January 26, 2026 Gwyneth McPherson Gwyneth McPherson #DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS , #Dressage Showing , #Dressage Training , #Forward Thinking Dressage , #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage , aids , cesar parra , classical dressage , competition dressage , dressage levels , Dressage4Kids , Half halt , lower leg , Strength riding , test riding , training is repetition Comments Off on Training in the Right Way: Test Riding Before a Competition
Yes, show season is upon us. And, also yes, you should indeed be practicing your test in its entirety BEFORE you compete. Here’s why. (more…)
January 12, 2026 Gwyneth McPherson Gwyneth McPherson #DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS , #Dressage Showing , #Dressage Training , #Forward Thinking Dressage , #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage , aids , cesar parra , classical dressage , competition dressage , dressage levels , Dressage4Kids , Half halt , lower leg , Strength riding , training is repetition Comments Off on Training in the Right Way: Set Yourself Up for Success Wintering in Florida
It’s the time of year when riders participate in a mass exodus from the northern states in favor of riding somewhere that *DOESN’T* make their faces hurt (or their horses attempt to yeet them). Here are some of the things you need to think about if you intend to move horses south for training and competing this winter. (more…)
December 28, 2025 Gwyneth McPherson Gwyneth McPherson #DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS , #Dressage Showing , #Dressage Training , #Forward Thinking Dressage , #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage , aids , cesar parra , classical dressage , competition dressage , dressage levels , Dressage4Kids , Half halt , lower leg , Strength riding , training is repetition Comments Off on Training in the Right Way: Habits and Sports Psychology
Because your internal environment is as important to your growth as a rider as your development of your exterior athletic abilities. (more…)
December 16, 2025 Gwyneth McPherson Gwyneth McPherson #DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS , #Dressage Showing , #Dressage Training , #Forward Thinking Dressage , #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage , aids , cesar parra , classical dressage , competition dressage , dressage levels , Dressage4Kids , Half halt , lower leg , Strength riding , training is repetition Comments Off on Training in the Right Way: Dressage Training Nuggets
Dressage is supposed to be a systematic approach to creating partnership and understanding between two species. Horses have very little choice in how and whether they get to participate in our activities. We owe it to them to be kind, circumspect, and educated in our training. (more…)
November 30, 2025 Gwyneth McPherson Gwyneth McPherson #DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS , #Dressage Showing , #Dressage Training , #Forward Thinking Dressage , #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage , aids , cesar parra , classical dressage , competition dressage , dressage levels , Dressage4Kids , Half halt , lower leg , Strength riding , training is repetition Comments Off on Training in the Right Way: Don’t Perpetuate Your Training Problems by Repeating Your Training Problems…
…or, in other words, sometimes you have to stop participating in the problem to eliminate the problem. (more…)
November 18, 2025 Gwyneth McPherson Gwyneth McPherson #DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS , #Dressage Showing , #Dressage Training , #Forward Thinking Dressage , #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage , aids , cesar parra , classical dressage , competition dressage , dressage levels , Dressage4Kids , Half halt , lower leg , Strength riding Comments Off on Training in the Right Way: Using the Lower Leg
You can do so much more than simply “kick to go”… (more…)
November 3, 2025 Gwyneth McPherson Gwyneth McPherson #DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS , #Dressage Showing , #Dressage Training , #Forward Thinking Dressage , #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage , aids , cesar parra , classical dressage , competition dressage , dressage levels , Dressage4Kids , Half halt , Strength riding Comments Off on Training in the Right Way: Your Horse’s ‘Bad Days’ May Be a Training Opportunity
In my experience, most riders think of these days as bad or a day that was lost in the training process, but the reality is that these are often the days when the largest training gains can be made. (more…)
October 19, 2025 Gwyneth McPherson Gwyneth McPherson , Morgane Schmidt #DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS , #Dressage Showing , #Dressage Training , #Forward Thinking Dressage , #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage , aids , cesar parra , classical dressage , competition dressage , dressage levels , Dressage4Kids , Half halt , Strength riding Comments Off on Training in the Right Way: Skill Not Strength
“Excellent riding is based on technique, not wrestling a 1200 lb animal into submission.”(more…)
October 5, 2025 Gwyneth McPherson Gwyneth McPherson #DRESSAGE #OLYMPICS , #Dressage Showing , #Dressage Training , #Forward Thinking Dressage , #NonTraditionalBreedinDressage , aids , cesar parra , classical dressage , competition dressage , dressage levels , Dressage4Kids , Good side vs Bad side , Half halt Comments Off on Training in the Right Way: The Process vs. The Practitioner
“Dressage training is a systematic process that anyone can learn, however, the quality of the training is in the practitioner.” (more…)
