Trainer's Checklist

The 3 Questions you need to be able to answer as a Dressage Trainer

Every time you’re teaching a student, at the beginning of the training, you have to do an assessment.

An assessment of how the horse is going and what needs to be improved and why. 

The three questions that can help you with this are:

1. Are the basic principles established? 

Is the horse relaxed? Is the horse forward? And is the horse trusting the hand and willing to take the hand?

2. What’s the horse’s balance? 

Is he in a negative balance? The natural balance? Horizontal balance or collected balance?

3. What is the main thing we need to be working on first? 

The third question will be much easier to answer after you’ve answerd the first and second question.

Trainer's Checklist

The 3 Questions you need to be able to answer as a Dressage Trainer

Every time you’re teaching a student, at the beginning of the training, you have to do an assessment.

An assessment of how the horse is going and what needs to be improved and why. 

The three questions that can help you with this are:

1. Are the basic principles established? 

Is the horse relaxed? Is the horse forward? And is the horse trusting the hand and willing to take the hand?

2. What’s the horse’s balance? 

Is he in a negative balance? The natural balance? Horizontal balance or collected balance?

3. What is the main thing we need to be working on first? 

The third question will be much easier to answer after you’ve answerd the first and second question.

3 Video Examples

Below you find 3 clips of 3 different dressage riders at the start of a lesson. 

Try to answer the three questions and write down your answers. 

Curious about my answers? Listen to the audio to hear my feedback.

Video Example #1

1. Are the basic principles established? 

Is the horse relaxed? Is the horse forward? And is the horse trusting the hand and willing to take the hand?

2. What’s the horse’s balance? 

Is he in a negative balance? The natural balance? Horizontal balance or collected balance?

3. What is the main thing we need to be working on first? 

My feedback:

Video Example #2

1. Are the basic principles established? 

Is the horse relaxed? Is the horse forward? And is the horse trusting the hand and willing to take the hand?

2. What’s the horse’s balance? 

Is he in a negative balance? The natural balance? Horizontal balance or collected balance?

3. What is the main thing we need to be working on first? 

My feedback:

Video Example #3

1. Are the basic principles established? 

Is the horse relaxed? Is the horse forward? And is the horse trusting the hand and willing to take the hand?

2. What’s the horse’s balance? 

Is he in a negative balance? The natural balance? Horizontal balance or collected balance?

3. What is the main thing we need to be working on first? 

 

My feedback: