If you would like to have me as your horsemanship coach. I post new training videos every week and answer your questions on my patreon page. Go to www.patreon.com/ryanrosehorsemanship
My comments were not posted to be critical of you, your spouse, or your training. Imho, not even every Warmbood breed can excel at dressage. For example, "The Hanoverian is a noble, correctly proportioned Warmblood horse with natural balance, impulsion and elegant, elastic movements characterized by a floating trot, a round rhythmic canter, and a ground-covering walk" This quote is from the Hanoverian Society of desirable dressage character. I am certainly not a dressage expert, but this is one opinion of an organization that is an expert on the desirable qualities that are sought in a dressage prospect.
Takes a lot of courage to ask your spouse for training advice when you're an accomplished horse woman yourself. Love how you treat each other with respect, and are combining learning from different disciplines Kudos to you both! Great video!
I wish more dressage lessons would be like this. It was a pleasure watching this sweet horse become more connected and supple throughout this lesson. Great exercises, giving a rider a way to Guage how ready the horse is for this work. If the horse is not, the rider has been given a way to go back to a more basic activity to fix it. And since Dressage means "training", NOT "movements", it's nice to see how much good training can improve a less than perfect horse. And, bonus! This lesson includes horsemanship principles. ❤
@@sarahwagland1559 The credentials inform the context of what your eyes are observing - your eyes are not psychic, they can only acquire information outside of its context. The brain, and language, exist for a reason.
The canter improved quite a bit. Emily did great, she's such a good rider, able to immediately grasp and implement Ryan's ideas. That is not an easy mare to ride.
Nice to see you two talented folks working together. Ryan is an amazing diagnostician when it comes to helping the horses to understand and Emily has lots of talent to ride the instructions well. Fun to watch!
Fab lesson! Dressage rider here 🙋🏻♀️ that’s exactly how we would have fixed the issue too. I’m glad Ryan mentioned the adjustability , so perfect 👍🏾 I’m sure as the mare gains strength and is more adjustable, she will find it super easy 🎉
I’m laughing at these comments. Loved this and applaud you for being able to work this well together. Dressage (when done the way it is supposed to be done) will make all horses better, so don’t agree with the comment that some horses are not meant for a dressage. All the comments about Emily‘s position may have some valid points, but I think it’s because this mare is out of balance and pulling her out of position. It’s super hard to ride an unbalanced horse. I rode my half Clydesdale for 21 years and it was the biggest workout I’ve ever had in riding! Cheers to her. I do think that in counter cantor the mare tilted her balance forward and if she can somehow keep her shoulders back over her hips, it might help the mare out a little bit. But, again, that is a big mare who needs to get a little stronger, and it is so hard to ride ina steady position when those big horses get out of balance!
More like this ❤ I ride English and focus on dressage, working equitation but do a great deal of ground work focused on the mind and developing understanding. All disciplines can learn so much from each other and I love that you two came together for this video showing that.
I enjoyed this video as it shows their ability to collaborate despite differing in their riding styles. I also enjoyed seeing them doing a video together...was great. 😊
That was awesome, simply put easy understandable, I really love when different disciplines support and enhance each other. Were I live styles of riding are so separated, its as if you use something from a different style your going straight to hell. Iv seen people tense when iv been teaching if i speak the name of a discipline that my student doesn’t do. Well now I have a great positive video to go “ well go check this out and tell me what you think” thanks guys for being awesome
Ryan’s explanation at 7.48 about having a stick to keep the horse going forward because the rider can’t use her legs to keep the horse going forward (and sideways at the same time) is the crux of the problem. The horse should go forward of its own volition, not be constantly told to go forward from either the legs or stick. Because this horse is not going forward ON ITS OWN it can’t develop the self carriage to perform any advanced movement (like flying change) well. Constantly reminding it to go forward from leg or stick will just dull it to the aids and the horse will end up shuffling along doing a poor imitation of the movements. First fix the forward.
@@chivasmom2024dressage done well will help any horse learn how to use it’s body most efficiently. Whatever a horse eventually specializes in, dressage (which means training) is a great way to set them up for success and longevity
@@FluxyMiniscus absolutely. But one must be realistic in the innate ability of the horse and respect that. I actually think this mare is doing fairly well at these exercises, but she is definitely not at a point in her training where she is ready for 2nd level. I am thinking she should be training at 1st level and can be competing at training level.
@@FluxyMiniscus I will add I have never heard of anyone sending a dressage horse to a trainer. Dressage is a process of developing the horse, but the rider also must learn correctly. Older schoolmasters may be used or purchased to help young riders learn, but 99.99% of Dressage riders have instruction with their own horse. They do not send a horse to a "trainer" to be trained, unless a young horse just learning how to be backed. I have known a lot of upper level dressage riders that send their 3-4 yr old youngsters to a "cowboy" to start them under saddle. Once they have been backed a few times, they are ready to begin their formal education under saddle.
Lots of people are commenting that this mare has too poor conformation to be a good dressage horse. I completely disagree. Sure, she's likely not going to Grand Prix and might not get 70's on her tests but with some more development she might make a great little 2nd-3rd level horse, which is enough for a USDF bronze medal and a great achievement. Any horse can do dressage, but more than that I think is just takes some horses longer to get there than others. I have an Arabian mare I'm developing myself and it took two years of hard work to develop her topline into anything resembling a dressage horse and to completely overhaul her gates from plowing downhill to decently level and beginning to get more uphill. It's certainly doable - you just need to be willing to work harder for it.
There is nothing wrong with using dressage to improve a horse's way of moving and improved the gaits and bend. This horse, however, is just not built for serious, competitive Dressage. Can be a nice riding horse, or maybe even do some low level western type dressage, but it really isn't fair to this mare to ask her to do something she is not built for. I doubt she would get qualifying scores at any higher than First level, if then. The score on her gaits will be at best a 5, and I would be surprised if her scores reached above a 55-57. At least in Recognized shows, the judges are scoring much better. It used to be one only saw scores between 55-65 but now they will score from 50-90, much more accurate. Arabian horses can and do overstride at the walk and canter, once their hindquarters lower with flexion at the hocks, so yes, you could get qualifying scores with enough training on most Arabians. However, IMO trying to get a horse to do something they are not built for would be very damaging to the emotional and physical wellbeing of the horse, and emotionally hard on the rider too. Why not do something the horse is more suited for? The mare will likely live a much longer productive life. Dressage is very hard on the hocks of even suitable, athletic horses. Personally I would be more likely to try to compete with a Saddlebred than this mare. Could get in the 65-70 range easily.
@@chivasmom2024 @chivasmom2024 Just because her gaits aren't great now doesn't mean they can't improve - because they can. Dressage is a great career for this mare if the owner doesn't care about winning prizes and is invested in developing the horse. There is nothing major with this mare that would stop her from doing 2nd or 3rd level someday. She is just starting out and has a lot of room for growth and your judging her like she's a 25 yo rescue auction project. Also hock issues typically don't come into play until the higher levels - the damage done by being heavy on the forehand and hollowing the back is worst long term than any strain her hocks likely won't have by moving more level. I agree if this owner cares about "qualifying scores" this likely isn't the horse for her, but that doesn't mean the horse is unsuitable for dressage. She just can't compete with warmbloods.
@@roseschaefer5079 I am not judging her like she is a 25 yr old rescue auction horse, I am judging her on her Dressage Potential and being honest. There are so many other things this horse could be doing successfully, why have her do something so difficult for her build? Jeez. Did you see how weak her back is? I am promoting something good for the horse and you act like I am being cruel. Reality is, she is not going to get the scores, because of her physical limitations. This horse is going to have to work 3x harder for what? So she can loose to a springy 3 yr old 17H Dutch warmblood that has egg shaped circles? Because that 3 yr old is going to get a 9 on gaits and if the rider has any ability whatsoever will get a 7-8 on rider scores. Jeez. People that don't want to face reality.
@@roseschaefer5079 Hock issues will come into play SO much sooner for this horse because of her build! IMO owners should do what is good for their horse. The biggest reason I got into Dressage in the first place was because of a big Appaloosa/TB mare I originally purchased for my then husband to use as a trail horse. She turned out to hate trail riding, and he decided he didn't really want a horse. She also didn't want to be anywhere near other horses and was not interested in hunter/jumper (what I had been doing). She took to Dressage easily, and progressed really well, being great at lateral movements, trot work, fabulous overstride at walk, piaffe and passage, but her canter was always a bit lacking because she paddled. Unfortunately, she found an old post hole in the stables pasture, and that was the end of her riding career. She gave me some beautiful spotted babies though! Anyway, because of this mare, and doing what was best for Her, I discovered a real love of Dressage. The "L" judge program taught me what to look for in a horse.
@@chivasmom2024 I think there is far too much emphasis on scores and ribbons. People can enjoy dressage without needing to aim for impossible expectations.
Nice willing horse. Although dressage is good for any horse, as in its truest form is the training of the horse, this horse may be more suited to the western style dressage. I mention this because this horse has a long back, downhill build and stocky body and will have difficulty progressing up the levels. Overstep of the back legs is required for higher levels and higher scores. What may not be well known, is the gaits of the horse, even in the natural state, will score higher than precise "figures" although accuracy is important, gaits are the focus, specifically the improvement of the gaits. IMO it is important to keep in mind what would be good for the horse as a "career" along with the rider's preferred style of riding. JMO
The whole idea of dressage is that it's for EVERY horse, regardless of conformation, how far it goes is dependant on so many things but to rule a horse out just because of its length of back just goes against everything that dressage stands for, time to be inclusive and encouraging to all horses and riders
@@heatherpike5230 I did begin by stating that Dressage was good for any horse. I will add that most horses can do up to level 2, but for the higher levels, to be competitive, the horse needs to have the ability. Western style dressage, on the other hand, is more focused to the western style of riding and a horse with a long back that doesn't overstride is more likely to score better in that arena. I see nothing wrong with doing what is best for the horse. One can see how much this horse is on the forehand, and the rider states this too, stating she is heavy in the front. I absolutely would not want the owner of this horse to give up on this nice mare, which is why I mentioned she would score better in western style dressage. If one doesn't care about competing at recognized shows, then it doesn't matter.
I have a mare whom is long backed tried dressage with her and she really had a difficult time going forward with self carriage. She ended up having kissing spine due to long back and possibly just the fact that was in her genetics. She is a retired thoroughbred mare never raced great on the trails but would never be a dressage horse. I see this mare struggling with the hind end is all. I would seek a vet and do some rule out of possible back or SI issues.
this mare is built downhill, and yes, the work is hard for her. Thank you for recognizing your horse's health issues and not pushing her to do something she couldn't do. I had an appendix with kissing spine and found him a nice home with a lightweight owner that loved him dearly. She occasionally sat on him and walked around on level ground, but otherwise he was just happily living life as a pampered horse.
I didn't understand most of what you said. I don't understand the terminology or how to accomplish what you were instructing. I have the same problem with the dressage teacher I had and my current hunter/jumper teacher. The horse has a nice halt, though. :) Love that you and your wife are different disciplines and that you understand both.
Please stop your instructor and ask for a deeper explanation when he/she tells you something you don’t fully understand. The principles and techniques they are using here are fundamental and many instructors think you know them (personal experience). I had a good seat, good equitation when I started studying dressage so most instructors assumed I knew these principles. Finally found someone who allowed me to progress slowly and repetitively enough to uncover “my holes” as Ryan says, and it has made all the difference in my progress.
Dressage riders make me laugh, is it just a bunch riders who eat their own? From the comments seems most of the time. Makes the sport tragic. Me and my daughter bailed from dressage for this very thing. Very sad. Emily did a great job. Some very good take aways from this training in this video, helping this horse but not get stronger yourself, loved it.
a lot of english riding is like that; there's always more comments when he shows any sort of english style of riding. I grew up riding english and the amount of drama was crazy, I switched to western and it was much better (though the barrel racers can get a few words in edgewise lol)
@@ruby_tuesday_dressage exactly why I took my young horse out of an English barn and took him to a cutting horse trainer. My horse hated the nitpicking and monotony of dressage, even though he had the breeding for it, and became an entirely different horse (very happy and easy to ride) once we put him on cows. If you love your horses, ask them what THEY love to do. They’ll tell you.
Ryan, what footing is in your arena? It looks so nice. Great video. I wish I could ride as well as Emily. (I'm working on it!) And, Rugby is gorgeous. ~Holly (Proud Patreon Patron!)
The rider "twists" in the canter. Biomechanicaly the riders hip is drawn forward by the horses lead. You can't sit "straight" in the canter without having the "twist" action. If you allow the hip slightly forward in the direction of the lead, this sorts the problem and makes canter easier for the horse. I think the riders feeling that the horse is unsteady on the shoulders is more down to this than what the horse is actually doing. When she was cantering on the circle with flextion to the outside, it was better and more balanced as it put the riders inside hip more forward. I like the horse. She has a talent for lateral work. You are a brave man teaching the missus 😂
This horse has a hollow in front of the withers which shows that she's on the forehand. She also has way more muscle development on the bottom half of the neck instead of the top. The horse is not lifting through the withers and base of the neck which will develop those muscles. BTW I'm an upper level dressage rider and coach for 40 years. Also a bodyworker and I study Phillippe Karl. He has some great exercises to create lightness
This horse doesn't look like a dressage career is in it's best interest. Heavy on the forehand, never really saw any self carriage. Halts with the hind legs behind instead of underneath her body. Also no natural impulsion. The whip is not a cure for that.
the mare could do western style dressage, if the owner wanted to pursue that discipline. Totally agree, this mare is not built for competitive dressage, and certainly not even close to 2nd level on the training scale.
Did this horse have the basics for the upper movements? if parts are locking up I think she didnt have a good foundation. She should be able to do shoulder in on the straight and on circles, ranvere and travere before she does half pass or counter canter and certainly needs to perfect them before she does changes. If she is ready for changes, half pass counter canter she should be straight in the neck and flexion only at the throatlatch.... they are all fun to figure out, harder when others have started the process and you have to step in . Also if she hangs or leans, you need to ride constantly making her shift her weight, every few strides, change bend at throatlatch and ask for a step or two of leg yeid, then straight, then change then leg yield... makes them stand up straight
Agree with this comment. I only had to watch this horse for a few seconds to question why you'd be working on half past or flying changes. Improvement in dressage always comes from returning to the basics of the Pyramid of training: Rythym, Suppleness, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness, Collection. it's good that Ryan went straight to suppleness exercises! That seemed like an appropriate place to start.
I suspect if the two of you are on UA-cam giving your opinions for free, then you’re not making a lot of money as an actual professional in the horse industry.
The mare isn't achieving self carriage. She is heavy on the forehand, which is the "pulling" or "bracing". She actually showed the beginning of self carriage when doing the counter flexion while cantering. Her shoulders came up and she engaged the hind end better. She's a PRE or Freisian, and they have trouble engaging their rear end properly. She has trouble with lateral because she's not pushing from her rear in order to be in an uphill balance and self carriage. I have scribed for decades at dressage shows, and this is a common problem with PREs. Mare has a wonderful attitude.
I've never heard anyone say PREs have trouble "pushing from the rear". Maybe modern competitive dressage does not cater to their strengths? Watch some Working Equitation videos (Spanish or Potugese) if you've never seen the Iberian breeds use their back ends. I don't know what the breeding is, but I wouldn't think either PRE or Fresian.
PREs do not have issues engaging their rear ends, lol; they were bred for disciplines that specifically require that type of movement. Working equitation is only one example.
I've heard multiple upper level dressage judges state the fact that PREs have trouble engaging their hind end because of their conformation. This includes Olympic judges.
@leonzlair1 That just shows how messed up modern competitive dressage is. It's all about "forward" but with little balance. There is precious little self carriage in competition dressage. Iberians are built more for collection and have a natural ability to tilt the pelvis.
as an english rider, i think this was was pretty good work. however, with some of those reluctances and board-like movements, i would worry about the horse’s body (thinking lyme, EPM, or chronic injury). the horse’s body isn’t very great for dressage and she clearly struggles being in the frame she should be. she doesn’t have much topline at all and she can’t track up. i don’t think i saw her take any properly tracked steps. she definitely needs more forward work than lateral work. i wouldn’t worry about the head set, as long as the hind end is engaged and the horse can move around that leg and her shoulder. she also needs a lot of work at the walk if you want her to be able to work in the canter. muscle and shape is not built in the canter.
Agree with much of this, this horse is not going forward and not tracking up at all. She’s not at the stage of doing any more advanced movements IMO. Until she is going forward (which is a basic) she’s not ready for anything else. Adding complexity on top of lack of forward will just cause the horse to curl up in front and ‘die’ more.
To improve on the forward try lots (LOTS) of transitions: walk 3 steps--trot 3 steps--walk 4 steps--trot 3 steps. Get her much more reactive to your leg. She is way too much on the forehand to score well at a show. I would skip the show and improve reactivity. Also noticed she seems to have a hump in her crest. Check for insulin resistance. My horse developed this and then had laminitis in all 4 feet. Hard to see he was lame because it was in all 4, but he sure didn't want to move forward anymore.
I agree with you Ryan that she needs more work on the flexion. What I think I saw is that instead of bending the neck, she seemed to "twist" the neck to tilt her head, and lift the mouth to give to the rein. From my understanding, that is not the bend we want. Overall I also think she was allowed to escape far too deep behind the vertical almost all the time, which puts all the weight on the forehand, making all these higher schools harder. Thoughts?
Im confused. Not familiar with english riding much. But the horse doesn't get relief? If u always ride with contact how is the horse ever knowing the right answer and not being micromanaged? If the horse cant hold the movement without rein contact? Flexion movements such as lateral and vertical make sense in that its a yield you gradually ask the horse to hold longer and longer but this discipline just seems to never give any release of pressure 🤔
There's different kinds of pressure. Just riding a horse alone is pressure, in that you are on the horse's back - that's pressure in and of itself, and you ask the horse to accept it for the entire time you're riding. Dressage requires that contact be treated as another form of steady pressure - the horse is asked to accept it, instead of asking the horse to yield to it.
@@electrowave114 yes but a bit uses pain compliance, so ur asking the horse to wear pain? Tht will ultimately make them more dull, I see a lot of riders going to heavier and heavier bits because their horse got so used to wearing the pressure. Ig it would probably work better if people regularly rode at loose rein and only asked the horse to collect for shorter amounts of time but asking for a horse to hold that position regularly just seems to defeat the purpose of it being a strength move from the horse. If asked to hold that position long term most would start losing form like a human would if asked to hold a hard movement as well.
@@amygrund3178 You are meant to intersperse the training with stretching and loose rein work, and "contact" is meant to be a light steady feel, not enough to cause pain.
@@roseschaefer5079 the concept isn't necessarily the problem it's the implementation. I've hardly ever seen contact that did not result in the bit being active in the mouth and people doing majority loose rein work with contact as a supplement. So my issue with it is the real world application not the concept you just described.
Not all horses are meant for dressage, and I have my doubts about this one. Prove me wrong, I would be delighted. Interesting and informative video, thanks!
@@dawncarney5161 One ridiculous and uninformed comment does not prove me wrong. My concern was with this particular horse and whether they could get it to where it needed to be.😉
Do you mean *compete* in dressage? Dressage is good for all horses, it helps them be soft and carry themselves. But I do agree not all horses are built to compete in it
@@armoredwings4182 I was responding to this video because they are training the horse for competition, and that is what I meant about not all horses are trainable to do such. I should probably have expanded my comment to include that.🤷🏻♀️
I like when people talk about bad things a horse does it’s like they are telling on them lols, like she does this this this. Instead of she’s doing this I’m not sure why or how to help that
They're used as cues when used properly, _not_ to punish the horse - when used properly, they cause no more pain than a light finger tap, they're supposed to be used to provide another point of contact, allowing for more complex aid combinations (for high tier maneouvers that cannot be communicated very well otherwise). It's their _improper_ use that they are infamous for - the abusive gouging of a horse's sides with them. Spurs are _not_ supposed to be used for that, and it's only bad or poorly-taught riders who use them that way. They are required at high levels of dressage competition, and in some other disciplines as well, to my memory. You do not get the option to _not_ use them, once past a certain level. They become mandatory due to the rules. But they are neither harmful, painful, nor abusive when used _correctly_ instead of as punishment.
I know it's all the rage lately, but you are riding your horse behind the vertical. Come on equestrians, let's stop the behind the vertical stuff. Poll high not crest high!
Horses must develop a tremendous amount of strength and self-carriage to be high at the poll. For this level and with this conformation the horse is fine. What's not good is when Olympic level GP riders ride crest high and btv - they are meant to be the standard for the ultimate goal of dressage, and they are failing.
American English will soon be evolve into pidgeon English and the letter T will soon be lost to the language. Now here I hear of the cowner canner. What's strange is that Ryan's mispronunciation is only occasional. Why not set up a Unined States Innernational Cowner Canner Commidee.
@@stephanie-lettherebelight Some horses are born strong and stretchy, also flexible with 3 clean gaits. Overstep in the walk and canter is one of the first things I look for in a dressage prospect. For the upper levels, a superior canter is vital, as there is a lot of canter work. Born broke? Well, not so much but I have started a few that had what I call "old brains" and were super easy to start.
They all are not born to have the physical and mental abilities needed for any and everything like dressage, racing, eventing, cutting, jumping and so on. That is why certain breeds are bred for specific purposes. You are certainly entitled to your opinion and purchase any horse you like for the purpose you like.
Agree. There is nothing wrong with using dressage to improve a horse's way of moving and improved the gaits and bend. This horse, however, is just not built for serious, competitive Dressage. Can be a nice riding horse, or maybe even do some low level western type dressage, but it really isn't fair to this mare to ask her to do something she is not built for.
If you would like to have me as your horsemanship coach. I post new training videos every week and answer your questions on my patreon page. Go to www.patreon.com/ryanrosehorsemanship
My comments were not posted to be critical of you, your spouse, or your training. Imho, not even every Warmbood breed can excel at dressage. For example, "The Hanoverian is a noble, correctly proportioned Warmblood horse with natural balance, impulsion and elegant, elastic movements characterized by a floating trot, a round rhythmic canter, and a ground-covering walk" This quote is from the Hanoverian Society of desirable dressage character. I am certainly not a dressage expert, but this is one opinion of an organization that is an expert on the desirable qualities that are sought in a dressage prospect.
Takes a lot of courage to ask your spouse for training advice when you're an accomplished horse woman yourself. Love how you treat each other with respect, and are combining learning from different disciplines Kudos to you both! Great video!
I wish more dressage lessons would be like this. It was a pleasure watching this sweet horse become more connected and supple throughout this lesson. Great exercises, giving a rider a way to Guage how ready the horse is for this work. If the horse is not, the rider has been given a way to go back to a more basic activity to fix it. And since Dressage means "training", NOT "movements", it's nice to see how much good training can improve a less than perfect horse. And, bonus! This lesson includes horsemanship principles. ❤
Wow a lot of horsesplaining in these comments. You realize the rider is his wife who is a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner right?
I'm not interested in the riders credentials, I use my eyes.
@@sarahwagland1559 The credentials inform the context of what your eyes are observing - your eyes are not psychic, they can only acquire information outside of its context. The brain, and language, exist for a reason.
@@sarahwagland1559glasses or contacts
I didn’t get that impression at all. I feel it was more explanation to the YT audience.
I don’t even own a horse but enjoy watching lol Glad to meet Emile too!! Carry on, thanks for sharing your talents and expertise!
The canter improved quite a bit. Emily did great, she's such a good rider, able to immediately grasp and implement Ryan's ideas. That is not an easy mare to ride.
Nice to see you two talented folks working together. Ryan is an amazing diagnostician when it comes to helping the horses to understand and Emily has lots of talent to ride the instructions well. Fun to watch!
Everyone thinks they are a horse expert , but FEW actually are .Keep up the great work Ryan !!
And the less you think you need to learn, the more you do
Agreed ^^
I LOVE when you and Emily do videos together!!
Fab lesson! Dressage rider here 🙋🏻♀️ that’s exactly how we would have fixed the issue too. I’m glad Ryan mentioned the adjustability , so perfect 👍🏾 I’m sure as the mare gains strength and is more adjustable, she will find it super easy 🎉
I’m laughing at these comments. Loved this and applaud you for being able to work this well together. Dressage (when done the way it is supposed to be done) will make all horses better, so don’t agree with the comment that some horses are not meant for a dressage. All the comments about Emily‘s position may have some valid points, but I think it’s because this mare is out of balance and pulling her out of position. It’s super hard to ride an unbalanced horse. I rode my half Clydesdale for 21 years and it was the biggest workout I’ve ever had in riding! Cheers to her. I do think that in counter cantor the mare tilted her balance forward and if she can somehow keep her shoulders back over her hips, it might help the mare out a little bit. But, again, that is a big mare who needs to get a little stronger, and it is so hard to ride ina steady position when those big horses get out of balance!
True reflection of a good relationship wife can be a great pupil and husband a great teacher. Very 'grown up' people!! And the horses benefit hugely😊😊
You guys are a great team! It is a pleasure to see a dressage horse relax . I like the isolation of the exercises.
Love watching you and Emily together in training❤❤❤❤
More like this ❤ I ride English and focus on dressage, working equitation but do a great deal of ground work focused on the mind and developing understanding. All disciplines can learn so much from each other and I love that you two came together for this video showing that.
I enjoyed this video as it shows their ability to collaborate despite differing in their riding styles. I also enjoyed seeing them doing a video together...was great. 😊
That was awesome, simply put easy understandable, I really love when different disciplines support and enhance each other. Were I live styles of riding are so separated, its as if you use something from a different style your going straight to hell. Iv seen people tense when iv been teaching if i speak the name of a discipline that my student doesn’t do.
Well now I have a great positive video to go “ well go check this out and tell me what you think” thanks guys for being awesome
Thanks
Wow riding is not easy! You did a great job of guiding Emily through. Most of this is way over my head. (Not a rider.)
Ryan’s explanation at 7.48 about having a stick to keep the horse going forward because the rider can’t use her legs to keep the horse going forward (and sideways at the same time) is the crux of the problem. The horse should go forward of its own volition, not be constantly told to go forward from either the legs or stick. Because this horse is not going forward ON ITS OWN it can’t develop the self carriage to perform any advanced movement (like flying change) well. Constantly reminding it to go forward from leg or stick will just dull it to the aids and the horse will end up shuffling along doing a poor imitation of the movements. First fix the forward.
horse is built downhill, so this is very difficult for the horse. IMO more suited to western style dressage, where it would likely score well.
@@chivasmom2024dressage done well will help any horse learn how to use it’s body most efficiently. Whatever a horse eventually specializes in, dressage (which means training) is a great way to set them up for success and longevity
@@FluxyMiniscus absolutely. But one must be realistic in the innate ability of the horse and respect that. I actually think this mare is doing fairly well at these exercises, but she is definitely not at a point in her training where she is ready for 2nd level. I am thinking she should be training at 1st level and can be competing at training level.
this is PROCESS, not PRODUCT. Very different! When the horse is balanced, they will FIND forward on their own.
@@FluxyMiniscus I will add I have never heard of anyone sending a dressage horse to a trainer. Dressage is a process of developing the horse, but the rider also must learn correctly. Older schoolmasters may be used or purchased to help young riders learn, but 99.99% of Dressage riders have instruction with their own horse. They do not send a horse to a "trainer" to be trained, unless a young horse just learning how to be backed. I have known a lot of upper level dressage riders that send their 3-4 yr old youngsters to a "cowboy" to start them under saddle. Once they have been backed a few times, they are ready to begin their formal education under saddle.
Would love to take writing lessons from this man. And learn his craft. What an expert I’m just knowing the animal.
Emily is an amazing rider!!!! Hopefully the horse gets better in her confidence and balance!
Lots of people are commenting that this mare has too poor conformation to be a good dressage horse. I completely disagree. Sure, she's likely not going to Grand Prix and might not get 70's on her tests but with some more development she might make a great little 2nd-3rd level horse, which is enough for a USDF bronze medal and a great achievement.
Any horse can do dressage, but more than that I think is just takes some horses longer to get there than others. I have an Arabian mare I'm developing myself and it took two years of hard work to develop her topline into anything resembling a dressage horse and to completely overhaul her gates from plowing downhill to decently level and beginning to get more uphill. It's certainly doable - you just need to be willing to work harder for it.
There is nothing wrong with using dressage to improve a horse's way of moving and improved the gaits and bend. This horse, however, is just not built for serious, competitive Dressage. Can be a nice riding horse, or maybe even do some low level western type dressage, but it really isn't fair to this mare to ask her to do something she is not built for. I doubt she would get qualifying scores at any higher than First level, if then. The score on her gaits will be at best a 5, and I would be surprised if her scores reached above a 55-57. At least in Recognized shows, the judges are scoring much better. It used to be one only saw scores between 55-65 but now they will score from 50-90, much more accurate.
Arabian horses can and do overstride at the walk and canter, once their hindquarters lower with flexion at the hocks, so yes, you could get qualifying scores with enough training on most Arabians. However, IMO trying to get a horse to do something they are not built for would be very damaging to the emotional and physical wellbeing of the horse, and emotionally hard on the rider too. Why not do something the horse is more suited for? The mare will likely live a much longer productive life. Dressage is very hard on the hocks of even suitable, athletic horses. Personally I would be more likely to try to compete with a Saddlebred than this mare. Could get in the 65-70 range easily.
@@chivasmom2024 @chivasmom2024 Just because her gaits aren't great now doesn't mean they can't improve - because they can. Dressage is a great career for this mare if the owner doesn't care about winning prizes and is invested in developing the horse. There is nothing major with this mare that would stop her from doing 2nd or 3rd level someday. She is just starting out and has a lot of room for growth and your judging her like she's a 25 yo rescue auction project. Also hock issues typically don't come into play until the higher levels - the damage done by being heavy on the forehand and hollowing the back is worst long term than any strain her hocks likely won't have by moving more level.
I agree if this owner cares about "qualifying scores" this likely isn't the horse for her, but that doesn't mean the horse is unsuitable for dressage. She just can't compete with warmbloods.
@@roseschaefer5079 I am not judging her like she is a 25 yr old rescue auction horse, I am judging her on her Dressage Potential and being honest. There are so many other things this horse could be doing successfully, why have her do something so difficult for her build? Jeez. Did you see how weak her back is? I am promoting something good for the horse and you act like I am being cruel. Reality is, she is not going to get the scores, because of her physical limitations. This horse is going to have to work 3x harder for what? So she can loose to a springy 3 yr old 17H Dutch warmblood that has egg shaped circles? Because that 3 yr old is going to get a 9 on gaits and if the rider has any ability whatsoever will get a 7-8 on rider scores. Jeez. People that don't want to face reality.
@@roseschaefer5079 Hock issues will come into play SO much sooner for this horse because of her build! IMO owners should do what is good for their horse. The biggest reason I got into Dressage in the first place was because of a big Appaloosa/TB mare I originally purchased for my then husband to use as a trail horse. She turned out to hate trail riding, and he decided he didn't really want a horse. She also didn't want to be anywhere near other horses and was not interested in hunter/jumper (what I had been doing). She took to Dressage easily, and progressed really well, being great at lateral movements, trot work, fabulous overstride at walk, piaffe and passage, but her canter was always a bit lacking because she paddled. Unfortunately, she found an old post hole in the stables pasture, and that was the end of her riding career. She gave me some beautiful spotted babies though! Anyway, because of this mare, and doing what was best for Her, I discovered a real love of Dressage. The "L" judge program taught me what to look for in a horse.
@@chivasmom2024 I think there is far too much emphasis on scores and ribbons. People can enjoy dressage without needing to aim for impossible expectations.
Awesome! Great riding Emily
Your knowledge is impressive Ryan 😊
Nice willing horse. Although dressage is good for any horse, as in its truest form is the training of the horse, this horse may be more suited to the western style dressage. I mention this because this horse has a long back, downhill build and stocky body and will have difficulty progressing up the levels. Overstep of the back legs is required for higher levels and higher scores. What may not be well known, is the gaits of the horse, even in the natural state, will score higher than precise "figures" although accuracy is important, gaits are the focus, specifically the improvement of the gaits. IMO it is important to keep in mind what would be good for the horse as a "career" along with the rider's preferred style of riding. JMO
The whole idea of dressage is that it's for EVERY horse, regardless of conformation, how far it goes is dependant on so many things but to rule a horse out just because of its length of back just goes against everything that dressage stands for, time to be inclusive and encouraging to all horses and riders
@@heatherpike5230 I did begin by stating that Dressage was good for any horse. I will add that most horses can do up to level 2, but for the higher levels, to be competitive, the horse needs to have the ability. Western style dressage, on the other hand, is more focused to the western style of riding and a horse with a long back that doesn't overstride is more likely to score better in that arena. I see nothing wrong with doing what is best for the horse. One can see how much this horse is on the forehand, and the rider states this too, stating she is heavy in the front. I absolutely would not want the owner of this horse to give up on this nice mare, which is why I mentioned she would score better in western style dressage. If one doesn't care about competing at recognized shows, then it doesn't matter.
So impressive, Ryan and Emily!
Such a cool couple....such respect and admiration for each other in every way.......
Way to go Rugby, Emily and Ryan! Can’t wait to see Rugby and Becky play with this stuff!
I really like this one, I learned a lot.
Awesome work!
Loved watching this
Great video. Id love to see more like it.
Thanks 👍
I have a mare whom is long backed tried dressage with her and she really had a difficult time going forward with self carriage. She ended up having kissing spine due to long back and possibly just the fact that was in her genetics. She is a retired thoroughbred mare never raced great on the trails but would never be a dressage horse. I see this mare struggling with the hind end is all. I would seek a vet and do some rule out of possible back or SI issues.
this mare is built downhill, and yes, the work is hard for her. Thank you for recognizing your horse's health issues and not pushing her to do something she couldn't do. I had an appendix with kissing spine and found him a nice home with a lightweight owner that loved him dearly. She occasionally sat on him and walked around on level ground, but otherwise he was just happily living life as a pampered horse.
@@chivasmom2024yes agree, I also have to give acknowledgement to Ryan’s wife she is an excellent rider.
I didn't understand most of what you said. I don't understand the terminology or how to accomplish what you were instructing. I have the same problem with the dressage teacher I had and my current hunter/jumper teacher. The horse has a nice halt, though. :) Love that you and your wife are different disciplines and that you understand both.
Please stop your instructor and ask for a deeper explanation when he/she tells you something you don’t fully understand. The principles and techniques they are using here are fundamental and many instructors think you know them (personal experience). I had a good seat, good equitation when I started studying dressage so most instructors assumed I knew these principles. Finally found someone who allowed me to progress slowly and repetitively enough to uncover “my holes” as Ryan says, and it has made all the difference in my progress.
Great video! She’s getting there!!! So much better!!! The hind end is less out to china then at beginning . Cool to watch progression
Love this! So helpful thank you both!
Dressage riders make me laugh, is it just a bunch riders who eat their own? From the comments seems most of the time. Makes the sport tragic. Me and my daughter bailed from dressage for this very thing. Very sad. Emily did a great job. Some very good take aways from this training in this video, helping this horse but not get stronger yourself, loved it.
Same here! I switched to Western riding. I barrel for fun. Dressage was like being in middle school all over again. Emily was great!
a lot of english riding is like that; there's always more comments when he shows any sort of english style of riding. I grew up riding english and the amount of drama was crazy, I switched to western and it was much better (though the barrel racers can get a few words in edgewise lol)
I’m a dressage rider and I can confirm 99% of the community is so toxic..they forget how to laugh and have fun😅
I think you all need to try 3 day eventing. Best community ever since we are all crazy!!
@@ruby_tuesday_dressage exactly why I took my young horse out of an English barn and took him to a cutting horse trainer. My horse hated the nitpicking and monotony of dressage, even though he had the breeding for it, and became an entirely different horse (very happy and easy to ride) once we put him on cows. If you love your horses, ask them what THEY love to do. They’ll tell you.
Just love you guys!!!!
This was a great video ❤ thanks to both of you.❤
Notice how when the mare feels doft in the video during some of the canter work, her head is on or slightly ahead of the vertical.Check it out.
Ryan, what footing is in your arena? It looks so nice. Great video. I wish I could ride as well as Emily. (I'm working on it!) And, Rugby is gorgeous. ~Holly (Proud Patreon Patron!)
The rider "twists" in the canter. Biomechanicaly the riders hip is drawn forward by the horses lead. You can't sit "straight" in the canter without having the "twist" action. If you allow the hip slightly forward in the direction of the lead, this sorts the problem and makes canter easier for the horse. I think the riders feeling that the horse is unsteady on the shoulders is more down to this than what the horse is actually doing.
When she was cantering on the circle with flextion to the outside, it was better and more balanced as it put the riders inside hip more forward.
I like the horse. She has a talent for lateral work.
You are a brave man teaching the missus 😂
That was great watching you two work together. Now can we see Emily coach you in the dressage saddle? 😉😄
Thanks for these videos. You are blessed to have a wonderful wife!
Amazing lesson
Great video. Thank you
This horse has a hollow in front of the withers which shows that she's on the forehand. She also has way more muscle development on the bottom half of the neck instead of the top. The horse is not lifting through the withers and base of the neck which will develop those muscles. BTW I'm an upper level dressage rider and coach for 40 years. Also a bodyworker and I study Phillippe Karl. He has some great exercises to create lightness
Dressage it's not overbending horse neck. This horse is on front legs all time. Hind legs are not step under the body.
Love your work! What happened to you your recent colab video with Horse Training Pro? Looks like his is gone to?!
This horse doesn't look like a dressage career is in it's best interest. Heavy on the forehand, never really saw any self carriage. Halts with the hind legs behind instead of underneath her body. Also no natural impulsion. The whip is not a cure for that.
the mare could do western style dressage, if the owner wanted to pursue that discipline. Totally agree, this mare is not built for competitive dressage, and certainly not even close to 2nd level on the training scale.
Did this horse have the basics for the upper movements? if parts are locking up I think she didnt have a good foundation. She should be able to do shoulder in on the straight and on circles, ranvere and travere before she does half pass or counter canter and certainly needs to perfect them before she does changes. If she is ready for changes, half pass counter canter she should be straight in the neck and flexion only at the throatlatch.... they are all fun to figure out, harder when others have started the process and you have to step in .
Also if she hangs or leans, you need to ride constantly making her shift her weight, every few strides, change bend at throatlatch and ask for a step or two of leg yeid, then straight, then change then leg yield... makes them stand up straight
Agree with this comment. I only had to watch this horse for a few seconds to question why you'd be working on half past or flying changes. Improvement in dressage always comes from returning to the basics of the Pyramid of training: Rythym, Suppleness, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness, Collection. it's good that Ryan went straight to suppleness exercises! That seemed like an appropriate place to start.
I suspect if the two of you are on UA-cam giving your opinions for free, then you’re not making a lot of money as an actual professional in the horse industry.
The mare isn't achieving self carriage. She is heavy on the forehand, which is the "pulling" or "bracing". She actually showed the beginning of self carriage when doing the counter flexion while cantering. Her shoulders came up and she engaged the hind end better. She's a PRE or Freisian, and they have trouble engaging their rear end properly. She has trouble with lateral because she's not pushing from her rear in order to be in an uphill balance and self carriage. I have scribed for decades at dressage shows, and this is a common problem with PREs. Mare has a wonderful attitude.
I've never heard anyone say PREs have trouble "pushing from the rear". Maybe modern competitive dressage does not cater to their strengths? Watch some Working Equitation videos (Spanish or Potugese) if you've never seen the Iberian breeds use their back ends.
I don't know what the breeding is, but I wouldn't think either PRE or Fresian.
PREs do not have issues engaging their rear ends, lol; they were bred for disciplines that specifically require that type of movement. Working equitation is only one example.
This is no more a Friesian than I am
I've heard multiple upper level dressage judges state the fact that PREs have trouble engaging their hind end because of their conformation. This includes Olympic judges.
@leonzlair1
That just shows how messed up modern competitive dressage is. It's all about "forward" but with little balance. There is precious little self carriage in competition dressage. Iberians are built more for collection and have a natural ability to tilt the pelvis.
as an english rider, i think this was was pretty good work. however, with some of those reluctances and board-like movements, i would worry about the horse’s body (thinking lyme, EPM, or chronic injury). the horse’s body isn’t very great for dressage and she clearly struggles being in the frame she should be. she doesn’t have much topline at all and she can’t track up. i don’t think i saw her take any properly tracked steps. she definitely needs more forward work than lateral work. i wouldn’t worry about the head set, as long as the hind end is engaged and the horse can move around that leg and her shoulder. she also needs a lot of work at the walk if you want her to be able to work in the canter. muscle and shape is not built in the canter.
It's lame near hind. Maybe a pelvis issue. Needs to go back to basic groundwork.
Agree with much of this, this horse is not going forward and not tracking up at all. She’s not at the stage of doing any more advanced movements IMO. Until she is going forward (which is a basic) she’s not ready for anything else. Adding complexity on top of lack of forward will just cause the horse to curl up in front and ‘die’ more.
To improve on the forward try lots (LOTS) of transitions: walk 3 steps--trot 3 steps--walk 4 steps--trot 3 steps. Get her much more reactive to your leg. She is way too much on the forehand to score well at a show. I would skip the show and improve reactivity. Also noticed she seems to have a hump in her crest. Check for insulin resistance. My horse developed this and then had laminitis in all 4 feet. Hard to see he was lame because it was in all 4, but he sure didn't want to move forward anymore.
Isn't the rider a trained horse physiotherapist? I'm sure she would have checked the soundness of this horse (as would Ryan)
the rider is a physiotherapist . . . I think she'd have gotten them checked out before trying anymore intensive training.
I agree with you Ryan that she needs more work on the flexion. What I think I saw is that instead of bending the neck, she seemed to "twist" the neck to tilt her head, and lift the mouth to give to the rein. From my understanding, that is not the bend we want. Overall I also think she was allowed to escape far too deep behind the vertical almost all the time, which puts all the weight on the forehand, making all these higher schools harder. Thoughts?
Lame near hind, pelvic problem maybe? This is way too much for it. Needs to go back to basic groundwork to sort out the problem.
she has a thick, stocky build including the neck. This is hard for her
Im confused. Not familiar with english riding much. But the horse doesn't get relief? If u always ride with contact how is the horse ever knowing the right answer and not being micromanaged? If the horse cant hold the movement without rein contact? Flexion movements such as lateral and vertical make sense in that its a yield you gradually ask the horse to hold longer and longer but this discipline just seems to never give any release of pressure 🤔
There's different kinds of pressure. Just riding a horse alone is pressure, in that you are on the horse's back - that's pressure in and of itself, and you ask the horse to accept it for the entire time you're riding. Dressage requires that contact be treated as another form of steady pressure - the horse is asked to accept it, instead of asking the horse to yield to it.
@@electrowave114 yes but a bit uses pain compliance, so ur asking the horse to wear pain? Tht will ultimately make them more dull, I see a lot of riders going to heavier and heavier bits because their horse got so used to wearing the pressure. Ig it would probably work better if people regularly rode at loose rein and only asked the horse to collect for shorter amounts of time but asking for a horse to hold that position regularly just seems to defeat the purpose of it being a strength move from the horse. If asked to hold that position long term most would start losing form like a human would if asked to hold a hard movement as well.
@@amygrund3178 You are meant to intersperse the training with stretching and loose rein work, and "contact" is meant to be a light steady feel, not enough to cause pain.
@@roseschaefer5079 the concept isn't necessarily the problem it's the implementation. I've hardly ever seen contact that did not result in the bit being active in the mouth and people doing majority loose rein work with contact as a supplement. So my issue with it is the real world application not the concept you just described.
Not all horses are meant for dressage, and I have my doubts about this one. Prove me wrong, I would be delighted. Interesting and informative video, thanks!
No, you can ride dressage with any horse. This rider isn't at a level where she can school a horse. Starts with her seat and hands.
😂 I see you were wrong
@@dawncarney5161 One ridiculous and uninformed comment does not prove me wrong. My concern was with this particular horse and whether they could get it to where it needed to be.😉
Do you mean *compete* in dressage? Dressage is good for all horses, it helps them be soft and carry themselves. But I do agree not all horses are built to compete in it
@@armoredwings4182 I was responding to this video because they are training the horse for competition, and that is what I meant about not all horses are trainable to do such. I should probably have expanded my comment to include that.🤷🏻♀️
🥰❤️🐎
I like when people talk about bad things a horse does it’s like they are telling on them lols, like she does this this this. Instead of she’s doing this I’m not sure why or how to help that
👍
Do people really still use spurs while riding? 😲
They're used as cues when used properly, _not_ to punish the horse - when used properly, they cause no more pain than a light finger tap, they're supposed to be used to provide another point of contact, allowing for more complex aid combinations (for high tier maneouvers that cannot be communicated very well otherwise).
It's their _improper_ use that they are infamous for - the abusive gouging of a horse's sides with them. Spurs are _not_ supposed to be used for that, and it's only bad or poorly-taught riders who use them that way.
They are required at high levels of dressage competition, and in some other disciplines as well, to my memory. You do not get the option to _not_ use them, once past a certain level. They become mandatory due to the rules. But they are neither harmful, painful, nor abusive when used _correctly_ instead of as punishment.
How many people were secretly waiting for a couple fight to break out?
Ryan is an amazing trainer. But....her spurs are crazy....WHY so severe??
Not the correct job for this poor little horse. Great trainers though!
Why
I know it's all the rage lately, but you are riding your horse behind the vertical. Come on equestrians, let's stop the behind the vertical stuff. Poll high not crest high!
Horses must develop a tremendous amount of strength and self-carriage to be high at the poll. For this level and with this conformation the horse is fine. What's not good is when Olympic level GP riders ride crest high and btv - they are meant to be the standard for the ultimate goal of dressage, and they are failing.
American English will soon be evolve into pidgeon English and the letter T will soon be lost to the language. Now here I hear of the cowner canner. What's strange is that Ryan's mispronunciation is only occasional. Why not set up a Unined States Innernational Cowner Canner Commidee.
It's a Midwest thing. It depends on how the sentence is structured that the tough slip happens
Rider needs to work on her independent hands, including hand positioning and seat.
Totally agree with that.
Not meaning to be critical. Dressage requires lots of strength, reach, and flexibility. She is a great riding horse but not as a dressage horse. Imho
Are they born broke? Strong? And stretchy?
@@stephanie-lettherebelight Some horses are born strong and stretchy, also flexible with 3 clean gaits. Overstep in the walk and canter is one of the first things I look for in a dressage prospect. For the upper levels, a superior canter is vital, as there is a lot of canter work. Born broke? Well, not so much but I have started a few that had what I call "old brains" and were super easy to start.
They all are not born to have the physical and mental abilities needed for any and everything like dressage, racing, eventing, cutting, jumping and so on. That is why certain breeds are bred for specific purposes. You are certainly entitled to your opinion and purchase any horse you like for the purpose you like.
Imho this hose is not capable beyond beginner dressage. She just doesn't have the athletic ability to compete.
Is 2nd level not beginner?
Agree. There is nothing wrong with using dressage to improve a horse's way of moving and improved the gaits and bend. This horse, however, is just not built for serious, competitive Dressage. Can be a nice riding horse, or maybe even do some low level western type dressage, but it really isn't fair to this mare to ask her to do something she is not built for.
This horse is lame. It has a problem with its near hind. This is way too much work for this horse. It needs to go back to basic ground work.
What is “near hind”. Left or right?
I’m thinking left hind
thr rider is literally an equine physiotherapist lol
@@casdragon_5939Use your eyes.
Can definitely diagnose from a video 🤦🏽♀️ education people.
So she doesn’t trust you? Why is that? It is nothing your audience did. We are not to blame.