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Welcome to Dressage for Juniors!
Remember your horse should be your first and foremost priority. These equine partners are so generous and willing to accomodate us in our journey to ride this beautiful sport.
On a daily basis you should always tend to your horses care, making sure he has fresh water, plenty of food to eat, and happy surroundings that he can enjoy living in.
Just like use, they like to go home where they can relax, eat and mingle with friends, even if they are across the way in another stall. It is nice for them to think about other things besides doing work all the time.
Just like use, they like to go home where they can relax, eat and mingle with friends, even if they are across the way in another stall. It is nice for them to think about other things besides doing work all the time.
Sometimes it can be tough when instruction is hard to get to, whether it be far to travel or maybe financially you can only take a few lessons a month. I have put together this website that will give you helpful information to learn more about riding dressage and for the care of your horse.
Instruction is important, we all need to work with an Instructor that can assist us in our quest to learning to ride dressage.
I hope you enjoy this site and please email me with your comments, I would love to hear them.
I hope you enjoy this site and please email me with your comments, I would love to hear them.
Dressage for Juniors is a website dedicated to educating and promoting dressage for junior and young riders. We are adding new information here every month including videos, a dressage blog, rider of the month and much more!
Become a fan of DressageForJuniors.Com on Facebook!
Remember to braid your horse's mane when you go to a rated show, schooling shows you do not have to braid, but it is a chance to practice braiding if you are learning. Practice makes perfect!
When your weight is stronger on one side of the saddle, this is difficult for the horse to carry himself straight. Think if you were carrying a backpack and it was heavier on one side than the other! Work on keeping your seatbones even and your body in control.
Training tip:
If you use spurs, make sure you only use them at the moment you are asking, you don't want your spur to be hitting your horse's side with every stride.
North American Junior & Young Rider Championships
Get information on competitions
United States Equestrian Federation
You can download Training level tests to Fourth level tests for free. Click Disiplines, click International, click Dressage, click Dressage Tests.
United States Dressage Federation
You can download Intro level tests A & B for free. Click on Education tab, click on Forms & Documents, Click Test of choice.
The Emerging Dressage Star Program
This program is for searching and nurturing our kids whose greatest hopes are to one day represent the United States Olympic Dressage Team. Please help these dreams come true by donating to this program. The Dressage Foundation's president is Lendon Gray who has been a strong advocate for kids in dressage. The website is www.thedressagefoundation.org
Checks of any amount can be made payable to:
The Dressage Foundation
Wells Fargo Center, Ste.732
1248 O Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
Your upper arm should rest in a light contact with the side of your body when you are sitting in the saddle.
Mary's Dressage blog!
Mary has finished training in Florida and will be blogging her showing experiences soon!
Click here to visit her dressage blog page to read about her training sessions when she was in Florida.
"Message Board"
Strive to ride precisely. When you are practicing at home, try riding transitions within the same gait or at a different gait at the letters. Rule of thumb is when your leg is at the letter, you should be in the new movement. If you don't have a court set up, get some cones or empty plastic flower buckets from the nursery and paint the letters on them. You can make your own dressage court!
Christine Stephenson and Markant riding at the 2009 USEF National Championships. Their score is 67.684. They rode this test in the rain as you will see in the video below. They are both beautiful to watch and are true champions.
DETERMINATION, PRECISION, HARMONY, GRACE and the Love and care of your HORSE, is what making of a champion is all about.
Try keeping a journal of your rides every day. Then, you can look back to see what your comments were and what you can do to improve.
IMPORTANT TIP:
For a horse that is not used to being round, moving from his hind end through his back will cause him to use completely different muscles than he is used to. Horses get sore like we do and will need time to build up the correct muscles. Be patient and remember this is a team effort.
Always check with an experienced trainer that can help you achieve the right level of engagement and drive. Talk with your trainer to incorporate these ideas into your lesson program and remember to write them down in your journal!
DressageForJuniors.Com on Facebook
FEI European Championships Juniors & Young Riders Dressage--Ermelo 9 augustus 2009, Freestyle Competition Young Riders: Sara Henriette Bergstrom Kallstrom (SWE) & Ginatricot Garcia -This is not the whole test, but very good rider and beautiful horse.
Sit with supple hips. The hips and seat must be able to move in harmony with the horse's movement. Never hang onto your horse's mouth for balance. Don't forget to keep your ankles supple, otherwise this can create more bounciness in your trot work. Try stretching excercises every day. Good old two-point in the saddle is an excellent way to stretch the entire leg, your ankles and help with balance.
Any competitor may wear protective headgear at any level of competition without a penalty from the judge, this is outlined in the USEF rulebook.
The dress code for Intro through Fourth Level is a short riding coat of conservative color,(typically black is worn) with tie, choker or stock tie and white or light colored breeches
IMPORTANT TIP:
It is more cost effective to become a member of USDF and USEF if you are competing at a usdf or usef recognized show. For a non-member fee for USDF is $20.00 per rider, per owner, per competition and a extra $5.00 affidavit fee if you cannot provide a copy of your USDF nonmember card, except opportunity classes. Click below for more information.
If you are a non-member of USEF it is a $30.00 fee to compete at each show. Click below to go to the USEF website and join.
Thanks for stopping by!
Colleen
The name of this video is "Starstruck" music is by Lady Gaga. Watch this rider have a blast with her horse galloping out in the fields, even us adults would love to do this......
High school equestrian athlete
The new High School Equestrian Athlete program is open to equestrian athletes in all breeds or disciplines who are enrolled in grades 9-12, and are currently USEF members, or become USEF members.
The program will run June 1–May 31 of each year, and will honor those who document their training and competition involvement by awarding emblems and pins. These are designed to be worn on existing high school letterman’s jackets, or any jacket of the athlete’s choosing, as a symbol of achievement. You can click here for more information.
Please complete the USEF High School Athlete Application. You will be required to register or log into your USEF online account in order to access the application.
American Quarter Horse Association Establishes Dressage as an Approved Event.
American Rider Kassandra Barteau Second in B Group of FEI World Cup™ Dressage Final for Young Riders.
Dressage Superstar Ravel Named 2009 USEF Farnam®/Platform™ Horse of the Year.
USEF Pegasus Award Winners: Dressage Star Steffen Peters Named USEF 2009
Emma Haas
Rider of the month
Learn about Snaffle and Double bridles! Click here
Double bridle
Snaffle bridle
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Equine artist Colleen Walker
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Philesha Chandler is the winner of Robert Dover's,
"The Search for America's Next Equestrian Star: Dressage
Photograph by Horse Sports Photography
Dressage for Juniors.Com
A fun place to learn more about dressage, finding a schoolmaster, training tips, and much more!
Follow Mary's Dressage blog and see what it takes for this young rider to train and compete!
New updates!
Check out our custom dressage designs on different tops to choose from!
