite things about training horses. 🥰

11/05/2024

Cooper progress post!

Cooper has been home for a little over a week now and is being a perfect patient! He is on stall rest but gets some time outside in the round pen and gets to graze a little. Doctors are happy with the healing so far. We’re far from out of the woods but feeling more relieved by the day. 🤞🏼

Huge thank you to everyone that bought packages to help get us through and keep in mind we’re still offering these packages to help with his ongoing vet bills, as well as a fundraiser coming soon!

11/01/2024

Join us in honoring our horses by learning more to help them in the season of thankfulness! 🙏🍁🍂🦃

Our next clinic will be Nov. 16th at 9:00 AM at the Marucchi Farm in South Knoxville. We will have individual ground work sessions, followed by group riding, a lunch-break with discussion and individual riding sessions in the afternoon! A second day can be added for those interested. Send us a message to reserve your spot or get more information! Cost to participate is $175/horse, auditing is $35.