Steffen wants the horse to understand that when the rider puts the leg on, something happens even if the horse breaks to the next gait. It not always the rider using too much leg. Sometimes it using the leg too often. He also mentions that it common for a horse to slow down when going sideways, b...

When collecting the walk, Steffen emphasizes that the horse should not slow down. The stride shortens, but not the energy. When positioning the horse flexion, it is important to not hold the horse there with the rein.œUse your strength to correct your horse. Dont use your strength to maintain the...

They work on lengthening and collecting the canter. In collection, the horse still needs to be supple and have forward energy. It the wrong understanding that the rider must use strength to collect a horse. When coming back to a walk, it is important that the horse doesntœdrop the anchor and lose...

Steffen emphasizes that a rider should not have to constantly ride with a strong contact and leg. While it is easy for the rider to carry the horse, it is okay if the horse makes a mistake and breaks gait. If that happens, the rider can fix it. When you ask for the horse to go forward or move lat...

In the trot, they work to find the most productive frame for the horse where he stays elastic. Because the horse is against the right rein and leg, Steffen wants the rider to focus more on counterflexion when going to the left, including through the short side. In the training, the horse doesnt a...

They go to canter to improve the horse forward energy. While lengthening the frame is easy for him, Steffen wants the rider to work on collecting the canter. They go slightly forward and back in the canter to get the horse to briefly go forward. The second the horse gets too strong in the lengthe...

They continue in the canter work. Steffen wants the rider to do travers in canter. It is difficult for the horse, so they go back and do the same movement in walk before trying again in canter. This exercise will also help improve the canter half pass.

The last part of the ride focuses on trot work. Steffen wants a higher level of collection in the trot so they work on doing a few half-steps. They come back briefly to the walk, but Steffen wants the horse to quickly go back to the trot all while still staying supple in the bridle. They work sli...

After adjusting the rider position and having her feel it in the walk, Stephany has her go into rising trot. They run through the rider biomechanical checklist and adjust as necessary. Stephany also points out how the horse carriage and movement change with the rider change in position.

They take what they work on up into canter. A change in gait can influence how the rider sits. When the rider body slips into old habits, Stephany helps her reposition and reminds her of her body checklist in rhythm to the canter.

Stephany starts by watching the rider moving on the horse at a walk in both directions. This rider is an event and dressage rider and trainer on a young Georgian Grande (Friesian and American Saddlebred cross) gelding. She helps reposition the rider so that she is more secure in her seat, which h...

They move into rising trot working on her position and how the posting mechanism of the rider affects the horse. Stephany reminds the rider of a few things for her to focus her attention on. She also talks about the posting mechanism of the rider and how going to the top of the post (and making t...

Stephany has the rider focus on internally using her seat. She doesnt want to see the rider do the change. She wants to see the horse change. To practice this, they do bigger trot for six strides and relaxed trot for six strides.

They take what they work on up into canter. A change in gait can influence how the rider sits. When the rider body slips into old habits, Stephany helps her reposition and reminds her of her body checklist in rhythm to the canter.

Stephany starts by watching the rider moving on the horse at a walk in both directions. This rider is a Western Dressage rider on a 15-year-old grade gelding. Stephany said that one challenge facing Western Dressage riders is that in older Western saddles, the stirrup bars are placed more forward...

Next they go into canter. Since the rider tends to have more weight on the left side than the right side, they focus on keeping the legs and seat even and balanced. Then they notice how the horse is moving compared to the rider body position.

Stephany starts by watching the rider moving on the horse at a walk in both directions. This rider is a USDF silver medalist aboard a third level Arabian stallion who also events. Stephany helps tweak the rider position to help relax some of her high tone so that she is even more effective.

Stephany talks about the horse back being straight (or not) and the influence that has on rider position. She also talks about how the rider position can help bring the back up and improve the straightness. The horse feels more rhythmic and easier to ride. Stephany stresses that these are small, ...

They start on lateral work beginning with alternating leg yield with half pass. The seat bones have a lot to do with the accuracy and quality of the lateral movements.

They finish their ride with some canter work. Stephany explains that a high tone rider needs to find a way to engage the muscles to work for her. At the same time, the rider needs to be able to release some tension so it doesn't work against her. Stephany reminds us that creating muscle memory to...

Stephany works with a Grand Prix level rider on a Lusitano stallion. Together this pair has shown on the Small Tour and are working on getting ready for I2 and Grand Prix. Stephany goal with an already accomplished horse and rider are can small position changes make things more spectacular? That ...

Stephany demonstrates a resistance exercise engaging the hamstring and keeping more bend in the back of the knee. Then she has the rider go to canter and focus on her slight position change and how it impacts the horse canter. The horse comes more underneath himself with his hind legs.

One of the challenges this pair has had is with the one tempi changes. With the small biomechanical changes, the rider was able to get a clean line of one tempis. They then work on the piaffe and passage with the focus on the rider body and hip angle to improve the horse way of going.

Stephany helps an adult amateur riding an upper-level Lusitano who she has only been riding for a few months. She starts by watching the rider at a walk and trot so she can evaluate how she sits on the horse. This rider is thin, but also high tone so that is taken into consideration. Stephany adj...