Dressage Today

15/12/2025

🐴"Despite their large, powerful stature, horses have relatively small, simple stomachs, and any type of unnatural horse-keeping can lead to gastrointestinal problems. Gastric ulcers commonly occur in horses involved in intense exercise and risk factors include exercising more than five days a week, stress and a high-energy diet."🐴
~ Anthony Bliksager, DVM, Ph.D., on managing GI issues in sporthorses

Modern-day management methods put dressage horses more at risk for tummy troubles. From the stomach to the hindgut, we take a comprehensive look at equine GI issues and offer management and treatment strategies to keep your horse healthy, happy and performing his best.

Click on the link below to learn how to build a healthier gut and optimize your dressage horse's GI health.

Modern-day management methods put dressage horses more at risk for tummy troubles. From the stomach to the hindgut, we take a comprehensive look at equine GI issues and offer management and treatment strategies to keep your horse healthy, happy and performing his best.

14/12/2025

🐴“Horses have been part of my story since before I was born, and they still bring me joy every single day. Working with LeMieux felt completely natural—a way to unite my love of riding with my commitment to conscious, innovative design. This collection showcases sustainability with a modern approach to equestrian wear."🐴
~ Longtime equestrian and British fashion icon Stella McCartney on a new collaboration between her brand and LeMieux

In celebration of horses and nature, LeMieux and Stella McCartney partner to design a new collection that fuses luxury fashion with technical performance wear for the modern rider. Click on the link below to learn more and view the collection.

The equestrian brand LeMieux collaborates with longtime rider and British fashion icon Stella McCartney to create a new line of rider apparel that blends luxury fashion with technical performance.

13/12/2025

🐴 DT GALLOP POLL!🐴 We asked, you answered! Between your tack trunk, garage and the back of your car, how many saddle pads do you currently own ... if you had to venture a guess?

Max: 100-ish
Min: 15
Average: 25

Some of other favorite and hilarious answers:

"This is a trick! No comment."
~ Lassena W.

"Umm ... that's like asking a woman her age and weight. How offensive!"
~ Brittney F.

"I don't have to guess. I have 54."
~ Ami A.

"My husband recently asked me this, and I told him he didn't want to know."
~ Ingrid H.

There's just something exciting about getting a new saddle pad—whether it's simply a fun, new shade or pattern to pair with matching polos or you're trying a new ergonomic design to help your horse perform better.

12/12/2025

🐴"In the beginning of your passage work, you don’t want high cadence; you only want to confirm the regularity. The steps of passage have to be exactly the same, not a long stride then a short one or a quick one and then a slow one. Even if the passage is a bit flat, we work to make it regular and consistent in the rhythm."🐴
~ Hubertus Schmidt, on introducing your dressage horse to passage and piaffe

German dressage master Hubertus Schmidt explains how to train these challenging movements, including the necessary four rein aids, and offers tips for common passage and piaffe problems. Click on the link in the Comments below to use his tips to improve your horse's passage and piaffe.

11/12/2025

🐴NEW DT Podcast: Aviva and Stephany Catch Up & How to Use Your Time Outside the Arena🐴

In the latest episode of the Dressage Today Podcast, Aviva and Stephany chat about their latest wins, losses and learning opportunities, and Aviva answers an Ask the L question about how to best use your time outside the arena—before and after the bell has rung. She offers great tips on what’s OK, what should be avoided and what to do if your horse has a “moment” as you’re about to enter the show ring.

Click on the link below to listen! As always, if you enjoy our podcasts, please like and share them on social media.

Aviva and Stephany chat about their latest wins, losses and learning opportunities, and Aviva answers an Ask the L question about how to best use your time outside the arena—before and after the bell has rung.

10/12/2025

🐴 Dressage Today Fan Challenge!🐴

Send us your most creative captions for this pic snapped by our incredible staff photographer Amy K. Draggo!

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09/12/2025

🐴"Make sure both you and your horse are fit and sound going into a clinic to get the most of out of your participation. I also make sure that if we’ve traveled, my horse is comfortable in the new surroundings so that the experience isn’t wasted on getting him to relax."🐴
~ USDF bronze, silver and gold medalist and dressage clinician J.J. Tate offers advice on how to best prepare for your next dressage clinic

Dressage clinics offer an ideal opportunity to learn from top instructors in the sport from around the globe. Click on the link below for 9 savvy ways you and your horse can prepare to get the most out of your next clinic and for our handy dressage clinic packing checklist.

Dressage clinics offer an ideal opportunity to learn from top instructors in the sport. We look at some smart ways you and your horse can prepare to get the most out of your next clinic and offer a clinic packing list.

08/12/2025

🐴"The horse relaxes from the rhythmic application of his rider’s aids. Once he is relaxed, he becomes more obedient to properly timed aids. As he gains even more understanding, he becomes quick and responsive to the hand, leg and seat. At that point, the aids can then have their desired effect."🐴
~ George Williams, explaining why it's crucial to develop relaxation in your dressage horse

Click on the link below for Williams' 6 "kindergarten" exercises to encourage relaxation in your horse and to help you better understand the rhythmic application and timing of the aids.

George Williams shares his system to teach your dressage horse to respond to your aids.

07/12/2025

🐴DRESSAGE SOLUTIONS!🐴 How to tell when your horse is forward enough ...

Your horse is forward enough when he feels drawn to a place as if to a magnet. He wants to carry you in a powerful but balanced rhythm.
— USDF bronze, silver and gold medalist Chris Hickey

📸 Sandy Rabinowitz

05/12/2025

🐴 ✅"To help improve my posture and balance, I have a specific checklist I use to start every ride. Go through your own personal checklist for the first few minutes to find your center of balance and connect your postural muscles. Once you’ve done this, you’ll start to feel how your horse is moving on any given day."✅🐴
~ Shannon Peters, on creating a personal checklist to start every ride off right

Click on the link below for Peters' personal checklist and for her tips on how you can create your own list to improve your posture and balance and make your aids clearer to your horse.

Dressage trainer Shannon Peters shares her riding checklist and offers tips on how you can create your own list to improve your posture and balance and make your aids clearer to your horse.

04/12/2025

🐴THROWBACK THURSDAY!🐴 "In 1969, in south of Bavaria, a strong-boned, old-fashioned-looking, plain bay horse with a big head showed his gaits by roaming loose around two people with sharp, knowledgeable eyes. Not even back then, when the breeding of dressage horses was a far cry from today, would any dressage rider have looked for a horse like that."
~ Excerpt from a past Dressage Today article, "Granat: An Unlikely Dressage Champion"

Click on the link below to revisit this golden oldie about the life and career of Christine Stückelberger’s Olympic champion—Holsteiner/Thoroughbred Granat.

The life and career of Christine Stückelberger’s Olympic champion—Holsteiner/Thoroughbred Granat.

03/12/2025

🐴"Ride a downward transition from trot to walk by driving the horse into a resisting (not pulling) hand. This will increase impulsion and shorten his stride. Resistance from the hand in combination with forward drive from your seat and leg will tell him to come down to a walk."🐴
~ Olympic dressage rider Cindy Ishoy, on how to correctly ride a downward transition

In her "Dressage Schooling Notebook," Ishoy explains why transitions are crucial to help your horse progress through the levels and provides a series of upward and downward transition exercises to incorporate into your schooling work. Click on the link below to start perfecting your dressage horse's transitions!

Strengthen and supple your horse with a series of upward and downward transitions.