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Juliane Dykiel is a contributor to the Eastern Region Andalusian Horse Club (ERAHC) and writes on the intricacies of dressage. Find the latest articles below.
Counter canter
Most of those who know me know how passionate I am about training horses up the levels. Most who have lessoned with me also know how much I love using the counter canter as a training tool. We are briefly introduced to counter canter in First Level Test 3 but it does not have to be truly solid until Second Level. I think of Second Level as the ultimate “basics level”- a great Second Level horse has wonderful basics as you need to perform, in a snaffle, some challenging movements - walk canter and counter canter.
Prioritization in Dressage Training
One of the toughest aspects of dressage training is prioritization. Sometimes, when bringing a young horse up the levels, everything feels disorganized at the beginning. Sometimes, that frustration occurs on more schooled horses as well. Being on a horse where "everything" feels like it's going wrong can be overwhelming, and the rider succumbs to the desire to fix everything at once. So, where to begin?
Throughness
Throughness is one of the most widely debated topics in not just dressage but most equine disciplines. It's fascinating how in dressage, a discipline almost wholly dedicated to throughness, this basic aspect of horsemanship can go out the window. A lot of clients come to me for training who are experiencing a roadblock in their advancement through the levels. While the specific reason can vary per horse, one very common denominator, and usually the first thing I address, is the lack of throughness.
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