I've been a quiet fan of Manolo Mendez's for some time and always look forward to seeing him write about the art of dressage. You might enjoy his perspective on the health of your horse's topline and what it says about your riding & training.
Source: Manolo Mendez Dressage
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I've been riding since I was 9, and in love with horses from the day I was born. Living in Washington with my horse and 5 dogs.
For those in the know, Philippe Karl is one of the modern Masters of Classical Dressage. For those who do not know, he will just seem a foreign concept. Perhaps it is time you learned more about this modern Master of the Equestrian Arts… Now you can read his article “Taking Over Equestrian Culture” online.
Have you ever been pitched by a sales person who lacked all elements of confidence and charm? Who seemed nervous and uncertain about just what it was they were selling and the reasons you ought to be buying it? I know I have plenty of times. And then there are the salesmen who are so confident and smooth that you almost want to beg them to sell you whatever it is they are peddling.
In looking around, there seems a great wealth of images and video, articles and books, media and marketing; all of which demonstrating the use of the horse for human gain and purposes. The focus, the mindset, the intent is control and consumption of the horse – we ride, we travel, we tour, we compete, we battle, we seek to impress.
Even if you strictly ride western and loath the sight of any english discipline you can benefit from incorporating the fundamentals of Dressage into your riding and training habits.
I am owned by an exquisite mare. We call her ‘The Diva’. She is opinionated, fiery, smart, and thinks people are pretty darn fun to hang out with. One sunny August day, seven years ago,…
The term “on the bit” doesn’t have an origin in the long-time history of Dressage, but according to Bettina Drummond it is an orphan that is only causing chaos, confusion and much of the demise of Dressage.
This post couldn’t have come at a better time – I’ve recently taken on a very green and out-of-shape 7 year old and I’ve been searching for a guide that will help me monitor the development of muscle tone and ensure that we’re heading in the right direction. This is really great advice and I’ll definitely be using these ‘tests’ to measure how we’re getting on and which areas need more focus.
Wonderful to hear Zoe! I’ve really enjoyed watching Manolo ride and all of his horses have beautiful gymnastic development all around so this article in particular I think is very useful. 🙂
Good luck with your new horse, send over an update on your progress if you like!
Cheers