A fresh look into training and improving your dressage horse.

Keeping the classical dressage principles first and foremost Outside the box offers a different perspective to help riders get the best from themselves and their equines.

We seek to investigate and understand the why and the how. Making dressage make sense by looking at rider's position, balance and how they influence the horse.

Addressing the common, and not so common, issues that individual horses present during their training. Finding ways to make it all clearer and easier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have worked on basics such as getting horses in front of your leg and feeling confidently forwards. Just by using some poles on the circle points to remind horses and riders to ride forwards you can achieve so much. It can help improve straightness, contact and outline as well as balance and confidence.

We have worked on improving collection and extension in all paces,  shoulder in, half pass, pirouettes and flying changes. Really the sky is the limit!

The exercises incorporate poles and cones as visual cues. We are looking to use them in gymnastic exercises to supple and engage the horses  but they also act as an effective boundary to improve accurate riding and control.  It makes such a difference to have a focal point and structure for a movement or exercise.

The exercise in the photo above is really brilliant at making the rider aware of how the horse is moving through the turn and also helps the horse understand how to move and bend and balance itself through a turn. As a result the confidence and suppleness in both horse and rider is greatly improved.