Gwyneth McPherson
Training in the Right Way: The Importance of In-Hand Work
Many riders think of dressage as an activity that is solely performed from the saddle. But, in truth, good dressage training often happens on the ground, and adding correct in-hand work to your training program can be a game-changer. →
Training in the Right Way: An Ode to the ‘Normal’ Horse
While those seeking international dressage careers will absolutely need freak-show levels of talent, most riders would enjoy the process — and likely realize more competitive success — working with a more average partner. →
Training in the Right Way: Types of Suppleness
Yes, there is more than one type — and knowing what they are and how to recognize them →
Training in the Right Way: Bringing Your Horse Back Into Work
Horses need an incremental approach when returning to physical exertion after some time off. With the weather obliterating →
Training in the Right Way: When to Compete
With Regional Championships well underway and the show season in Florida starting to ramp up, this week’s article →
Training in the Right Way: The Actual Purpose of Lateral Work
Lateral work is perhaps one of the most useful groups of exercises in the development of the horse →
Training in the Right Way: Where Language Fails Us in Training
Language is a funny thing, being simultaneously necessary and unavoidably imperfect… →
Training in the Right Way: Limited Knowledge Is Limited Judgement
Because although everyone is entitled to their opinion, some opinions are of more objective value. →
Training in the Right Way: Olympic Dressage – Where Do We Go From Here?
So much has already been said regarding the recent video of Charlotte Dujardin, some of it has been →
Training in the Right Way: Why the U.S. Should be Training Our Own Olympic Horses
The United States has come to rely on European bred and trained horses in order to field our →
Training in the Right Way: Using the Dressage Arena To Maximize Your Training
Have you ever considered why the standard dressage arena is the very specific size and shape that it →
Training in the Right Way: Knowing When It’s Time To Stop
When training, how do you know when it’s too little, or too much, or enough? It’s important to →
Training in the Right Way: The Process vs The End Goal
This week’s article discusses the significant difference between the end goal and the process of getting there. Although →
Training in the Right Way: What to Look for in a Dressage Horse, Part 4 — Exercises for the Imperfect Horse
This final installment of the four-part series on choosing a dressage horse takes a closer look at how →
Training in the Right Way: What to Look for in a Dressage Horse, Part 3 — Movement
Today’s article takes a closer look at movement. In order to choose a horse for dressage, or evaluate →
Training in the Right Way: What to Look for in a Dressage Horse, Part 2
This is the second of a three-part series that explores what to look for when selecting a dressage →
Training in the Right Way: What to Look for in a Dressage Horse, Part 1
This is the first of a three-part series that explores what to look for when selecting a dressage →
Training in the Right Way: Different TYPES of Equestrian Professionals
This week’s article discusses different types of equestrian dressage professionals and what they may be able to offer →
Training in the Right Way: Let’s Talk about the Correct (and Incorrect) use of Equipment
The focus of this week’s article is to shed some light on some commonly used — and almost →
Training in the Right Way: The Components of an Effective Warmup
This week’s article discusses the purpose and parts of an effective warmup routine as well as some of →
Training in the Right Way: Let’s Talk About Balance
“[C]ollection creates better balance while performing harder tasks, which then also creates greater cooperation from the horse due →
Training in the Right Way: 12 Dressage Exercises and Their Training Purposes
“What almost everyone has forgotten, or may have never learned, is that dressage is a training system, based →
Training in the Right Way: Road to the Grand Prix — Milestones for Age and Level
A student asked for a timeline for the development of the Grand Prix horse. While there are all →
Training in the Right Way: Habits
Since this is the season of New Year’s resolutions, it seems to be a good time to talk →
Training in the Right Way: Classical vs Competition Dressage
This week’s article begins to look at the differences, and very important similarities, between classical and competition dressage. →