How To Ride Dressage

Learn how to ride dressage with expert, online videos. It's the most effective and meaningful learning tool ever offered to dressage students, from the most respected dressage trainers, judges and riders from around the world.

If you and your horse:

• Are brand new to dressage - never had a lesson but want to
  pursue it
   
• Have begun dressage training yet you want more guidance in-between lessons
   
• Already know how to ride dressage and are ready to graduate to the next level or perfect the level you are in...

there are now excellent tools available to help you here:
(when you click on the banner, a new window will open):

How To Ride Dressage: Getting Started

The best way to learn how to ride dressage is to take lessons from a dressage instructor. Some instructors have lesson horses that will help you learn the sport; some will require you to have your own horse.

The advantage of lesson horses is that they will help you learn what you need to do. (In fact, a good "schoolmaster" horse is worth its weight in gold because they are such kind and patient teachers.) The downside is that you will not be able to practice between lessons.

Owning or leasing a horse is more expensive, but allows you to practice between lessons. If you are training your own horse, the work you do together will develop into an incredible experience throughout the years.

How to Ride Dressage: Progressing Through the Levels

Dressage instruction consists of a series of steps beginning with Introductory Level (walk, trot) on up through Grand Prix (piaffe, passage, canter pirourettes).

You progress at your own pace. At each step, some aspect of your horse's development is emphasized. For example, at the lower levels, the most important aspects are balance, rhythm, suppleness, and extension (lengthening the horses stride).

At each level, there are a series of riding tests that are used to give you feedback on how well you and your horse are progressing. Your instructor can score you on these tests, but generally you ride the tests before a judge at a dressage show. The judge will give you detailed feedback on what's working well and what needs work.

The tests consist of riding a number of dressage movements and schooling figures, and the horse is scored on qualities such as forward movement, balance, suppleness, rhythm, obedience, and so on. You can memorize the test in advance or you can choose to have someone call the test for you (tell you each action to do at each place in the arena).

How to Ride Dressage: Anyone Can Do It

Whatever you've heard, don't think that dressage is only for certain breeds of horses or levels of riding. Also, don't believe that your trainer must be a gold-medalist and you need to take educational trips to Europe!

What you do need to supplement your instructions are dressage videos that are specifically designed to help you. Dressage videos they are well-explained, and applicable to the level you are currently working in. In fact, if you have a trainer, suggest these dressage videos to him or her as well – you'll be surprised at the outcome.

Learn to ride dressage from videos that you can watch over and over,
24-7, whenever you need them - right from your computer. Enjoy!