By Megan McIsaac
Megan McIsaac here with the final installment of our series on the USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program and Dressage Development Seminars! If you haven’t read my first two articles (Part 1 and Part 2), I have had the honor of hosting the full series of USDF Dressage Development Seminars this year at my farm, Lindinhof Equine Sports Zentrum in Oregon, Wisconsin.
I previously participated in the former format with Instructor Workshops and mock testing, ultimately becoming a USDF Certified Instructor through Fourth Level. That original program was instrumental in shaping me into the organized, thoughtful instructor I am today. After hosting the new seminars, I truly believe the revamped program has evolved into an even stronger system—one that welcomes anyone passionate about learning, and helps to standardize dressage education across the United States. As a result, I feel it is time to give back to the sport through hosting and promoting this updated Instructor Program, and to encourage more instructors and trainers to join this exceptional pathway!
The series consists of three two-day seminars, each focused on a pillar of instruction:
About the Seminar Series
- Riding
- Teaching
- Lungeing
Day 1 of each seminar includes a morning classroom session featuring PowerPoints, videos, educational materials, and a comprehensive booklet. The afternoon is devoted to live demonstrations led by the faculty.
Day 2 is a closed session that focuses on the development of the Participating Instructors (PIs). Each PI demonstrates their knowledge through an initial assessment, followed by a 20–25 minute practical teaching segment, and concludes with a final assessment. They are evaluated on safety procedures, use of terminology, understanding of the Pyramid of Training, and overall professional demeanor.
The environment is supportive and educational, featuring productive dialogue between faculty and instructors. Learning happens in both directions.
Our Faculty Leaders
Our faculty for this year’s seminars were Ann Guptill and Bailey Cook. Both are USDF Certified Instructors through Fourth Level, USDF medalists, and competitors at both the national and international levels. They each operate successful training businesses and generously share their knowledge and experience with participants.
Inside the Lungeing Seminar
The classroom portion of the lungeing seminar was divided into two sections: Lungeing the Horse and Lungeing the Rider.
We explored:
- Goals and objectives
- Safety considerations
- The Pyramid of Training
- Assessment of the horse
- What to observe while lungeing
- Suitability of horses for specific work
- Warm-up strategies for horse and rider
- Position, alignment, and corrections
- Exercises to improve balance, suppleness, and independence of seat and hands
We also reviewed and discussed videos on both horse lungeing and seat lessons.
After a wonderful lunch, Ann demonstrated lungeing techniques with four horses. The first two sessions focused on lungeing horses.
The first was an older, large Grand Prix warmblood gelding whose gaits, topline, transitions, and balance we evaluated.
The second was a spicy pony whose equipment needs differed from the warmblood, offering a great comparison—especially in fitting cavessons (including two that Ann brought, which came in handy!).
The final two demonstrations were seat lessons, taught to two of my students on our school horses. It was a pleasure to watch another instructor work with my riders, and I was proud of both the students and the horses. Together, we examined where to begin with a seat-focused lesson—pelvis, legs, arms, shoulders—and discussed the instructor’s decision-making process: what to address, how to approach it, and why.
In the photo to the right, Ann encouraged instructors to recommend unmounted stretches before students mount their horses for their lesson! Here, the students stand in alignment, while they bend their knee at a 90-degree angle and push their leg from knee to foot into the wall. For me, this stretched my outer hip, shin, upper foot, and ankle! They can also do stretches on the mounting block. What is good for the horse, is good for the rider!!
Reflections on Teaching and Learning
Not every lesson goes exactly as planned. Some achieve the desired result, but the question remains: Did the student understand the what, the how, and the why? Every instructor brings their own background and experience, and these seminars offer a valuable opportunity to learn from one another, make connections, and build a shared standard for teaching and training that is logical, consistent, and supportive—especially when we are working independently.
Gratitude
Thank you to USDF for continuing to improve this outstanding program and for encouraging instructors to pursue certification. This pathway has supported me from my early days as a young professional through my current role as a seasoned, certified instructor.
Thank you to everyone who helped make our series a success, from Kathie Roberston, Director of Education at USDF, instructors Ann Guptill and Bailey Cook, Karen and Anne, AV and Mumsie, Lisa for the amazing lunches and snacks, Derek for the setup and projector, the PI’s and auditors, my students and, of course, last but not least, my amazing school horses! Thank you!
I hope riders, instructors, GMO members, and hosts alike will take part in the USDF Dressage Development Programs and continue growing our sport together.
For more information on the program, visit: https://www.usdf.org/education/instructor-trainer/
To watch a video with more information: https://youtu.be/KcloLgqbiYE?si=LPktwhTK6t51JvXj
Listen to an interview on the Dressage Radio Show with Bailey Cook:
Meet Ann Guptill:
Here is an interview with Ann Guptill on the program:
