Cara Klothe Dressage

03/31/2026

Blood tells…

We have all heard the sayings “Blood Tells” or “You don’t ride the papers”. However, in the case of Dhamia, blood did tell, I DID ride the papers. In her case I had ridden so many horses with close relation to her that when I swung my leg over, it felt like home.

It’s not that she wasn’t an individual, she absolutely is and was treated as such, but almost all of her traits and how she reacted to situations was so familiar, I could tell you what parent, or grand parent, the trait came from, simply because I have had the privilege of riding so many of her relatives over the years.

A little backstory on Dhamia, she is a 2020 GOV mare (Dheputy x Sp. Pr. Qhuiver [Quaterback/Widmark]) bred by Rolling Stone Farm. Her owner, Beth Ann Berwanger bought her as a foal directly from RSF. This was Beth Ann’s first foray into WB’s and she did all the work herself. She started her and taught her how to both ride and drive! She did an excellent job but felt like she needed a little help with the next step, which is when she brought her to me for a little “college education”.

I had a very near and dear relationship to Dhamia. I not only owned and rode her maternal half sister for 10 years, I bred and rode her paternal half brother as well as breaking and riding her mother, and riding her father from the time he was a green broke 3 year old onward. Not to mention that I have ridden probably a dozen other Dheputy offspring over the years as well as a handful of offspring from BOTH of her grand parents. All in all I’d say I have ridden close to 35 horses that had a very close relationship to Dhamia due to my many years as a trainer at Rolling Stone Farm.

So what does that mean? For me it shows the importance of buying horse from very well known lines. If the breeder is advertising a horse, or foal, as the best riding horse there is, but no data on the mareline ever being ridden or producing riding horses, its a big old red flag! Buy from breeders who not only have ridden their mares (performance tested at the very least) but have generations of mares that have been ridden and producing good ridable horses. This is not to say that new breeder is not a good resource to buy from, but even new breeders can go find mares that have a history of being riding horses or come from a long line of mares producing riding horses. Both buyers and breeders need to be responsible for doing their homework to help produce the most ridable, soundest horses we can.

I realize not everyone has had the opportunity, like me, to sit on so many bloodlines, and even better multiple horses from certain stallions and mares lines, but find people who do have the experience of riding what you are looking to buy and take what they have to say on the bloodlines into consideration, because blood does tell. If you are an amateur looking for a nice horse to ride yourself don’t buy from lines known for producing hot, professional quality horses. I guarantee no matter how well they move you would have been happier and more comfortable riding something with smaller gaits and a calmer mind.

I also hope breeders will take into consideration what riders and trainers have to say as well. I think we are at a presuppose with current breeding practices, but that’s a post for another day…..maybe 🤪

The Distinguished Rider
saddles

02/11/2026

Forward is your friend! I think Lauren makes a great point about how their behavior on the ground leads to the saddle. Keeping a horse “in front of the aids” on the ground is a place every single person can start and work on.

The number one most dangerous thing a horse can be is behind the leg. This includes being behind the forward aid from the ground; horses who are sulky to lead or want to walk behind the rider have any number of life-threatening tricks they can pull from being behind the aids. And of course there are any number of physical reasons why a horse might be sour to the leg or unwilling to go forward, but it is imperative that a horse learns - first and foremost! - to go like hell from driving pressure. We joke-not-joke around here that we’ll slow them down when they’re 8. (Maybe.)

And that’s forward, by the way. Not fast. Fast isn’t forward. I know plenty of horses who go fast behind the leg, and piaffe or canter pirouettes are forward. In order to be safe, a horse has to accept the driving aid with a smile. If he doesn’t, he’s not properly backed yet. The kindest thing to do for your horse’s long term safety and security is to make sure they go forward when they’re told, both under saddle and in-hand.

01/26/2026

Sharing this again as it’s very poignant this week.

01/13/2026

Be nice!

Remember the old adage “you can’t judge someone until you walk a mile in their shoes.”? Perhaps more fitting for this post is, “rode in their tall boots”. Just like finding a perfect tall boot (if you have The Distinguished Rider in your back pocket that particularl problem is much easier 😉) the “dressage journey” is a personal one.

When you audit a clinic, watch another rider —be it in warm up or a test; it can be easy to judge, but you don’t know that rider’s journey. You don’t know what baggage they carry or what history they have with that horse.

If you watch a rider and feel inclined to say something, just be positive. You don’t need to add a qualifier to the statement. Such as:

“So and So is really moving great, for a *insert breed here*”. You can just say “Wow, their trot has really developed!”

“That was really a great ride, except for that left half pass.” I guarantee you they KNOW the left half pass wasn’t good, you saying so isn’t going to fix it.

“What a nice horse, it’s too bad the canter transition is such a struggle.” Again, the rider knows!

With all of these examples though remember, you haven’t been on that journey with them. Maybe that non-traditional horse is what that rider needed to feel safe. Developing horses to be better athletes is what dressage is all about.

Perhaps the left half pass is hard because that rider had chronic pain and the left side has been compromised. You don’t know!! Sometimes just being able to ride could be an huge achievement.

The horse with a tricky canter transition, you didn’t ride it as a 3 year old when it got tangled in the legs in that transition and would fall. You don’t have the baggage of that.

I get how easy it is to judge. As a trainer and judge it’s my job to look for weaknesses and try to improve on them. However when I watch people I don’t know, and im not being paid to jude or train them, I try to shut the judgement off, because I don’t know what they have gone through to get here and, frankly, it’s none of my business!

Stick to your own journey; respect and support your fellow riders, without adding qualifiers, make dressage a positive and safe place for people no matter what baggage they bring into the ring.

05/14/2025

Super fun KWPN mare (Sir Sinclair x Bergamon) 8 weeks under saddle!

04/05/2025

Just keep showing up!

Dressage doesn't demand perfection. It demands perseverance.

This sport will humble you. Confuse you. Occasionally betray you. You’ll ride one day like a future team rider, and the next like someone who just discovered horses exist.

But here’s the thing: the ones who make it aren’t the flashiest or the most naturally gifted. They’re the ones who keep showing up. Who ride through the mental spirals, the sticky transitions, the “why do I do this to myself” days.

The quiet, gritty ones? They’re the real ones.
Because dressage doesn’t w**d out the weak, it builds the strong.

Keep going. You’re probably doing better than you think.

02/20/2025

Come out for a fun day of learning! This will be audience interactive as well!

Show season is fast approaching, and it's time to sharpen our skills and get ready to show!

Please join LVDA and Delaware Valley University as we present an afternoon with Cara Klothe, Mastering the Figures: Unlocking Higher Dressage Scores. Sunday, March 16, 12:30 - 5:15 at Delaware Valley University. Levels addressed in this seminar are Training through Second.

Join Cara Klothe - Grand Prix Dressage Trainer, USDF Gold Medalist, current L* and "r" candidate - as she provides a perspective from the judge's booth for riding for better test scores.

With an emphasis on improving circles, corners, transitions and overall test flow, Klothe will provide insight into the skills riders need to impress judges and enhance their horse's way of going. Whether you are looking to fine tune your movements or build a stronger foundation, this clinic provides expert guidance to maximize your potential in the dressage arena.

Join us to perfect your patterns, sharpen your accuracy, and ride every movement with confidence!

LVDA/ESDCTA/DVCTA Members: $35
Non-members: $50
Delaware Valley University Students: free

Classroom: 12:30 - 1:30
Move to the indoor/snacks: 1:30 - 2:00pm
Ground work: 2:00 - 2:30pm
Demo riders:
- Training Level 2:30 - 3:15pm
- First Level 3:15 - 4:00pm
- Second Level 4:00 - 5:00pm
Final Remarks: 5:00 - 5:15pm

https://forms.gle/Xq3X4UD9M31uLDQA7

01/08/2025

Lower your expectations!

I’m not sure who needs to hear this this week, but it’s ok the lower your expectations; of you and your horse.

It’s ok to ride another day. Winter is hard! It’s ok to give yourself some grace and not ride. Your horse will not forget its job or its training. Sure, they may be a little fresh after a couple days off but that’s what a longe line is for. I find some horses actually feel better after a few days off.

Winters in cold areas are trying times. It’s easy to feel defeated and feel like you’ll never be ready for the show season ahead. Don’t freight, you will be ready! A couple warm days and all the knowledge you’ve been teaching your horses is right there. A bigger barrier to your readiness for show season could be if you get hurt riding in terrible weather and YOU need time off. Your horse will not forget all training with a week off, I repeat, YOUR HORSE WILL BE OK!

It’s a great time to long line or lunge, train ground tricks, desensitize with an obstacle course, etc you do not need to be on your horses back to have a productive day.

If you do choose to ride in the extreme cold or wind, take precautions. Use a sound bonnet, put a neck strap on, play music or wear headphones to dull the sound for your horse but also for you. I find I am very noise sensitive myself, often times I project my anxiety over noise to my horse who may otherwise not care about noises.

Be safe, ride smart, and give yourself grace to lower your expectations!

The Distinguished Rider
Veritas Saddles