Canadian Olympian David Marcus of Marcus Fyffe Dressage discusses why he prefers a very structured, systematic approach to his riding that begins with the warm-up. In each warm-up ride, from green to Grand Prix, David looks to do these three things: 1. Check and train his horse reactions to his s...

In Part 1 of this series, David Marcus discusses what he believes is the ideal way to warm-up your dressage horse and what the key benefits are to keeping it structured. He then demonstrates the beginning steps of the warm-up on a 7-year-old mare who has a tendency to be quite sensitive.

In Part 2, David Marcus demonstrates how to use the 20-meter circle to ride forward and back transitions. He uses these exercises to correct and control the horse's reaction time as well as the horse's balance and length of stride, two things that he believes are important to the warm-up.

In Part 3, David Marcus uses the diagonal into the leg yield as a change of direction to help keep the horse straight. This hot little mare helps demonstrate how this exercise is beneficial to a sensitive horse, as she first wants to extend across the diagonal but instead, connects to the outside...

In Part 4 of this series, David Marcus continues to discuss transitions. In the previous video he used transitions on the 20-meter circle. Now that he's nearing the end of the warm-up, he's more committed to the quality of the rhythm and balance in addition to the reaction time, and he looks for ...

In the final video, David Marcus discusses the horse's overall shape and outline. He does recognize that the mare is slightly behind the vertical, but he also addresses that her back is up under him, she's steady on two reins, reaching into the bridle and he is not pulling her head down. To help ...

Grand Prix, CDIO

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Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

Markel/USEF National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

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