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Premier online equestrian education and riding lessons, led by legendary horseman Bernie Traurig. Clinic and Workshop bookings for 2026 available now!

Equestriancoach.com www.EquestrianCoach.com is online equestrian education by the industry's top professionals and superstars all on one website. We feature the most talented equestrians on the planet, capture their expertise on video and deliver it to the viewer.

09/23/2026

The following hand and regulation of stride. Kristen came to me with her OTTB, JC, for some help as JC had a tendency to get a bit too aggressive at the jumps, particularly in combinations, and jump past his arc. In our lesson, we first addressed Kristen’s lower leg and established a greater base of support which fosters complete independence of the arms from the body. I then introduced one of my favorite exercises, The Kusner Gymnastic, to not only help JC in combinations, but to work with Kristen and her release. Through this, Kristen was able to move away from a crest release and establish a beautiful following arm, or automatic release. I illustrate the importance of maintaining consistent, tactful connection with an elastic arm in Kristen’s particular case as it tremendously helped her OTTB, JC, to regulate his stride in combinations, to not jump past his arc, and to feel a greater sense of security and connection with Kristen. Kristen’s previous habit of using a crest release and abandoning the contact was quickly resolved by establishing greater lower leg support and maintaining connection with an elastic arm and following hand in the air. You can watch our lesson, “Training the OTTB—Session Two,” by clicking the link in bio or visiting https://equestriancoach.com/courses/training-ottb-horse-session-two/

Bernie Traurig

09/19/2026

Bernie Traurig on Show Jumping Hall of Famer, Jet Run, highlights this phenomenal horse's career. Footage is from their 1974 Grand Prix round at the Gold Cup in Pennsylvania when Jet Run was only six years old.

09/15/2026

Equitation Tip: Leg position. Bert De Nemethy states, “Nothing of any substance can be built on a flimsy foundation.” A solid foundation in the tack begins with the lower leg.

The normal leg should be a rider’s default position and is described as the stirrup leather being perpendicular to the ground and the leg at the back edge of the girth. In my teaching, I prefer to say “at the girth” rather than at the back edge, as I have found this to be a more helpful and productive description when helping riders understand the normal leg placement and to fix a lower leg that is too far behind the girth. There is some slight flexibility in either direction of the perpendicular depending on the conformation of the horse and rider, and the rider’s equipment. An experienced rider may develop a preference in either direction of the perpendicular: some prefer at the back edge of the girth, while others, as in my case, prefer slightly in front of the perpendicular.

Watch “Equitation Tips: Legs” to develop a better foundation in the tack and take your equitation to the next level—link here: https://equestriancoach.com/courses/equitation-tips-legs/

Bernie Traurig

09/09/2026

Equitation Tips! A common ride-off test in advanced equitation classes involves turning to a jump on the counter lead. This becomes a problem if your horse is overly bent to the outside in order to maintain the counter canter because there is no chance to get his eye on the jump. If a slight change of bend causes your horse to swap leads when zeroing in on the jump, you are also in trouble. To answer this question on course, the horse must be trained to maintain the counter lead while simultaneously changing the bend to the inside. In this video, I will teach a sensitive horse how to achieve this.

Watch my lesson on this topic and see the exercises I implement to perfect changing the bend in the counter canter: https://equestriancoach.com/courses/advanced-equitation-changing-the-bend-in-the-counter-canter/

Bernie Traurig

09/07/2026

23 years today and going strong!

09/07/2026

Book a Clinic at Your Stable with Bernie Traurig!

“Bernie has ridden at the top of our sport in all three Olympic disciplines: Grand Prix Dressage and Grand Prix Jumping, as well as on the USET 3-day team. In addition, he showed some of the top hunters in United States history and raced steeplechase horses for a year. He is quite probably the only rider who has accomplished such an amazing array of horsemanship triumphs.” – excerpt from The Plaid Horse, “Bernie Traurig: A Man for All Disciplines.”

Bernie is renowned for his riding talents and teaching and coaching gifts, which he shares worldwide through his clinics. Bernie’s instruction follows the core principles of the American Hunter/Jumper Forward Riding System, focusing on the position of the rider, the application of aids, and a schooling system. He is a master clinician for all levels of riding, from beginner level to Grand Prix performance.

For more information, to view available dates, and to book a clinic, email [email protected] or click here: https://equestriancoach.com/ride-bernie/

09/05/2026

Bernie Traurig back in the day at 14.

09/02/2026

Does your horse hesitate, brace, or completely freeze when you ask for a back-up? Maybe he throws his head up to avoid the contact, backs crookedly, or becomes tense the moment he anticipates the request. If any of these issues sound familiar, Bernie created this topic just for you.

In this lesson, Bernie breaks down how to solve these problems and develop a soft, straight, relaxed back-up. And the benefits go far beyond the back itself: improving your back-up can help create better downward transitions, a more responsive horse, and a softer, happier mouth. Watch “Backing Issues” on EquestrianCoach.com. https://equestriancoach.com/courses/backing-issues/

09/02/2026

Quick tip on adjusting your stirrups!

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