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.
Perhaps the first point to make on the definition of aid, is that in no way does the meaning ever describe it as a means of control. The aids that the rider uses, are meant not as a way to force, coerce or otherwise take away the will, freedom or direction of the horse, the aids are there to help support the horse in his own natural abilities, if you will.
We’re all in need of some visual inspiration, here are a few rides to get you ready for the weekend by visualizing what is dressage. Mestre Nuno Oliveira sheds some light on the piaffé To…
Lightness comes in part with the advent of relaxation. Lightness relies on movement, constant movement. Lightness is the result of the mental, emotional and physical aspects between horse and rider reaching harmony.
I’ll keep the background story brief about me and my horse Jobi for now. I’m sure it will develop itself with more posts. I owned him for many years and brought him up through advanced…
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,…
Perhaps fitting, yesterday was my birthday, and I was born in the year 1984… the same year that Reiner Klimke scored the Olympic Gold Medal aboard his Westfalian gelding, Ahlerich. Here is a tempting video, highlighting their victory lap at the Olympic Games.
And, in case you weren’t privy to the show live or watched it previously, or maybe you just want to watch it again… here is the winning video of Reiner Klimke riding Ahlerich to Gold at the 1984 Olympic Equestrian Games.
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