On my farm, I have a nice grassy area.  It is not flat it has a bit of a slope to it, but it works well for me.  We smoothed out the area last year and planted fresh grass.  Now, I decided my nice grassy area needed a dressage arena.  It was also getting very difficult to practice head to the rail leg yields, when you have no rail.  Those imaginary rails just don’t quite stand up to the real ones!    I began my dressage arena search and became very disappointed very quickly.  Dressage areas are expensive we are talking $1,500 – 2,000 easy for an arena.  Some even go up to $6,000.  Whoa, I just need a chain and white posts.  How can I do that for less?  This is what I did  and it turned out pretty good.  There were a few things I would do differently I will make sure to clue you in on that as well.

Steps to your own affordable dressage arena – Elizabeth’s Way !

1.  Choose a fairly flat area for your arena.  Measure the area so you are sure the dressage arena will fit in the area.  Dressage arenas are quite long and take a larger space then you would think they do.  A standard arena is 20 mX 60 m and a small arena is 20 mX40 m.  Most American measuring devices are in feet not meters so you will probably have to convert everything into feet.  Make sure you continually do this with the entire ring.  It will drive you a bit crazy because everything ends up a strange decimal number.  Here are the converted numbers standard arena 65.6 ft X 196.8 ft the small arena is 65.6 ft X 131.2 ft (hint: 1 meter = 3.28 ft)

PVC chain and step-in posts are inexpensive and safe to use

2.  Select materials to construct dressage arena with.  I went round and round on this and tried all kinds of scenarios of arena set ups.  I thought about just doing corners and a few sections along the sides with PVC pipe and buckets or cinder blocks.  Plain old PVC pipe tends to add up in cost as well.  I found a great price on plastic chain.  I bought mine from www.crowdcontrolstore.com.   It takes approximately 525 feet of chain to go around the entire arena.  Now the entrance at A has a gap so you save some chain there, but you also have to plan for droop in the chain.  I bought the 500 ft. box of chain and 25 extra ft of chain.  I also picked up two of the links that unscrew so you can attach the chain together.  I used 1 1/2 ” chain (6 mm) and I was happy with the size of it.  I would say I wouldn’ t go any smaller. To hold the chain, I selected the plastic step in posts used for electric fencing.  They are fairly affordable and can come in white to match the arena. They are also made of plastic and will break if you attempt to land on one.  Safety was also a key feature in my area planning!

3.  Begin laying out arena with one short side.  I have a gazebo that I wanted the short side at C centered on. I kept it perpendicular to the gazebo by measuring diagonally to the gazebo and making adjustments if needed.   Next, I set the two end corners at on the short side of  C.  Note:  Here is where I messed up!  I used a measuring wheel to lay out my arena.  I do not recommend a measuring wheel.  You need to use a long measuring tape.  Any type of uneven ground can affect the measuring wheel and I had to adjust my arena later because the wheel had the arena off.  I found that out later when I laid out the letters and boy was I not happy!

4. Attempt to lay out short side posts evenly placed.  I had my posts about 10 feet apart.  I tried to eyeball the posts and couldn’t believe how far off they were from each other.  So, what did I do?  I went and got my husband who built fence for three years of his life and can eyeball anything and tell if it is 1/4 of an inch off.    He comes in handy whenever, I need something straight.  Yeah… he probably keeps me pretty straight too!  I talked him into helping after he saw my line of posts and decided he couldn’t stand to look out at our yard at my “straight ” line . What could you do if you are not blessed with a husband with good eyes?  I would stretch a string out from corner to corner, measure your posts out evenly and put them in the ground right beside the string to make sure your posts are straight.

5.  Lay out the other two corners of the arena.  The tricky part is keeping your corners at 90 degree angles to your other corners.   You can use the triangle theory to keep your corners straight.  Here is the triangle pattern  .   Can you remember it’s name ? That’s right the Pythagorean Theorem. Oh my goodness, we may actually use what we learned in high school geometry after all.  My teacher would be so proud! I will admit I called upon my husband’s talent a bit here as well.  Plus he knew he couldn’t trust me with putting in straight lines and we had three more to go.

6.  Hang the chain. At this point I got the… “Now  it’s your turn do your girlie decorative magic” look from my husband and he was off to do something more “productive.”  What is more productive than building a dressage area?? Well OK… actually riding it it would be.   Hanging the chain was a bit tricky to get the droop even on each post.  Then I came up with a system and it got much easier and turned out great.   I tightened the chain so it was snug and straight  and then moved it back one link and attached to the post. This put even tension and droop on each post.   I did that for all 52 posts.

Inexpensive letters can be created with your computer printer and laminating sheets

7. Add letters.  I went cheap on my letters and just laminated letters I printed out large on a standard sheet of paper.  I attached the letters to more white step in posts to match the rest of the arena.  I attached the letters by using a hole puncher and zip ties.  They came out pretty good, although I’m not sure of the longevity of  the letters.  I’m sure nice plastic vinyl letters would do better.   Note: when you attach the letters to the posts attach them on the flat side of the post, not the side with the hooks.  I used the hooks to hold the zip ties in place though. Next, lay out the letters  here is the sequence I used and I used a measuring tape this time.   A and C are placed  32.8 ft from the corner.  H,M,F, K are placed 19.7 ft from the corner post on the long side.  B and E are placed 98.4 ft from the corner posts along the long side.  R,S,V,P are set on either side of B and E, 39.4 ft from B and E.

Wahhhla… Congratulations you now have a dressage arena!  Total cost approximately – $400.00

My completed dressage arena. Time to ride!!

What would I do differently?

The biggest problem with this arena is the height of the posts.  The step in posts for electric fence come in a standard 4 ft height.  The problem with this is if you ride right along the rail, as you are supposed to in dressage, your feet may hit the posts.  Now my mare is 16 hands, if you have a enormous 18 hand horse, this may not be a problem for you!   I will probably end up going back and cutting the top of the posts shorter to fix this.  Don’t use a measuring wheel unless you have very flat smooth ground.  Don’t try to eyeball anything unless you have a talent for it.  It is amazing how crooked your eyes can make things!

I hope you find this article helpful.  I love my new arena.  It has been great to use practicing at home.  If anyone has any other ideas for homemade dressage arenas, please feel free to post a comment.  I went on a search to find suggestions before I built my arena and I was disappointed in the few ideas I could find.

Q: How many dressage riders does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: This must not be rushed, this task must be approached slowly, and may take many years. Never EVER use any type of gadget when changing the lightbulb – you could do irrepairable damage.

10 Signs Your Dressage Test Needs Some Work

1. Under judges remarks the only comment is: “Nice plaits.”

2. Your horse confuses the dressage arena boards for a cavaletti and exits at K.

3. Your 20 metre circle shape reminds the judge that she should buy eggs on her way home.

4. Your serpentine was perfect, except that it was supposed to be a straight entry on the centre line.

5. Sitting trot has caused some of your fillings to come loose.

6. Your horse believes “free walk” means leaving the arena and heading towards the nearest patch of grass.

7. You work harder than your horse does in working trot.

8. During the salute, your inadvertently use your whip hand and your horse performs “airs above the ground”.

9. Your horse’s walk appears to be more “rare” than “medium.”

10. Impulsion is improved only after the horse sees monsters in the decorative conifers near letters marking the dressage arena.

Judges comments that you DON’T want to receive!!!!

“Nice horse, with lots of…er… potential. (When your horse is over 16!)
“I can only assume this horse jumps well.”
“Very entertaining”
“Well sat bucks”
“Should salute facing judge.”
“Horse has a lot of enthusiasm, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be for dressage…”
“That was your first dressage test, wasn’t it?” — and it wasn’t
“Very naughty horse……but quite athletic.”
“Patient rider”
“Brave riding”
“Disobedient” – in every comment for every movement
“Would make a nice fairground horse.”
“Too much to list here – ask your trainer”
“Everyone who rides has days like this.”
“Airs above the ground are best left to the Spanish Riding School”
“Nicely turned out pair.” (Which is code for, oh God, I have nothing else nice to say about that disaster)
“What a shame about that Helicopter!”

“Nicely Turned out pair,” I do believe I have had that on a few tests.  Hmmmm…now I wonder?  Feel free to share any jokes or funnies of your own!

A Dressage Scribe

Scribe or Sit with a Judge – Scribing is a great way to learn what a judge looks for in a good test.  Shows love having volunteer scribes and you will learn great deal.  Scribing is one of my favorites, I just can’t quite figure out how to watch my paper and the horse at the same time yet.

Don’t Warm Up your Horse Too Much.  This can be hard to gauge and you will need to know your horse well to warm him or her up correctly.  Make sure to check the show time so you know if the show is running ahead or behind schedule.  Warm up is not a time for training.  If your horse is having a bit of trouble with a movement, don’t drill as if you were training at home.  Usually drilling will make the situation worse.  Just accept what you have to work with that day and do the best you can.  Keep in mind the weather and its impact on your horse. An extremely hot day can definitely change how your horse preforms.  The key to this tip, practice, practice, practice and know your horse. 

Always Prepare for Your Next Movement  – Have your next test movement in your head and prepare your horse before the movement is to be asked.  You however don’t want your horse to anticipate the movement.  This can be a tricky balancing act between preparation and anticipation.  Keeping a variety while working at home can help with anticipation. 

Ride Your Fullest Potential – Don’t turn into stone the minute you enter the dressage arena and forget to ride your horse.  Your horse needs guidance and direction from you.  Make sure you are not so conservative you don’t allow your horse quality movements.   

Entrance and Exit Halts are Important!  These are the first and last things the judge sees in your test so make sure these movements are good.  

Read the Directions and Purpose of the Test – Each dressage test has the directions and purpose written at the top of the test.  Read those to get a better understanding of what the judge expects to see out of you and your horse when preforming.  

Halt at X- Halts should be at X (if designated on the test). Remember at the lower levels you may ride the halt through the walk.  It is better to ride the halt through the walk at be at X than to overshoot X.   Occasionally you may ride a test where a judge will be at B or E then your precision will really be put to the “test.”  

Do you have any tips on ways to improve a dressage score?  If so, please feel free to share so we can all learn with you.

Today, I was doing some research on dressage ring dimensions and the placement of letters.  A question popped into my head that I pondered and then realized I really didn’t know the answer to. “Where exactly did the dressage letters come from?”   The letters don’t follow the alphabet. There doesn’t seem to be a pattern to them.  I decided I would take of the task to research the origin of dressage letters for my knowledge and yours.

Dressage arena letters mark where movements may occur

What did I find out?  No one actually knows for sure where the letters came from.  Humph… I thought to myself “well this was a waste of time.”  Actually, I did come across some interesting theories to the dressage letter mystery.  Possibly you have heard your own theories or ideas.  Please feel free to share.

This information was obtained at http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/ee/boards/index.php?topic=35694.0written by Peter Connelly

THEORY 1 – “My Kingdom for a Horse!”

Markings found on the walls of the Royal Manstall (Stables) of the Imperial German Court in Berlin (prior to 1918) suggest that they indicated where each courtier or rider’s horse was to stand awaiting their riders. The Manstallstabled 300 of the Kaiser’s horses. The ‘Hof’ ( stable yard) was large enough for the horses and their riders to parade for ‘morning exercise’ or assemble for ceremonial parades. The ‘Hof’ was three times longer than the width, namely: 20m x 60m.

The markings on the walls of the Manstall were:
A                Ausgang                      (Exit).
K                Kaiser                           (Emperor).
F                 Fürst                             (Prince).
P                 Pferknecht                   (Ostler or Groom).
V                Vassal                            (Servant/Squire/Equerry).
E                 Edeling/ Ehrengast   (Chieftain or Honoured Guest).
B                 Bannertrager              (Standard Bearer).
S                 Schzkanzler                 (Chancellor of the Exchequer).
R                 Ritter                             (Knight).
M                Meier                             (Steward).
H                 Hofsmarshall              (Lord Chancellor).

Theory 2 – “I Knew It Must Have Been Something Involving Germany!”

A Standard Dressage Arena

The German Cavalry is also credited with establishing the letters. The space between the stable blocks in many German Cavalry barracks were measured 20m x 60m. This space was further used for assembly and ‘morning exercise’ and it is not unreasonable to think that the Cavalry would adopt similar markings as used in the Kaiser’s Manstall. However, the German Cavalry Manual,(HDV12, Reitvorschrift (R.B.) 1882, revised 1912 and 1937) shows a diagram of the Reit Bahn (indoor school) as 40m x 20m. With markings A B C D in the four corners and E F on the half school line. These  markings were to indicate school figures for the training of riders and not for competition.

As the Cavalry Officers wished to compete with others, the 60m x 20m arenas became the standard size for Dressage competitions for the Olympics in 1932. The early rationale for competition was to use the marking in the long arenas where movements are to be performed in a prescribed series according to a laid down set of tests. These were to demonstrate their skills  as riders, prove the progressive training methods and the natural athletic ability and willingness of their horse to perform the required movements in a relaxed  and effortless manner. Initially, the tests comprised movements required for
military mounted combat to test the courage, calmness and obedience of their mount.  These consisted of collected and extended gaits, turning on the hocks, rein‐back and perform four flying changes on a straight line. They were also required to jump over five small obstacles, one of which was a barrel rolled towards the oncoming horse.

Up to 1952 only Commissioned Officers were allowed to compete at Olympic Levels; Civilians, including female riders could not compete at this level of Dressage. Following the disqualification of the Swedish Dressage team (1948) because one of the winning team was an Non Commissioned Officer, the rules were changed to include Civilian riders and female riders.

The Art of Dressage Comments -

I found the ideas interesting and also the thought of how things can evolve over time to become something we know today.  I would love to jump back into time to see the King’s barn with 300 horses.  Whew… that is a lot of feed!  I would also like to see those German Calvary men perform the test where they have to jump a barrel rolling towards them.  I can just see the reaction on my horse’s face.  Possibly you have heard your own theories.  I find folklore fascinating and enjoy the challenge of  trying to find the fact in between the lines of fiction.

Some of you new to dressage may wonder, “what exactly is hyperflexion or rollkur?” These terms refer to working a horse where his or her head is behind the vertical. According to proper classical dressage technique, the horse’s head should be perpendicular to the ground. A way to visualize this is to picture an imaginary line coming straight down from the horses eye; the horse’s nostril should not fall behind this line. Terms you might hear from a judge if your horse is hyperflexed would include behind the vertical and overflexed. The concern, is that many riders and trainers are consistently using hyperflexion as a training method to get fast results and more exaggerated movements. Horse’s are being overflexed for extended periods of time which could cause physical damage as well as behavior problems. Below I found another video which helps to explain the concept of abused hyperflexion and rollkur.

Sooo… what do I think about the topic? I think any kind of training technique taken to an extreme can be harmful to an animal including horses. A whip used improperly can be a very bad training tool. If used properly, it can be a great subtle way to communicate with your horse. The same goes with spurs. Spurs are not made to dig into your horse’s side when he or she does something you don’t like them to do. They should be used as a enhance communication and even lighten the use of your aids. Hyperflexion when abused is harmful, however, many use stretching techniques with their horses to help improve muscle elasticity and suppleness. I’m sure some of you have done the treat trick where you hold a horse treat close to your horses chest and they stretch their necks to reach the treat. You don’t hold the treat there for 1/2 an hour, just for a brief moment and your horse stretches and takes the treat. You can also do the same stretch to the sides of your horse. I bet many of you will agree with me this is not harmful to your horse other than they may get too many treats and gain weight . Many of us do stretching exercises when warming up our horses, but do not trot around the ring for 1/2 and hour with our horse’s face to his chest.

I think a picture taking out of context of an entire ride can look much worse that it may actually be. On the other hand, I have scribed for test where myself and the judge were cringing each time the horse’s nose touched his chest, I just wanted to yell “STOP DOING THAT, JUST STOP!”

I am glad to see action is being taking to regulate these training methods. Creating standards for Stewards is a great start. The next place to go is judge and instructor certification programs. Specific dialogs should be included in these programs regarding hyperflexion. I’m sure some commentary is already present. I can think way back to my when I was a beginner dressage rider, I knew what overflexed was right away and that it was incorrect. Possibly if this topic is stressed with up and coming judges and instructors fresh out of training, the mindset of hyperflexion overuse can be changed.

It would be great to hear from the instructors, judges, and riders out there? What do you think about the hyperflexion controversy? What are your opinions on the FEI’s decisions?

This afternoon, I did a little research to see how the those that nudge closer to the arctic  handle weather. After some research, I found there are a lot of horses in the north and quite a few dressage horses too.  I found the Alaskan Dressage Horse Association www.alaskadressage.org/ and the Alaskan Horse Journal www.alaskahorsejournal.com that help to debunk some of the myths probably conjured up by those of us slightly warmer to the south. Another great site is Dressage Canada www.dressagecanada.org.

Horses can adapt to cold climates especially if they have friendly snowmen bearing edible gifts!

Alaska has more than a few horses, so how do they ride in  winter?  I also wondered how the long amounts of darkness figured into riding schedules.  That question was answered very easily… they have MANY indoor riding areas! Duh, I told myself.   Near Ancorage alone there are 8 public indoor areans.  The use of an indoor arena would help with the 24 hour of darkness problem as well.   Think of it this way,  if they have 24 hours of darkness then they have 24 hours of light in the summer. Wow… you could do a lot of riding and showing in 24 hours of light!  Maybe living in the north does have its benefits.  I know working a full time job and trying to fit in riding time, some-days more hours of light would be appealing to me.  I don’t think I could handle the darkness though.

While I was doing my research, I wondered if any breeds dominated the northern climates?  For some reason, I pictured in my head large draft horses with think rug like coats pulling a sleigh or maybe even the hardy fuzzy Icelanic horses that would be used to a cold climate.  Absolutely not!  I found just as much variety in breeds and disciplines that are in my area. Do some of those cute fuzzy Icelandic horse DO dressage? You betcha they do!  Below is a short clip of an Icelandic horse doing dressage.  He is too cute!

I found it fascinating to see just what kind of reach the horse world can have. Any readers out their living in the north, I would love to hear from you and your experience with northern equestrian activities.  Currently this site is getting its second highest number of readers from Canada next to the U.S.. How do you handle the winter?

Compare my “couch” horse, to a bonier high withered comrade and we are looking at nothing less than an unpleasant experience. Enter… the saddle, a glorious creation made for our comfort and our horses’. I have been on a quest for the perfect saddle for a long time. I rode several different disciplines, hunt seat, combined training, and now primarily dressage, so I have meddled with many different brands and saddle styles. Let’s face it… saddles can be pretty expensive. With a limited budget, I have tried to get by with what I could find…and afford! My saddle record includes several used saddles and a couple of new saddles too.

I had a terrible time getting a saddle to fit a gelding that I had before the mare I currently ride. After about three different saddles, I finally gave in. I knew the saddle I wanted and I decided I would by a brand new one and have it custom fit to him and me. It did cost a small fortune and I had to take out a small loan to be able to afford it, however, it fit us perfectly and I’m absolutely in love with it.

Before I got my new mare, The question did run through my head. “What if my saddle doesn’t fit her?” I was really worried. I love that saddle…. “What if it doesn’t fit?! What WILL I do? Now…I love my mare and would in no way have have decided not to have her because my saddle didn’t fit her. That is crazy! No one should EVER decided to get a horse if their primary reason is their saddle fitting. I did think to myself, if my saddle happens to work for her that would be fantastic. I had a fitter out to look it over and it did! Thank goodness. Although, for those of you that enjoy shopping, a new horse could mean a new saddle. If you have the funds, saddle shopping can be great fun!

The County Competitor Dressage Saddle photo courtesy of www.countysaddlery.com

I ride in my dream saddle, a County Competitor Dressage Saddle. I love County saddles. They are super comfy to me and have leather smooth as silk. I have heard others that really don’t like County saddles because of a narrower twist to the tree making the saddle uncomfortable to sit in. I know many people that love Albion and Bates saddles. I rode in a few and they felt much to wide for me. I felt like I was sliding all over the place., however, some people love them! I guess that is why they make so many different kinds because there are many different types of people and horses.

Some of the newer saddles offer neat options. You can have air panels instead of wool to make for a smoother ride for you and your horse A trend in the professional world I have seen, is to have external knee rolls, giving riders a closer contact to their horse. Some saddles can be bought with adjusable trees that can be removed and replaced. Their are tons of dressage saddle brands out there. I sat down and made a list of the first ones that came to my mind, Bates, Stubben, Albion, County, Passier, Schleese, Michael Stokes, Klimke, Wintec, Courbette, Kieffer, and many more I can’t think of right at this moment, but you at home may be riding in right now.

Here are a few tips I have learned through my perfect saddle quest:

• You should have a saddle fitter/evaluator look at your saddle on your horse. The saddle is supposed to be making you and your horse more comfortable. If it doesn’t fit your horse correctly, it could be working against you, making your horse sore or uncomfortable. There are many things we can’t change about our horses, having a properly fitting saddle is one of those things we can fix. If you don’t want to pay to have an evaluator at your farm (it can be expensive) look and see if there are any saddle fitting clinics in your area. Sometimes setting up an appointment at a clinic can save you money, unless it is on the other side of the state, then gas could eat up the savings.
• Watch out for saddle packages that cost $199 on Ebay. They include the saddle, matching bridle and girth and GUESS WHAT… we’ll even throw in a saddle pad! Those saddles could be poorly made. What bothers me more than then fact that the leather is hard as a rock, is the how a cheaply made saddle could harm your horse’s back. In my experience, you are better off buying a used saddle from a reputable company than a brand new unnamed package jobby (yep… one of my words again). Wintec makes synthetic saddles that some people really like. One of those is probably better than the package deals and they have some neat options too.
• You can find some great deals on used saddles on Ebay. When I was looking for a used saddle I loved to peruse Ebay. The biggest drawback…no test ride. It is hard to tell if a saddle will fit you or your horse without at least a test ride in it. Maybe if you are lucky you can borrow a friend’s saddle to get an idea of if you would like that saddle.
• Check out your local tack shop! Some tack shops will have consignment saddles available. Many of them will allow you to take the saddle home and test ride. Tack shops may even let you take home a new saddle to try out. You usually need to wrap your stirrup leathers for this to prevent marks on the saddle. You will have a limited time to try the saddle. It always seems to rain that week too!!!
• Many saddle fitters are salesmen/women for saddle companies. Watch if you have a saddle fitter looking at your saddle, they may be trying to sell you another saddle from the company they are representing. That is how they make their money so I don’t hold it against them, just something to keep in the back of your mind. My saddle fitter is a County rep, I knew I wanted a county, so it wasn’t a problem for me. I just needed my County fitted and ordered correctly for my horse and me.
• Sometimes if you can.. bite the bullet and get a new saddle. I absolutely love my saddle! I got the perfect size for me and my horse. I know the saddle’s entire history and any changes that have been made to it. I also got to put my own wear marks in it. The new saddles are VERY expensive. You are looking at close to $3,000 or more for a new, name brand saddle. I know THAT is a lot of money, remember I had to get a loan!

I am hoping those of you in web land could help me with this article and tell me what kind of saddles you like to ride in. Which brands do you like? Do you buy used or new? Maybe we could learn from each other. It is also been kind of quiet out there which is starting to creep me out!

Here is a brief summary of the story to those of you that don’t want to read the whole thing. Adelinde Cornelissen was a Dutch high school English Teacher. Riding was her hobby and she had ridden through the mid levels in Dressage. Adelinde was approached to see if she would help prepare a horse to be sold. That horse was Parzival. The chestnut gelding was deemed unrideable by many at the barn he was housed at. Adeline began working with Parzival and thought this horse’s potential lurked beneath. She could get the occasional good stride from him and when she did, she knew he had talent. She had to make 10 good strides turn into 6 – 10 minutes to preform a dressage test. Cornelissen conviced Parzival’s owner to allow her to show him to get more attention for his sale. Their first few shows together were less than impressive. They had several scores in the 40s and a few times had to leave the ring halfway through her test due to misbehavior. They kept working and continuing to improve. By 2007, Cornelissen and Parzival were posting scores in the 60s and 70s and were named an alternate to the 2008 Dutch Olympic team. With her own savings, money from family, a sponsorships from Anky’s clothing line and a feed company, she decided to quit her job and ride full time. She was nervous because she now had no income and just Parzival. She didn’t need to worry because the celebration really began when her an Parzival broke the world record of the Grand Prix Special at the European Championships. Coming into 2010, Cornelissen and Parizal are ranked 2nd in the world. Shown below is a ride where she placed second with a still amazing 87.35% to Edward Gal and Totilas in the Freestyle.

I thought this was a great story and can relate to the lack of funds and to try to do Dressage with. It is great to see that a talented, hard working, rider with little money and a horse that some thought un-rideable could end up being the second best combo in the world.

Let’s face it, our’s is not the cheapest sport in the world. I was thinking of that today as I had the farrier out to shoe my horses. Over a hundred dollars later I thought, “It is too bad I don’t have something like sewing or scrabble as my hobby.” I also think about all of the neat trips I could take with the money the farm costs. Those thoughts only stay with me for a moment though because I love my farm and horses and I know if I didn’t have all of this, all I would be working towards is trying to obtain it.

This story tells me for some dreams really do come true. If I look back to when I was a child and look at my life now, I would have to say, many of my dreams have come true too. I’m sure if you take the chance to pretend that you are that small child looking at you now as an adult, you may say the same.

Ahhhh… ponies usually they are very cute, fuzzy, adorable, and oh so mischievous. I think every child should have to learn on a pony. They can be easier to control than a full sized horse (not in all cases though) and they tend to have a stubborn streak in them like no other. I think if a child can successfully learn how to ride on a pony, then they are good to go on a larger mount. The first lessons I took were on a paint Shetland pony named “Tidbit.” I hope you have a cute picture in your head of what he looked like, because that is exactly what he looked like! He was also NOT the easiest pony to ride! They told me he had an iron jaw. I was 9 at the time and his jaw didn’t look iron to me. He was fuzzy and cute, however, I was slightly upset I wasn’t riding a “big” horse. To put it in perspective, big horses at this barn were actually large ponies. When your 9 a large pony is a “big horse.” I also had no idea what an “iron jaw” really was, but I sure found out soon. That pony did what he wanted, when he wanted, and where he wanted. Now, he wasn’t unsafe.. I did alright with him, but I definitely learned turning could be a challenge.

When we think of Dressage we think of massive 18 hand warmbloods with gaits half a mile long and half passes that take 4 steps to cross the ring. We don’t think about ponies doing a lengthening or flying changes. In truth, their are some fantastic ponies out there doing dressage and I think they may even give the big guys a run for their money. While scribing at shows, I have had the privilege to see many a talented pony. I remember one year I was at Dressage at Lexington showing and this little girl on a Morgan pony crushed everyone in Training Level. The pony was perfect, the little girl, cute as a bug (with a great position too… darn her), this all amounted to a killer combination and they were unstoppable. Even though they were in my level, I loved them too!

On the topic of ponies, I went in search of some videos of ponies doing dressage. I really wanted a good video of an FEI pony doing a test. I was disappointed to not have much luck, but I did find the video below. The video was made because the pony was for sale, but I was really impressed with the content, quality, and talent of this pony. I wonder how long it takes to train flying changes to the 18 hand guys when this pony makes it look like it is almost as easy as walking. Check it out!

What a neat pony! She may not have a big lengthening or sweeping strides, but she looks like a pony that would be a pleasure to ride. She also looks like she enjoys her job and is having fun too! I liked what the trainer said about her training methods and exposing horses to new things and environments. NOT that everyone needs to go out riding bareback and herd cows with their dressage horses. That is a weeee bit crazy if you aren’t used to that kind of thing. I also don’t want any one getting hurt. What we can do, is try to keep our riding and training interesting for our benefit as well as our horse’s.

To any of you readers out there with ponies…Don’t think you have to have a giant horse to do Dressage. Honestly, I am pretty short myself and I would look ridiculous on an 18 hand horse. Some ponies make awesome dressage horses, so keep up your hard work… becuase I’m betting you will learn a lot from that pony.

I have one more video for today. Your thinking, “two videos, what have I done to deserve this?” It’s your lucky day I guess. Maybe “Two for Tuesday!” OK.. that is bad. Anyway the video… This one circulated a while ago so many of you probably have seen it, but it is such a great video and I had to include it in this article because it fits in perfectly. For all of you pony riders, I hope the “PONY POWER” is a force in 2010. Best Wishes!