USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Seminar on Teaching (and Learning) Dressage

By Mary Moon; Photos courtesy of Christine Engel, CDA, and Sperry View Farm

Teaching dressage was the subject of a seminar hosted by the Connecticut Dressage Association (CDA) on August 10-11, 2024, at Sperry View Farm (Bethany, CT). Sarah Geikie and William (Bill) McMullin were co-clinicians. Geikie is a USEF ‘S’ judge, Level 3 FEI judge, and USDF Certified Instructor (Training-Fourth Level). She teaches and trains at the Connecticut Dressage Center (Coventry, CT). Sarah is also co-chair of the USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program Committee along with Lilo Fore. McMullin is a USEF ‘S’ judge, USDF Gold Medalist, and USDF FEI Level Certified Instructor. He and his partner, William (Bill) Warren, teach and train at Warren-McMullin Dressage (Mansfield, MA and Loxahatchee, FL). Geikie and McMullin are active USDF Instructor Certification Faculty members.

Earlier this summer, CDA organized a lungeing seminar taught by Ann Guptill and Vicki Hammers-O’Neil at Fox Ledge Farm (East Haddam, CT) and a riding and training seminar taught by Hammers-O’Neil and McMullin at Weatogue Stables, LLC (Salisbury, CT). Co-organizers Christine Engel and Fern Feldman from CDA “gratefully recognized the financial assistance we received in the form of a grant from The Dressage Foundation’s Violet M. Hopkins Fund for GMO Events and educational course materials from USDF.

“I am glad CDA organized these Seminars. Our GMO has a history of service to our members, and, by extension, to other USDF members. Seeing the enthusiasm of the participants and their engagement with the clinicians made the work worthwhile. Auditing this Seminar, I learned that each teacher had a different style and made different observations about each horse and rider. Each instructor had valuable insights to share.

“If another GMO is thinking of organizing and running seminars like these, please contact USDF as soon as possible for information. Advertise as early as possible. Participant instructors tended to register promptly, but some auditors waited until the last minute to register. Feel free to call me to ask about our experience organizing these seminars for CDA,” Engel offered. 

Feldman added, “CDA has, over the years, supported USDF Instructor/Trainer programs. This year, the Program has a new curriculum, and we felt that we again wanted to lend our support. Sarah Geikie, Ann Guptill, Vicki Hammers-O’Neil—all Connecticut trainers—and I are all on the USDF Instructor-Trainer Development Program Committee and very active and committed to the Program. Sarah is co-chair of the committee; Ann Guptill is an Examiner for the Program, and Vicki-Hammers-O’Neil is a faculty member. In addition, Jayne Marino, a volunteer who scribed for two of our sessions, and Doris Carlson, who also scribed, are USDF Certified Instructors through Fourth Level.”

The three CDA seminars were part of the USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program. Details about the Development Program, instructor/trainer certification, and future seminars are available on the USDF website.

Purpose of the Seminar

“The Teaching Seminar focused on developing teaching skills through a better understanding of the Pyramid of Training (POT). There’s a lot to learn. Instructors need common sense, horse sense, and people sense. Common sense is not always as common as we would hope!” according to McMullin.

The first day of the Teaching Seminar was open to participants and auditors and included presentations, group discussions, Q&A sessions, and teaching demonstrations. The second day was limited to eight participants and provided teaching experience, individualized coaching, and preparation for potential instructor certification.

On the first day, Geikie told attendees, “This Teaching Seminar is part of the USDF Dressage Instructor/Trainer Development Program. The Development Program and Seminars offer unique information about dressage not covered in the USDF L Education Program. The L Program covers judging dressage—what the gaits, movements, exercises, and performance of the horse should look like at different levels of training. The Development Program and Seminars are focused on the training of the horse by exploring the what, why, and how of training.

“This Teaching Seminar covers how instructors can teach lessons that educate the horse and rider. Instructors can gain insights about ways to prepare themselves to teach each lesson or clinic. This includes evaluating each student and their horse, making plans for training and exercises, and conducting lessons,” Geikie continued.

“This Seminar is equally valuable to dressage students. Anyone who takes lessons or attends clinics can benefit. Learning is a form of communication. A student must prepare themselves and actively participate in a lesson to benefit fully.

“Students need to do more than just show up for a lesson or clinic. It’s the instructor’s responsibility to teach, but it’s the student’s responsibility to learn.

She added, “As instructors, our goal is to teach the rider not only what to do but also how and why to do it. This changes as their horse’s training progresses during each lesson and over time. If an instructor is effective and a student is dedicated, then eventually the student will learn to ride and train their horse on their own. Our job as instructors is to teach each lesson so that the student comes away with answers to their questions about ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘why’ they did during their lesson. We want our students to become independent and not need their instructor. That’s our ultimate goal!”

Presentations

Safety

“Safety is the number one most important thing we do as instructors,” Geikie told attendees, “Instructors must learn to think on their feet. They should take first-aid training, get certified, and keep their certification up-to-date.”

“When teaching,” she added, “instructors need to keep their students safe and prevent accidents. They should always keep at least one eye on the horse and rider at all times. Instructors shouldn’t allow themselves to be distracted but always be aware of what’s happening around the arena.”

“A pre-lesson safety check is essential,” McMullin advised. “Before every lesson, I check the environment, especially the footing in the ring. I look for other riders, loose dogs, tractors, trucks, and other possible distractions.” Geikie agreed, “The footing is super-important. It affects safety and the longevity of the horse at every age and level of training.

“Before each lesson, I look at the horse and rider as though it is the first time I see them. Then I do a hands-on check of the tack. This is important even when I teach a student each week because tack wears and horses develop their muscles,” she explained. “I manually check the fit of the bit and bridle. The saddle is the most important piece of equipment because it can affect the rider’s position, balance, and use of the aids. There should be enough room to slide one hand between the front panel of the saddle and the horse’s shoulder. The girth should be tight enough to keep the saddle from slipping, but there should be room to slip one hand between the girth and the horse’s tummy.”

“It’s important for the instructor to put their hands on both bits in a double bridle,” McMullin noted, “The curb chain must lie flat (not twisted) on the horse’s chin groove.”

Geikie agreed, “The curb chain should be adjusted so that the shanks of the curb bit are at a 45-degree angle when the rider has light contact with the reins. And the hooks for the curb chain on both sides of the curb bit should be open, not closed.”

“I always check that the horse is sound and ready to be ridden in a lesson,” she continued, “I look at the horse’s legs and hooves. I inspect each foot and check its balance. And I assess the muscular development and health of the horse because they can affect its performance.

“After I inspect the horse and tack,” Geikie continued, “I ask the rider about their health. Is the rider recovering from a head cold, torn rotator cuff, or carpal tunnel syndrome? I also ask the rider about the soundness, shoeing, and health history of their horse.” McMullin agreed, “I talk with the rider to learn about the horse’s health and condition. I take this into account when I decide what and how much to ask them to do in the lesson. This is especially important when I teach in a clinic situation where the horse and rider may be unfamiliar to me.”

He added, “Talking with the instructor about the horse and tack can help put the student more at ease. When the rider feels more confident, it’s easier for them to ride well, listen to the instructor, and give feedback. For example, if a student wants to practice a specific exercise or gait, then I keep this in mind as I develop the lesson plan.”

One of the attendees asked, “What do you do if a horse looks unsound?” McMullin replied, “I’m always an advocate for the horse and its well-being. If a horse is not sound, I speak up and stop the lesson.” Geikie agreed, “If necessary, I tell the rider the truth as kindly as I can.”

Pyramid of Training (POT)

“The POT or training scale organizes and illustrates the concepts and steps used to train a horse using the classical dressage approach. The POT lists the essential ingredients or ‘basics’ used in the correct training of a horse. Instructors, trainers, judges, and riders need to know the POT by heart and understand how to apply it,” McMullin told attendees.

“It’s important to understand that the elements in the POT are all interrelated,” Geikie noted, “They are not separate. Rhythm, suppleness, and contact are at the heart of dressage. They take the longest amount of time to establish when training a horse. But after a horse learns rhythm, suppleness, and contact, it is easier for the horse to develop impulsion, straightness, and collection. Then the horse can be trained to reach higher levels of dressage.

“The terms in the POT are used by USEF and USDF to define the performance standards for dressage tests,” Geikie continued, “They are also used by dressage judges. I use the terms from the POT with all my riders regardless of whether they show or not. The USEF Rule Book has very specific definitions for terms such as half-halt and stretching the frame. Studying the Rule Book is a great way to learn about these terms.”

“The POT and its terms are very helpful for teaching (and learning) dressage. A good dressage instructor should have the POT and its terms engraved in their mind. A good student needs to learn them as well, even if they are not interested in competing,” McMullin added.

Geikie agreed, “The POT is the common thread that runs through the development of ALL exercises such as leg-yielding and other lateral work, the correct progression of training, and our national and international dressage tests. I recommend that instructors and riders follow the progression of the exercises as shown in the dressage tests. I refer to the POT when I evaluate the training of a horse and rider, choose appropriate exercises for them, and coach them during a lesson.”

“The dressage tests provide a good roadmap for training because they are designed around the POT,” McMullin added.

“It is essential for an instructor to know and understand the POT. When teaching (or riding), they can automatically recognize a problem and apply the POT to address the underlying basics. For example, in a lesson, the student is trotting and their horse loses its balance and leans on the reins (a problem with contact). The horse’s rhythm becomes choppy, and the muscles in the horse’s topline tighten (lose suppleness). The instructor recognizes that the rider needs to first improve their horse’s trot rhythm and then topline suppleness before contact with the reins can improve,” he explained.

“Students need to learn the POT so they can understand what their instructor or clinician is teaching and why. This can help the horse and rider get the maximum benefit from their lessons,” Geikie added.

“Study the POT,” McMullin advised, “You need to know it by heart so you can develop your instructing techniques around the POT. Become comfortable with the POT so you can adapt it to the situation at hand. You need to have a half-dozen different ways to say the same thing because different people process information differently. For example, I might tell an experienced rider, ‘Your horse is coming above the bit.’ To a novice rider, I might say, ‘It looks like your horse is lifting his head and pulling on the reins. We can start to fix that by….’

“Remember that the elements of the POT are on a sliding scale. For example, the expectations for suppleness and straightness depend on the level of the horse,” he reminded attendees, “and all of these things are evolving as the horse’s training progresses. Both instructor and rider need to have appropriate expectations for the individual horse.

Warming up

McMullin told attendees, “It’s very important for the instructor to carefully watch the horse and rider as they warm up. This helps the instructor understand where the horse and rider are in their training and make a plan for the rest of the lesson.

“The first phase of a lesson is for the horse and rider to warm up. This can be the most critical part of a lesson,” he continued, “The rider needs to re-establish the basics (according to the POT) each time they train their horse. The warm-up can be the most difficult part of a lesson to teach.

“The rider should warm up the horse so he looks like he is ready to work at an appropriate level. It’s the rider’s job to prepare the horse to do the job at hand. The rider should customize their warm-up to fit their horse. For example, the muscles and balance of a Third Level horse should be more developed than those of a Training Level horse even in the warm-up. The Third Level horse may not have a Third Level frame in the warm-up, but the horse should have appropriate connection and cadence,” he explained.

According to Geikie, “In the warm-up, the rider must re-establish communication with their horse.” She added, “I can get a very good idea about the progression of the horse’s training by observing its movement during warm-up. I also observe and analyze how the rider’s position and aids affect the horse’s movement. Then I use the POT to help me identify strengths and to determine what needs improvement. I make plans to coach the rider to adjust their position and aids and teach the rider how to use specific exercises to develop and improve their horse.”

“In a lesson, I’m always asking myself, ‘How can I improve the gaits of the horse?’ In the warm-up, the rhythm of each gait should be regular,” McMullin told attendees. “The tempo is really important especially when warming up. Finding the right tempo at the right time is super-important. Some horses need a little slower or faster tempo so contact can be established in the warm-up. And the right tempo for good contact can change during the ride.”

Geikie agreed, “Rein contact between the bit and hands of the rider is really important and provides a lot of information. Correct contact can only be established when the horse accepts all of the rider’s aids—leg, seat, weight, and hands. Good contact is a necessary part of a good connection between horse and rider where they are working together as a single, harmonious, elastic unit.

“This is the reason why it is critical to establish good contact during the warm-up. If the warm-up is wrong, then it’s almost impossible to recover and do correct work. The instructor and rider should ask themselves, ‘In the warm-up, does the horse have the basics to do what is planned for the work today?’ and customize the lesson plan to fit the horse,” she added.

One of the attendees asked, “How long should the warm-up last?” Geikie and McMullin replied, “With an educated rider, the warm-up should last 10-15 minutes maximum, not 40 minutes!”

“The warm-up is an opportunity for the instructor to observe the horse and rider and develop their lesson plan,” Geikie explained, “I use the POT to analyze the horse’s balance and movement and how the rider is using their aids. Then I use the POT to plan a set of exercises for the horse and rider.”

Communication

“During the warm-up, I also plan how I can use the fewest words possible and think about using my vocabulary effectively when teaching the lesson. It might be better to repeat my instructions for one rider. But using too many words might overload another rider; it might be better to use fewer words and more pauses.

“I’m also thinking about how I will communicate with the rider during the lesson. For example, I might tell a novice rider to prepare for a transition at K when she is riding past the letter H. I might wait until an FEI-level rider passes the letter E before I ask for a half-halt and transition at K,” Geikie added.

Demo Rider 1 – Lily Koorejian and StellaLuna

Geikie shared her thoughts with the attendees as she watched the first demo rider, Lily Koorejian, warming up her Second Level horse StellaLuna. She encouraged Koorejian to ride StellaLuna on curved lines and leg yields to reveal how StellaLuna was reacting to her rider’s aids.

“I see a clear four-beat walk with a ‘V’ when each hind leg moves forward toward the front leg on the same side. But it looks like she can be more supple in her topline,” Geikie told attendees.

“In leg yields, this mare is willing and moves sideways with the same rhythm. Her trot rhythm never changes. She reaches laterally and crosses her hind legs, and she takes some contact with the outside rein. But the contact is better on one side than the other.”

During the warm-up, Geikie told Koorejian, “Lily, I want you to ride in posting trot instead of sitting trot. This will allow your mare to get her back muscles moving. Trot her on a 20-meter circle. This will help her engage her inside hind leg so it reaches more forward under her body toward her outside shoulder and she bends her inside hock. We’ll do this in both directions.”

Geikie told attendees, “In the canter, this rider has a supple seat and connection with her horse. But she tends to draw her legs up when she uses them to apply leg aids. I’ll add this to the lesson plan.

“As I’m watching them warm up, I’m making observations and thinking about my plans for the working part of their lesson. I want the rider to direct her horse to go more evenly into the reins on the right and left sides. And I want the mare to move her shoulders more in front of her hind quarters. This will help her use her hind legs and step into the rein contact more evenly on the right and left.

“I’m also thinking about the rider. I’d like her to bring her shoulder blades closer together and down with positive tension. I also want her to keep her elbows under her armpits instead of in front of her. I’m going to tell the rider ‘lats down’. These changes will help her have more elastic rein contact and support her horse.”

After the warm-up, Geikie told attendees, “I’m going to teach the rider how to improve her ability to feel the horse’s mouth and have just the right amount of rein tension to get better contact and bring her horse on the bit. I like to use the rider’s first name when teaching.”

Geikie told Koorejian to halt StellaLuna in front of the attendees. Then she told her, “Lily, let’s do an exercise to help you feel the connection of your seat and core and how that influences rein contact.”

Geikie held both reins near the bit and gradually applied some tension until StellaLuna yielded her poll and quietly chewed the bit. “Lily, you need to figure out and practice how much tension to have on the reins and how much muscle tension to have in your core, abs, and legs to ask your mare to yield at her poll but not step backward or drop the contact. This will help you ride your horse on the bit.”   

Next, Geikie coached Koorejian as she rode walk-trot-walk transitions, trot-canter-trot transitions, and 20-meter circles. “Lily, I expect more than obedience in these simple exercises! I want your mare to maintain her balance and clear rhythm in each gait. ”

In the final part of the lesson, Koorejian rode StellaLuna in a posting trot on a 20-meter circle and asked her to stretch her topline.

McMullin told attendees, “There’s got to be a logical progression from warm-up to work and cool down. I like to end the working part of each lesson on a super-positive note. I ask the rider and horse to do something easy for them. Stretching is an excellent choice to help the horse relax and swing through his topline muscles. I want to see the horse reaching for the bit (forward and down) and trotting in a clear rhythm.

“After stretching their horse, I want the rider to work their horse a little at the walk before relaxing completely on a long, loose rein. Remember, you’re either training a horse or you’re not,” he added.

Geikie told attendees, “It’s our job to nurture riders and help them improve by leading them in the right direction.”

Demo Rider 2 – Alyssa DeLucci and Santana

Alyssa DeLucci rode Santana, a former event horse that is now working at Fourth Level. The clinicians watched them warm up and observed that Santana needed more engagement. McMullin told DeLucci to sit a fraction of a second longer when posting to encourage her horse to bring his hind legs under his body.

McMullin also noticed that Santana sometimes braced himself against the contact when DeLucci sat the trot. He coached her to use her core muscles to stabilize herself and encourage her horse to become rounder on the bit.

“I want to see your horse’s neck—right in front of the withers—be a little lower, between one-half and one inch lower,” McMullin told DeLucci.

“We also need to work on your horse’s hind legs. He needs to be quicker in his hind legs. And I see him sometimes twist his nose to the right. We need to work on straightness before we do more advanced exercises,” he added.

Geikie told attendees, “It’s really important to me that the horse understands the straightening aids before the rider asks him for flying changes. Santana covers ground really well, but we need to add more ‘jump’ to his canter. This will encourage him to stay rounder instead of ‘running’ and bracing against the contact.”

The clinicians coached DeLucci as she practiced trot-canter-trot transitions. When Santana tried to swing his haunches off the track toward the outside of the ring, they told DeLucci to trot him in shoulder-fore position, do a canter transition, and then straighten him. After contact and engagement improved, they worked on haunches-in, half passes, and walk-canter-walk transitions.  

Demo Rider 3 – Carol DiCarlo and Modico

The next demo rider was Carol DiCarlo on Modico, who was working at Third and Fourth Levels.

Geikie told attendees, “Even in the warm-up, I want to see Modico working more securely on the bit instead of fussing in the contact.”

She told DeCarlo, “Even at the halt, I want to see you feel that your horse is with you and respond when you ask him to be round and on the bit.” When Modico backed to rebalance himself, Geikie added, “There should be only forward thinking. No backward thinking.”

She coached the rider, “Sit more down in the tack so your seat bones feel his hind legs. Let your legs drape around him with relaxed knees and thighs. Be careful not to ‘nag’ him with your spurs. Focus on rhythm. I want each gait to feel elastic, like a rubber band. 

“Modico is a sensitive horse. You need to help him find relaxation and balance so he will let you ride him. Your message to him should be to wait for your aids and listen to them.

“Try feeling the rhythm of the gait. When Modico relaxes, you can slow the tempo with your seat and ask him to take longer strides.”   

Geikie coached DeLucci to ride half passes at a shallow angle from the quarter-line toward (but not all the way) the rail. “Ride Modico between your aids. Keep all your aids ‘around’ your horse.”

Next, they practiced trotting a few steps of half pass, then riding straight ahead, and repeating on a diagonal line across the ring. Geikie added, “Try thinking positively about what you want to do. Horses can feel the difference between their rider’s positive and negative thoughts.”

The lesson progressed from riding turns on the forehand to two-loop and three-loop serpentines while maintaining a steady trot rhythm. Geikie coached DeLucci to use lighter rein aids and ride more from her seat.

Demo Rider 4 – Judy Lieberman and Noah

The fourth demo rider was Judy Lieberman on Noah. During the warm-up, McMullin observed, “This horse can benefit from work on some of the basics: rhythm, relaxation, suppleness, and engagement.”

McMullin told Lieberman, “Try posting the trot while leaning a little forward and staying ‘up’ a little longer in each stride. This will encourage Noah to relax, use his topline, and swing his back muscles.”

He told attendees, “Noah needs to cover more ground. He’s a bit inverted, and his topline is tense. In this lesson, we’ll work to develop more of a ‘bungee cord’ feeling and encourage him to stretch. We’ll first practice turns on the forehand. Then Judy can work on riding each corner of the ring with the same feeling of tracking up and turning as when she does a turn on the forehand.   

McMullin coached Judy as she rode 20-meter circles, “When Noah lowers his neck, ride him a little more forward and let him lower his neck even more. Each time he relaxes, he lowers his neck, tracks up better, and takes longer strides with his hind legs. This is  good progress!”

He told attendees, “When a horse raises his neck, he lowers his back and takes shorter strides. That’s why it’s very important that a rider checks their seat and makes sure that their pelvis is allowing their horse to use his back correctly.”

On the second day of the Seminar, the participants practiced teaching lessons. The clinicians observed the lessons and helped the participants improve their teaching skills.

Feedback from Participants

According to Siri Kent, CDA member and participant, “I attended the Teaching Seminar because I want to become a better instructor. At the Seminar, I learned teaching skills from the USDF Instructor Certification Faculty members and challenged myself to improve what I already know about helping horses and riders.

“My most important takeaway was to always keep asking myself how I can improve my teaching. Another important takeaway was to give clear explanations to each student about ‘what’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ I am teaching them. I want my students to clearly understand the purpose and function of each dressage exercise.”

Yvette Casdorph (Fairmount, WV) attended the Teaching Seminar “because I want to become the best dressage instructor that I can possibly be. I work with many students of all ages from children to retirees in their 70s. Each moment that you are with your equine partner is valuable; you are either training or untraining your horse. I want to teach my students how to bring out the best in their horses by providing quality instruction in both riding and horsemanship through classical dressage. I hope to use the feedback I received from Sarah and Bill to develop my teaching skills and become a USDF Certified Instructor at Training and First Levels.

“One of the most important things I learned at this Seminar was to personally ensure the safety of horse and rider by checking the arena, rider’s attire, and tack. 

“I also learned that instructors need to watch the horse and rider warm up and use the Pyramid of Training as a roadmap to planning and teaching the lesson. A good instructor teaches their students the ‘what’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ of horsemanship while using correct vocabulary from the USDF glossary of terms, which is a common language for dressage riders and trainers. A good instructor has a repertoire of exercises they can use to improve the horse and rider.

“Lastly, I learned that the cooldown at the end of a lesson begins with the horse chewing the reins out of the rider’s hands to show improved relaxation and acceptance of the aids.”  

Lynn Sheen (Central Texas Dressage Society, Austin, TX) has a goal to become a para-dressage coach. She recently came back to riding after a 30-year break. “It hasn’t been easy, but relearning my balance and seat with my handicap gives me a learning perspective different from that of many other instructors.

“I believe in learning from the best experts you can find. This is key to continual growth and understanding in any endeavor—riding particularly because of its nuances. 

“Last summer, I audited a seminar taught by Steffen Peters at the Colorado Horse Park. I realized how important the role of instructor/trainer is to everyone who rides. Having now participated in two Development Seminars, I can attest to their value. In my opinion, teaching and training the basics should come before specific preparation for riding a test in a show. 

“The newly refined USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program is simply amazing. The concepts, approach, and methodology are outstanding. The Program is helping create a common understanding and core knowledge among instructors and trainers that can be passed along to others.  This includes perspective, language, principles, good explanations, and exercises. When the preparation of the basics according to the POT is adequate then focusing on the details of riding a particular test is so much easier.

“The most important thing that I learned through the Program is that there is a wonderful community of people who believe in core dressage principles and want to share them with everyone! I’m so much in favor of this fundamental philosophy—grow the pie so there is no need for anyone to be tempted to hoard their knowledge. I agree with Sarah Geikie that instructors should want their students to learn enough to be able to ride and train on their own. Yes, yes, yes! It makes me smile just to think about it. All this and more is what I wish for my students!

“The USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program may possibly be the most important single initiative in the horse industry today. Horses are becoming increasingly expensive and are often inaccessible to people in some areas. Dressage provides the answer to producing a harmonious relationship between horse and rider. 

“So many riders are faced with pressures from a fast-paced life. Dressage is an excellent way for them to slow things down to a reasonable tempo—dressage is even more relevant today than in the past. Dressage as it is being disseminated via the USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program is key to helping the horse industry return to the fundamentals of horsemanship.  

“I particularly like the inclusiveness of the new Program; being able to participate has been the highlight of my entire year!” she concluded.

Looking Ahead

Development Seminars are scheduled to be held in Nebraska and Wisconsin later this year. Information is available on the USDF calendar of upcoming educational events. Everyone is welcome to attend Development Seminars as auditors or apply to be a participant through the USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program!

USDF GMOs, owners of farms, and others interested in holding USDF Dressage Development Seminars can contact USDF for information and The Dressage Foundation for possible funding.

More information about teaching dressage and riding and training horses can be found in books published by USDF, The United States Pony Clubs, and the German Equestrian Federation and other materials and videos on the USDF University website.