Dressage at Bromont International CDE, 2025
I have not competed at Bromont International CDE in [...]
Fundamentally True
This week marks yet another week that I have been reminded of something so fundamentally true, it can not be escaped: “Teach what your train, train what you teach.” Having recently returned from a successful outing at the Bromont International Driving Championship CDE, I turned to planning the next steps in Loretta’s training. In that process, I reviewed the areas in our work that are going well, and
Why Driven Dressage for Recreational Drivers?
Why should recreational drivers practice dressage even if they don't intend to show their horses? Simple exercises can gain you and your horse big benefits such as better communication, improve your horse's balance, and most importantly, greater longevity.
Dressage at Live Oak
Yesterday’s dressage test at Live Oak FELT GREAT!! ‘RettaRoo is [...]
How Much Contact For Carriage Driving?
I’m often asked, “How much is too much contact, and how little is too little.” The answer often depends on what it is that you’re doing with your horse. But the question of how much contact you should use goes beyond the specific activity your are doing with your horse. It can change within the course of a single workout. Instead of focusing on “How much contact should I have?” you should focus on “What is the most effective contact for that moment?” Read more and watch the video.
Maintaining Perspective
My goofy Saddlebred at Laurels CDE Maintaining perspective [...]
Answers from ‘Ask Andy’
There are lots of great carriage driving and horse training [...]
Corners and Turns
Driving corners and turns in a dressage test shouldn’t be [...]
Improve Your Body Mechanics
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that how you’re using your [...]
The Missing Link
Do you ever feel like the second half of your [...]
Driving by the Seat of Your Pants
Carriage drivers may be a little more isolated from the [...]
Bending Your Horse Is Not The Problem
This little note on bending is long overdue. I’ve put [...]
The Origin of Movement
Here’s a rare experience for me; Sitting down on a [...]
Looking Ahead
A student of mine was at an equine expo watching [...]
The Step Back
Many carriage drivers struggle with their horse taking a step backward after completing a halt. Understanding why the horse is taking the backward step is the first step toward solving the problem.