Dressage for the Not-So-Perfect Horse

A 5* dressage judge's practical ways to learn to love your horse's idiosyncrasies and turn weaknesses into strengths.

Thousands of riders pursue the sport of dressage across the globe, and the majority do so on a budget and with the horse they already have, or quite simply, the one they can afford. This means riders daily face the challenge of mastering one of the world's most esteemed equestrian pursuits on horses that may not be bred specifically for the task, or even if they have been, may not be top prospects for any number of reasons—behavior quirks, conformational impediments, age or soundness—you name it.

International dressage judge, clinician, and riding coach Janet Foy has ridden many different horses in the course of her riding and horse training career—different sizes, shapes, colors, and breeds—to the highest levels of dressage competition. Now she has compiled her best tips for training and showing the horse you have (or the horse you love, despite his “faults”) through the levels. With lists of common “imperfections and evasions” experienced when riding movements—from simple transitions and leg—yield to zigzags, tempi changes, and piaffe—followed by training tips and creative ways to “perfect” the “imperfections.” Riders are bound to discover countless ways to apply Janet's advice to their dressage pursuits.