Latest Dressage training Podcast Episodes
How to Stop Your Horse From Falling Out
How To Dressage Podcast - January 18, 2024 06:00 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsA common problem when riding circles or schooling in an unfenced field or paddock is ‘falling out.’ Although this fault is more commonly experienced with younger novice horses (because they lack balance), it can occur with any horse at any age and is often caused by the rider not using their ai...
How to Know When to Move up to the Next Level in Dressage
How To Dressage Podcast - December 26, 2023 06:00 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsThrough correct and systematic training, you and your horse should naturally progress up through the dressage levels. Like most riders, you’re probably keen to advance, but it’s important that you don’t rush your partnership and enter a competition at a level beyond your current capabilities. ...
How to Ride Your Horse on the Bit
How To Dressage Podcast - November 24, 2023 16:00 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsThe term 'on the bit' is often wrongly simplified to a horse that has its head tucked in with a rounded neck, i.e., as long as the horse does not have its nose poking out and isn't looking at the stars, then it's 'on the bit.' This is incorrect. 'On the bit' is about much more than your horse'...
How to (And Why) Ride a Good Circle/Volte
How To Dressage Podcast - October 30, 2023 06:00 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsCircles are one of the first bending movements that a young horse will learn. They’re also one of the first movements you will ride on a horse that is not fully warmed up. Every dressage test throughout the levels asks you to perform circles of various sizes. And out of all of the dressage move...
How to Improve Your Horse’s Balance
How To Dressage Podcast - October 16, 2023 05:00 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratings"Balance" is a term that is frequently used by riders, trainers, and dressage judges. It applies to all riders and all horses at all levels, and it's essential not only for your dressage competition success but also for your horse's physical well-being. So, in this podcast episode, we look at ...
How (And Why) To Bend Your Horse Correctly
How To Dressage Podcast - July 24, 2023 05:00 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsHow many times have you had the remark, “Could have more bend,” on your dressage test sheet? A lack of supple bend is a common fault that judges will mark down because bending is crucial to your horse’s progression in the dressage scales of training. Without the ability to bend your horse co...
How (And Why) To Ride Shoulder-in
How To Dressage Podcast - July 10, 2023 05:00 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsShoulder-in is a lateral movement that requires you to bring your horse's shoulders to the inside while bending him uniformly through his body. Since it is the first movement that requires riders to displace their horses' shoulders, it's often ridden incorrectly by those first attempting it. ...
How to Choose the Right Dressage Trainer for You
How To Dressage Podcast - June 26, 2023 05:00 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsDressage is a skillful sport, and no matter how good you get, you will always want to get better. Even the top dressage riders in the world have regular sessions with their trainer(s) because there is always room for improvement. With that in mind, it’s vital that you carefully consider the dr...
How to Manage a Spooky Horse
How To Dressage Podcast - June 12, 2023 08:00 - 32 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsAnyone who has spent any reasonable amount of time around horses has probably experienced a spook or two (possibly more!). If your horse spooks at a particular object, his attention is on that rather than on you and your aids. Not only will this lose you marks in dressage tests, but it could a...
How to Fit and Use a Double Bridle for Dressage
How To Dressage Podcast - May 29, 2023 05:00 - 33 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsA double bridle is what you see used on all the top dressage horses during competition, and using a double bridle for the first time can mark a significant milestone in your dressage career. That being said, many riders misuse double bridles or introduce them to their horses too soon, using it...
How to Create Expression in Your Horse's Trot
How To Dressage Podcast - May 22, 2023 05:00 - 25 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsOut of all your horse’s paces, the trot is the easiest to improve. Through correct training, you can transform a somewhat ordinary trot into something spectacular. So, in this podcast episode, we will look at the qualities that make up an expressive trot, what incorrect expression is, and h...
How to Stop Your Legs From Swinging When Riding
How To Dressage Podcast - May 15, 2023 05:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsSwinging legs are a frustrating problem. Not only are they unsightly, but swinging legs also have a detrimental impact on the effectiveness of your leg aids, your seat aids, and your overall balance in the saddle. If you want to continue to move up the dressage levels, it's paramount that you ...
How to Plan and Prepare for a Dressage Competition
How To Dressage Podcast - May 08, 2023 05:00 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsCompeting requires preparation, not only on the day of the event but also in the days preceding it. The level of success you achieve can be significantly impacted by the amount of time and effort you devote to your preparation. So, in this podcast episode, we will cover why diligent preparatio...
How (And When) To Sit to Your Horse’s Trot
How To Dressage Podcast - May 01, 2023 07:00 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsThe very mention of sitting trot is enough to make many riders cringe. Although sitting trot is not required in dressage tests until you reach Medium level in British Dressage, your seat is a very effective aid that you can use in combination with your rein and leg aids. Therefore, it's worth ...
How to Get Your Horse Rounder and More Through
How To Dressage Podcast - April 17, 2023 05:00 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsThe words "rounder" and "through" are commonly used by dressage riders, judges, and trainers. You might see the comment, "could be rounder and more through" on your dressage score sheet, or you may hear your trainer encouraging you to increase your horse's "roundness" and "throughness." Althou...
How to Enhance the Quality of Your Horse's Canter
How To Dressage Podcast - April 10, 2023 05:00 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsDressage horses are selected and purposely bred to have natural, high-quality, and uphill paces. And the better their natural paces, the higher the price tag. However, if your budget doesn’t stretch to buying the ready-made article (and it’s not cheap), there are ways to increase what nature h...
How to Ride a Simple Change
How To Dressage Podcast - April 03, 2023 05:00 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsThe simple change is a movement that appears in some dressage tests. Contrary to what its name would have you believe, there's nothing "simple" about it. As the rider, you need to be very clear and coordinated with your aids, and your horse needs to respond to them almost instantaneously for...
How to Stop Your Horse From Coming Behind the Vertical
How To Dressage Podcast - March 27, 2023 05:00 - 30 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsA fault commonly observed during dressage tests at all levels is the tendency for a horse to come behind the rider's contact. If this is the case, comments you may find on your score sheets could include "overbent," "behind the contact," and "behind the vertical," which is commonly abbreviated ...
How to Get Your Horse Working Forwards, Not Faster
How To Dressage Podcast - March 20, 2023 06:00 - 25 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsFor your horse to progress through the levels of dressage training, it is essential that he is ‘in front of your leg’ and working forwards into the bridle. Unfortunately, when some riders apply their leg aids, their horses mistakenly increase their tempo and move their legs faster. So, in thi...
How to Improve Your Horse's Suppleness (Including Exercises)
How To Dressage Podcast - March 13, 2023 16:00 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsSuppleness, also described as looseness, is the full flexibility of your horse’s body and mind. It must be a central theme throughout your schooling and should be constantly checked and reinforced at all stages of training. As you progress through the dressage levels, your horse’s suppleness s...
How to Manage Your Dressage Competition Nerves
How To Dressage Podcast - March 06, 2023 06:00 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsEvery rider has experienced pre-competition nerves. The pressure of wanting to do well, combined with the worry of making a mistake, results in a cocktail of emotions that can ruin an otherwise promising test. So, in this podcast episode, we will look at why you get nervous, how this affects...
How (And Why) To Get Your Horse Thinking Forwards
How To Dressage Podcast - February 27, 2023 06:00 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsYou’ve probably heard many riding coaches shouting to their students, instructing them to ride their horses more forwards. Although that’s good advice, the term “forwards” can often be misinterpreted. Rather than constantly having to push your horse to keep him moving (working your own leg mus...
How (And Why) To Ride a Give and Retake of the Reins
How To Dressage Podcast - February 20, 2023 06:00 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsWhen competing, some dressage tests will ask you to briefly release your contact via a “give and retake of the reins.” The name of this movement is commonly shorted to “give and retake” and abbreviated as “G&R.” It is an exercise often ridden incorrectly during dressage tests, leading to man...
How to Ride and Improve the Free Walk on a Long Rein
How To Dressage Podcast - February 13, 2023 06:00 - 29 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsThe ‘free walk’ is a movement that appears in all dressage tests up to medium level (British Dressage). Riders often neglect it in their home schooling sessions, which is a very costly omission given that the free walk is often worth double marks! Even if your horse doesn’t naturally have the ...
How To (And Why) Ride a Correct 10-Meter Circle
How To Dressage Podcast - February 06, 2023 06:00 - 30 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsAs you move up through the dressage levels, the circles that you are asked to perform will become smaller in diameter and you will, eventually, be asked to perform 10-meter circles. Although these may sound straightforward, there’s more to this movement than you might at first think; both in ri...
How to Correct a 'Poking Nose'
How To Dressage Podcast - January 30, 2023 06:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsA poking nose is a common fault that is easily seen, even with an untrained eye; the horse goes around with his nose literally poking out in front of him and his chin lifted. It’s an issue that is usually observed at the lower dressage levels and with horses that are just beginning their dressa...
How to Prevent and Correct a Lateral Walk
How To Dressage Podcast - January 23, 2023 06:00 - 30 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsIf you ever receive the comment ‘lateral walk’ on your dressage score sheet, this should not be brushed aside. A lateral walk indicates a fundamental issue with the horse’s walk rhythm and, in extreme cases, it can be impossible to correct. This fault is usually created unknowingly and uninten...
How Long Should You Warm-up for Before a Dressage Test?
How To Dressage Podcast - January 16, 2023 06:00 - 27 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsGetting your warm-up right is a key element in producing your best performance in the dressage arena. Unfortunately, there’s no set time to suit every horse and situation; if you don’t allow long enough, your horse may be too sharp and tense, and if you overdo it, he might run out of steam half...
How to Establish the Correct Stirrup Length for Dressage
How To Dressage Podcast - January 09, 2023 06:00 - 27 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsIn order to use your legs correctly they must be in the correct position and it, therefore, follows that your stirrups must be the correct length. If you have a balanced seat with your legs in the correct alignment, you will be able to give your horse more effective and more refined aids. This ...
How to Establish the Correct Rein Length for Dressage
How To Dressage Podcast - October 24, 2022 05:00 - 29 minutes ★★★★★ - 54 ratingsBeing able to offer your horse the correct rein length is essential if you are to be successful as a dressage rider. To offer the horse a pleasant contact, your hands must be carried correctly, and it, therefore, follows that your reins must be the correct length. So, in this podcast episode, ...
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