Heather Johnson Dressage

08/18/2025

This 👍

🐴DT MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY!🐴 Equestrian biomechanics' expert Susanne von Dietze offers advice on how to develop a balanced, soft position and following hands for a more engaged ride.

Click on the link in the Comments below for more tips on how to perfect your upper-body and hand position.

08/17/2025

“Learning better” is so incredibly important. We don’t just jump into activities knowing full well what we’re doing. We learn as we go. Most teachers don’t start out teaching well. Some better than others, but it takes time and practice. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. The same is true for any activity. The best and fastest learners are people who are willing to consider that they aren’t doing something properly or could learn an even better way.
When I come to this platform with statements or ideas it is because I’ve experienced certain things in my daily horse life that make me think and want to contribute and help people learn better ways. You won’t ever catch me airing my dirty laundry on any social media platform. I would never specifically call someone out or make an effort to damage their reputation. I do, however, look for opportunities to help people understand that there are better ways to do things. I think that’s an important separation. You can pay for my time in a lesson situation, offering info outside of that space to a non regular client isn’t my jam, or participate in group think here. It’s a fun space for discussion. 🤗
(Pic of Bedui because he’s beautiful.)

08/17/2025

Yes! Commitment = Progress = Happy Riders/Horses/Trainers!!

I had someone ask me this week why attendance is one of the factors that affects scheduling.

I thought it was an odd question, because it has a pretty simple answer...open lesson times don't pay bills. So scheduling someone who isn't going to show up regularly isn't a good business decision.

But it really goes deeper than that.

One of the most profound lessons that horses teach us is commitment. Commitment to caring for them, commitment to bettering ourselves, and commitment to setting goals and achieving them.

If you aren't attending the lessons you scheduled (horseback riding or any other sport) regularly, you're missing this point. Your progress will be minimal and you'll end up frustrated.

Holding space for someone who isn't committed to that space will suck the life right out of you. (Read that twice, because it applies every single day of your life). It isn't just a financial drain. It's tough to get excited to teach someone who isn't committed to learning.

So yes, I'm going to schedule riders who are committed to learning and who attend regularly first. Their enthusiasm keeps me going when the day is kicking my butt. They remind me that this purpose is far bigger than just what is happening in the arena.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. 🤣

08/17/2025

Exactly…this is why shanking your horse, getting outwardly angry and running them backwards is NOT ever a language I will support. Using thoughtful groundwork such as quick pressure (bumps on a line), disengaging their hind end/front end and circling/driving them forward are part of my chosen language when a horse is upset or pushy. For the people in the back…training horses takes time. Period. Get used to it or don’t do it at all. It is always our job to help them feel better and to help them understand what we’re asking. 🤷🏼‍♀️

You can’t force your tense, nervous or anxious horse into scary situations and hope that it leaves long lasting, positive effects on them by pushing through.

You run the risk of breaking their confidence and damaging their trust in you.

It’s most important for them to feel safe in their own body, like they can take care of themselves in any situation and that they can trust you to help them.

How they feel in their body and about their body is top priority. Remember, they’re prey animals and their sympathetic mode (fight or flight) kicks on in an instant.

Teaching you to help them into their parasympathetic mode (rest and digest) allows them to relax and trust you to take care of them.

Need help with your anxious, disconnected, misunderstood horse?

That’s what I’m here for and I’m happy to help you change your horse’s life and your relationship with each other.

Available remotely or in Central Florida.

🫶🏻 © Cara

08/16/2025

Working on my wiggles, but my horse is happier!! 😆🙌 Great big “thank yous” to Miguel Anacoreta Soares for the amazing help this week, blessed to have found you!!! Huge gratitude also to Andre Schehr for helping to video for the WhatsApp lesson and for the clip today. Video is SO HELPFUL! Pointer from a rider who is EXTREMELY hard on herself: Try to say one good thing about your riding in a video BEFORE you start shredding yourself. It helps. It took me about 3 watches to start patting myself on the back a little. It’s important to do that too. 😉

08/15/2025

I’m thinking, “No, thank you.” 🤣🫣

08/11/2025

Great description! I have often heard people say things like, “Well, they don’t do it without a rider”, so an assumption is made that nothing is physically wrong. Not always true. Here you can see how much more energy and strength it takes to carry around a person. Therefore it could actually intensify a physical issue that might not be seen as clearly otherwise.

08/11/2025

🤩🤩🤩

08/10/2025

A brilliant mentor of mine once used the term “my-horse-itis”. She was referring to a mental/approach hang up I was having with a project horse, who basically felt like he was mine. I thought that was the perfect description. When you are “all in” on improving a horse and you have such a hang up…pretend you are hopping on them for the first time. Pretend they aren’t yours. Pretend you know nothing about the situation. It is your job to evaluate with time and patience. Remove the emotion and NEED to progress and refresh your creativity. Boil things down. Make it fun. Hit “Refresh”.
The past three weeks have been about just that. Find my center, trust myself and my riding AND my knowledge base. Connect with my village. THEN go again. 🤩💪💙
(The beach is the ultimate “Refresh” button. Watching my family catch waves and taking in the salt and sand is everything. It has been an absolutely beautiful summer.☀️🌊✨)

08/09/2025

Balance, balance, balance…

⚖️

08/07/2025

If anyone is looking I know of these two types available to the right home…
* OTTB Mare with some training post track. Will make for a fun project.
* WB gelding imported with a good education in lateral work and will have a solid change each direction without much effort once he starts schooling them regularly.

Reach out if either of these sound interesting and I’ll send more deets! Both located in Maine.