This was an original article designed especially for Heels Down Mag.
Amelia Newcomb is not a new name to me. I stumbled upon the California-based dressage trainer by typing in “how to ride a shoulder-in” into Google, and voila, her YouTube channel popped up. For years, Amelia has shared her knowledge freely online, helping riders across the globe understand difficult dressage lateral movements and distilling training for various levels in kind and relatable ways. It’s no wonder she’s created such a following.
Now the USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medallist is taking her educational platform to a new level. This month, Amelia is launching a 30-day challenge open to riders of all levels and disciplines. The 30 Days To Round Challenge is meant to help riders get their horses soft, supple and using their topline in just a month’s time, under Amelia’s careful instruction.
The challenge comes with a contest, for those who want to participate in that way. The top 3 transformations at the end of the challenge will share a $2,150 purse, plus additional giveaways. Participants submit before and after videos at the end of the course. Enrollment costs $97 and can be split into two payments.
Online education for equestrians has come a long way in recent years. The ’30 Days To Round’ platform is easy to use – riders log in and are presented with a timeline of videos and links on where and how to get started. Amelia has an accessible introduction video to get you going, along with an accompanying PDF which serves as an educational syllabus that will guide you through the days and weeks ahead. Amelia doesn’t skimp on the theory behind the methods. Outlined in this document are 35 exercises to try with your horse, starting with the most basic and progressing to more advanced. It’s important to start with a series of fundamental exercises in the beginning, which I know I’ll be using them every day as I progress and add in more challenging ones.
“You can teach your horse a lot of these aids from the ground, and it’s a lot less stress on you and your horse,” Amelia says about incorporating both groundwork and ridden exercises to explore.
But the program is more than just watching videos and then trying it out with your horse. Beginning Sept. 18, Amelia will be hosting live Q&As for participants in a private Facebook group. She will also do some live demonstrations from the Facebook group on how to perform some of the exercises. That Facebook group is also a great place to share your results and ask questions as we move along in the challenge.
What I love most about Amelia is how she incorporates natural horsemanship with more formal classical dressage methods in her training.
“Dressage is a very slow sport. It is a process. It takes a long, long time to train a horse up the levels,” she explained. “Roundness is something you’re always going to be working on. You’re going to see a big change over the 30 days… but it changes as you develop your horse and you will always be working on getting your horse more engaged.”
