In this dressage training video, dressage trainer Jane Savoie shows a rider a simple exercise for suppling her horse at the poll.

Dressage Trainer Jane Savoie’s site bio.

ane has coached at three Olympic Games. In 1996, Jane coached the Canadian 3-Day Event Team at the Olympics in Atlanta.

Jane coached several Three Day Event Riders from the United States, Canada and Belgium in preparation for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. While in Sydney, she also coached United States Dressage Team member, Susan Blinks. With Jane’s guidance, Sue and her horse, Flim Flam, were able to help secure the team Bronze medal. This victory was particularly meaningful because Jane has helped Sue with Flim since he
was three years old.

In 2004, Jane once again accompanied the Canadian Three Day Event team to the Olympics. This time the competition was in Athens, Greece. Under her watchful eye, several of the riders achieved their personal best for their dressage scores and finished tenth as a team.

Dressage Tips: Rider Fitness Is Important

It’s pretty clear how important that strong core is, how are we to go about getting it? If you are a professional and ride 5 horses or more a day, I really think that is good enough to get a super strong core. I always feel that when I ride 5 horses I have had a very good workout, any less than that and I need to do more to help me stay fit enough to ride well. I do know some top riders who ride 8 horses a day and then go to the gym – while I think that is great, I figure 5 horses and some stretching and I’m good to go…

I know it’s a often a struggle for many amateurs to ride even one horse a day. Life is a balancing act, and there are often more important things in life than riding dressage. However, whenever and however it can fit in, additional fitness is required if you are interested in really improving your ability as a dressage rider. Additional physical training emphasizing strength, balance and suppleness can only help your riding.

My favorite thing to do is dance, dance, dance. Grab a partner and learn to ballroom dance. Many aspects of dance are similar to dressage – there is tempo, rhythm, balance, frame, contact and suppleness. And it’s really fun too – you don’t even realize the workout you are getting!

One of the best new sports out there for core strength, balance and fitness is paddle boarding – I read somewhere that it burns about 800 calories an hour – and most of those calories are burned maintaining balance with your core. If you live anywhere near the water I highly recommend it!

Other great sports are most of the martial arts (Thai Chi is supposed to be wonderful) and any type of yoga. Pilates is a guaranteed bet to improve your symmetry and muscle control. If you can run, use a treadmill, or elliptical machine for 30 minutes a few times a week it can make a huge difference, and it helps even more if your posture and technique is kept in mind while working out.

For those of you with very limited time, use some of your down time to work out. Watch TV and do the “Plank” (the pilates move where you hold your body straight as an arrow on your elbows and toes). Any other good abdominal exercises, especially those for your oblique abdominals are great. Have small weights near the couch, and use them for arms, shoulders, chest and legs. Lunges and squats can be easily done from in front of the TV.

I’m sure that there are many other great sports you can do that will enhance your riding, I think the most important thing is not so much the sport or what you do, but just that you do it.

Source dressagedaily.com

Dressage Star Guenter Seidel of Germany has contributed significantly to the Dressage world, winning three consecutive Olympic Dressage events on three different horses.

Recently posted by usef .org, this is what the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Facebook fans want to know about this dressage superstar:

Cynthia D. Alexander Garrett: What exercises helped you the most in your recovery? I had to do most of my therapy in the pool at the beginning, and that helped the most. After that, it wasn’t a specific exercise but just being disciplined to exercise every day.

Maura Forese of Kennett Square, PA: What advice or encouragement can you give to young riders who are trying to make it in the dressage world? Dressage is not just a sport, but art as well. You will never stop learning no matter how good you become. Always treat your horse fair and enjoy the daily training.

Kirsten Drew of Dalton, OH: What do you do to prepare yourself, both mentally and physically, before you ride? Mentally, I have quiet time for about an hour before I get on. Physically, I try to stay fit in general, nothing in specific before a ride.

Katy Wormwood of Wormwood Wells, ME: Tell us about your average ride? Helpful tips for warming up, what you focus on and your cool down. I always try to walk for at least 10 minutes at the beginning and the end of the workout. I think the most impotent thing is to be flexible and really listen to your horse because every day your warm-up and ride can change, depending how the horse feels that day.

Annie Carlson Emery of Minneapolis, MN: How do you deal with a horse that holds a lot of tension, especially in the back? This is not really something anyone can answer without seeing horse and rider. In general, supplying exercises like stretching, leg yields and transitions.

Erin Geier Cumbee of Portage, IN: What is the hardest part for the rider in performing upper-level moves? It’s not hard anymore to perform an upper-level movement if you prepared well and have the experience to do it. The hard part is to have the patience to wait to get there until you and your horse are ready.

Megan Holly Manning of Arizona: What was the hardest movement to teach your favorite horse? One tempi changes to Aragon.

Lauren Walters of Oviedo, FL: What are the top three things you look for in evaluating a prospective dressage horse? Gaits, temperament, and then my gut feeling when I watch and ride the horse.

Clare Walker of Kansas: Who was most influential in your dressage career? A woman named Hertha Beck who I learned with when I was young. For the last 15 years, Klaus Balkenhol.

Camille Broussard of Seattle, WA: When you were a child, did you ever think you would be an Olympic athlete, and how did you push yourself to do your best in the hardest times growing up? I always was fascinated with all the Olympic riders and wanted to be as good as them. I never felt like I had to push myself. If you love what you’re doing you have to be prepared to have ups and downs and keep going. Being patient.

Dressage Training: Tips To Straighten a Dressage Horse with Shoulder-in

In this informative Dressage Training video Dressage Horse Trainer Jane Savoie gives tips on how to Straighten a Dressage Horse, and other useful techniques.

Jane Savoie gives you training tips to teach your dressage horse to bend the joints of his hind legs (engagement) through the use of First Position, Shoulder-fore, and shoulder-in. This is an essential ingredient for achieving collection.

About Dressage Trainer Jane Savoie.

Jane has coached at three Olympic Games. In 1996, Jane coached the Canadian 3-Day Event Team at the Olympics in Atlanta.

Jane has written five books that have been published both in the US and abroad. Her best-selling sports psychology book That Winning Feeling! is in its ninth printing and has been translated into several languages.

Her dressage training books, Cross-Train Your Horse and More Cross-Training, are rapidly becoming popular reference books for riders and trainers in all disciplines. Her fourth book, It’s Not Just About The Ribbons, is a sequel to That Winning Feeling! This book is an essential addition to your library if you need help with negative emotions like overcoming rider fear, impatience, or lack of self-confidence.

Dressage Tips: Buying and Selling Horses

Recently reported by dressagedaily.com, International Dressage Rider Carole Grant provided the ShoClothes talk with tips on buying and selling dressage horses.

International Dressage Rider, Trainer and Coach Carole Grant headlined the February 8, 2011 Sho Clothes Shop Talk. Her presentation about Buying & Selling Horses brought many useful tips to an eager crowd.

Among the many valuable nuggets of information, Carole emphasized:

• You can not ride the x-rays, but they are important for resale.
• The professional will stand behind you because they want your repeat business if that horse does not work out.
• Go into the stall and pick up the horse’s hooves. Doing this allows you to detect if he has the shivers (shakes). It also lets you know his character in the stall.
• Three strikes and the horse is out. If the horse has 2 strikes decide if you can live with those 2 strikes.
• Obtain the horse’s show results from the Federation National. Every countryhas one and you can confirm the horse’s age.
• Ride the horse 3 times before deciding on the purchase.
• At the vetting, a good vet will present any faults. Then, the vet, trainer and client can discuss these openly.

These are some great tips to get anyone considering the purchase or sale of a Dressage horse in the pointed in the right direction!