We all want to have our dream ride, and for me, that all boils down to the thing that people call “rideability”.
What is rideability? It’s a feeling of connection with your horse, it’s knowing you can communicate with them and it’s a feeling of power beneath you that you know you can control.
While some of us have aspirations of being able to do certain dressage movements, or doing well in shows, when you strip that back, the reason we love to ride has everything to do with achieving rideability.
For today’s video, I want to give you four tips that will help you achieve this with your horse and get you closer to your dream ride.
- Consistency – Horses are creatures of habit so the more consistent we are with our riding schedule, the more we will achieve rideability. Consistency and regularity will allow the space for improvement to occur.
- Follow a routine within your ride – When you go to ride, don’t just get up and ride without a plan! Always have an objective that you’d like to achieve within the ride. RIde defined patterns or set exercises that you’ve made a clear decision to ride. Your control and decisiveness will give your horse confidence in you and improve their rideability.
- Educate yourself – We aren’t born knowing how to ride or knowing about dressage! So while we might move in circles where knowledge is shared that helps us learn, like the barn, allow yourself the space to dedicate time to your learning. Check out some YouTube videos from equine content makers you admire, read books on dressage, take an online course like the Training Scale Masterclass. Education will stop you plateauing and help you make your horse a better ride
- Push your comfort zone gradually – Write down the things that you are good at, be it an exercise, a gait, a movement. Identify your comfort zone as the place where you’re doing the things you are already accomplished at. Every day, push yourself and your horse a little bit outside of this. Make small increments outside the comfort zone, enough to get you and them thinking and be challenged, but not enough to put either of you in the panic zone.
Dressage is a slow and gradual sport but if you follow these steps you WILL get there. I’m committed to helping as many people as I can achieve rideability with their horses and that’s why I started the Dressage Training Scale Masterclass.
Watch the video where I talk in more detail about this concept and the four types and if you would like to follow the trail to rideability, sign up for the Dressage Training Scale Masterclass* at the link below! The Masterclass sign-up will not be open indefinitely so waste no time enrolling and investing in the betterment of your riding.
*Sorry! You’ve missed this course enrollment. Don’t worry thought! Click the link and put your name on the list to be notified the next time the course opens again. We would love to have you.
I hope these words help to clarify what’s needed to take your horse in the right direction and hopefully see some of you in the masterclass.
