The Young Horse basic training with Oliver Oelrich

When Janet Foy begins this lesson she talks about what the test writers had in mind when they rewrote the dressage tests.  She covers the geometry of doing the two ten meter half circles as well as how to ride them- invaluable information for those performing these tests!  Janet explains the impo...

Test: First Level, Test 2

Janet now has them work on the canter lengthenings with tips on how to garner points. They next work on the leg yields and Debbie steps in to help with the mare on her lengthenings and her problems with the connection. They work on transitions within the canter on a twenty meter circle using the ...

Schooling First Level Test Movements with Debbie McDonald and Janet Foy

The canter is next, and Debbie helps her create a better tension in the reins while making sure that she holds the outside rein. When they go to the stretchy circle he pulls the reins out of her hands, and Debbie helps her to gradually let him stretch without rooting and while continuing to push ...

Neck elevation and frame

Nancy Later guides us through a session on creating balance in your horse and shifting them off the forehand.  She covers the use of the leg in the walk and how to use it to encourage him to be more forward and almost trot.  They next do the leg yield in the walk, and Nancy points out when to app...

Laura has the pair finish the session with more medium trot and talks about the process of training and how there are many small steps that lead to the final goal.

Guenter Zach trains lateral work in the trot

Next, they work on the fours and threes, making sure he does not become flat in the half halt. When he becomes a bit strong, they go to random changes on a circle. Laura advises making the work harder when he's too strong rather than disciplining him for being too forward. They begin work on the ...

Once the mare is more over the back and pushing from behind, the nose becomes more consistently on the vertical. This fixes itself and isn't addressed so much, because at this stage of training, they want the poll lower and rounder since in the past the mare wanted to stick her nose in the air mo...

Once the mare is more over the back and pushing from behind, the nose becomes more consistently on the vertical. This fixes itself and isn't addressed so much, because at this stage of training, they want the poll lower and rounder since in the past the mare wanted to stick her nose in the air mo...

Jan Brink works with this 4-year-old stallion and rider to perform nice, soft transitions forward and back as part of his warm-up routine. This work is to prepare for the flying changes, which Jan explains are a matter of riding good transitions on a diagonal line. He shares more of his theory on...

Jan Brinks leads horse and rider through preparatory exercises for both mind and body, which will need to be correct before the flying change is introduced for the very first time.

Jan Brink works with this rider and a 4-year-old stallion in trot to focus on improving the gait by using shorter and longer steps.

They move on to the preparing for the canter after a walk break.  They continue asking him to move forward while being soft in the hand.  Cesar asks for the same aids for the down transition, making sure it comes from the seat and keeps the hindquarters active.  they work on transitions within th...

Hilda Gurney rides one of her four year olds , and as they warm up she explains how she warms up a youngster.  Her two goals of the warm up are to warm the horse up physically and to get them responsive to the aids.  She keeps him round and moving forward, and works on changing the bend through t...

Hilda teaches all her young horse to leg yield in the canter, both to and from the rail.  When she adds the medium canter she first does it on a circle.  He will be shown at First Level and in the Young Horse test, so she also works on the counter canter with am emphasis on keeping the balance. S...

Test preparation and instruction on components within second level tests can be found here. Charlotte is focused on getting the horse moving correctly and listening to the inside leg, moving forward to work on the turn on the haunches, the lateral work, counter canter and simple changes. Sample v...

Natalie Lamping judging USEF 4 yr. old test

He asks for a light and forward canter that is straight and has the rider use the whip to tap the horse while allowing him go even more forward. With the more forward canter the rider is able to collect the horse more. In the trot he has the rider think of passage when asking him to half halt fro...

Dr. Moller gives an excellent description of how to do the half halt and how it rebalances the horse. When they return to the canter, they work on this same concept in the canter.

In the trot, they work on almost walking using the leg, and then lightening the contact at the moment the horse lightens. Using these half halts allows the horse to find his self carriage.