by Judy F » Mon Feb 07, 2005 1:13 pm
It is important to understand that dressage is method of training both the horse and rider to achieve their optimum performance -- not necessarily in the dressage ring but in everything they do. For the rider, it is best to learn on a trained horse, a 'schoolmaster,' so you can get the proper feeling for the aids and the movements. A green horse will benefit from being ridden by an experienced rider, if only your coach for 20 minutes at the start of each lesson. This is what Christalot Boylen recommends and she's right.