Qualia Dressage LLC

07/27/2020

We had such a great weekend at Dressage, By Chance? 1 & 2. Thank you Michele Wellman and team for an incredibly well-run show.

Abby Rowe won all of her classes at First Level Test 3 and Second Level Test 3, qualified for GAIGs, got her First and Second Level scores for her Bronze Medal, and topped it off with a 73% at First Level Test 3, earning FOUR scores of “9”, including one for her position (very proud coach here). She was also High Score First Level and High Score Jr/YR both days.

Lucy Tidd and Kayla had two super Training Level Test 3 tests for a 69%, 73%, and High Score Amateur on Saturday.

My Hans got more mileage in the ring and he was a total rockstar, earning a 72.5% and 75.1% at Third Level Test 3, High Score Third Level both days, and Reserve High Score Open on Sunday. He also got two scores of “9” (halt/rein back and half circle/short diagonal/flying change). So grateful to be able to develop this incredibly special horse.

07/23/2020

Coalie “helping” me clip Mouse. What would I do without him? 🙄😂 #morgansporthorse #hanoveriansofinstagram #devilmouse #bodyclipping #oldiesbutgoodies #retiredhorse

07/20/2020

It makes my heart so happy to see my best boy being such a great teacher. 🖤 #squawkiwaki #dressagetraining #dressage #schoolmaster #hanoveriansofinstagram

07/17/2020

Lindy Taylor’s Galantha was such a good girl in the PSG today at the Sussex County Dressage Show, for a 67% despite some green mistakes. Such a little sports car, this girl. Go Gigi! 💕

07/13/2020

Great to be back in the show ring this weekend at Dressage at Lexington. Thank you Virginia Dressage Association, Inc for an incredibly well-run show. I was super excited to finally get to use this awesome white board for keeping track of ride times that Jessie Ginsburg and Jan Sherfy gave me last year.

Some highlights:

Jessie Ginsburg earned a 65% and a blue ribbon with her Vodermus on Friday in the I-1. She now only needs one more score to complete her requirements to enter the “R” judge program.

Lucy Tidd was High Score First Level on Friday with Kayla on a 70%, in addition to a 7.68 in the FEI Five Year Old qualifier on Sunday. She and Ellert HB had a good go in the Grand Prix on Friday for 64%.

Super proud of Shera Solomon for rocking her I-1 debut on her Quaterflash. She earned two scores of 64%—gotta love the consistency. Congrats to Shera also on her student Kathie Zarish winning pretty much everything this weekend! Five blues out of six classes and multiple high score awards. Way to go!

Lindy Taylor’s Galantha debuted at Prix St Georges and earned a solid 65% in the Developing PSG with me on Sunday. With more time and mileage this little mare will be a real rockstar.

Last but not least, my Hans did his first big overnight show and got better and better all weekend, earning two scores of 69%, one 68% and one 67% at 3-3. I’m looking forward to continuing to build his confidence in the ring this year.

07/13/2020

Hans’ final test at Dressage at Lexington—Third Level Test 3 for a 69% and a win. Just thrilled with this boy—this is a big, busy show, and he got better and better all weekend. 🖤

07/13/2020

So proud of Lindy Taylor’s super little mare, Galantha. She made her Prix St Georges debut this weekend and finished with a 65% in the Developing PSG today. She’s still pretty green at this level and needs to build some strength in the canter tour, but had a lot of highlights in the trot work and even nailed all but one line of changes this weekend. Thank you so much for the opportunity to show this special girl, Lindy! 💕

07/11/2020

So proud of Hansi in his first big show. Some tension and nerves, but he got more and more relaxed and confident as the test went on, finishing on a 68.6% for second place. So excited about this lovely boy. 🖤 Thanks so much to my wonderful sponsors, Cate & Theresa - Maryland Certified Saddle Fitters, who always go above and beyond for me and my clients—they tweaked this saddle to fit Hans perfectly.

07/06/2020

Qualia Dressage has a partial or full training spot available at Locks Edge in Poolesville, MD. We welcome all levels of horses and riders, from green to Grand Prix, and are passionate about helping our horses and riders reach their full potential through correct and compassionate training. No breed bias here—we are proud to help any horse/pony become a better version of his or her self. Training programs are flexible, and can be any combination of lessons or training rides. Opportunities throughout the year to participate in clinics with international riders/trainers.

Trainer Siobhan Byrne is a USDF Gold, Silver, and Bronze medalist. She has developed multiple horses to Grand Prix and has helped students earn their USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals. Her students are consistently in the ribbons locally and regionally, as well as qualifying for national championships such as USDF Finals, USEF Dressage Seat Equitation Finals, and Pony Club Championships.

Locks Edge is a premier, 16-stall dressage facility on 57 acres in Poolesville, MD, offering top notch care and amenities. For more information, visit www.locksedge.com.

Whether you’re looking to join us at shows or just enjoy the training process, we’d love to have you join us. For more information, call (732) 406-9606 or email [email protected].

07/05/2020

Thank you @jeremy_steinberg for another great clinic. Hans was such a super boy. Love this horse’s wonderful sensitivity and sweet character. 🖤#dressagetraining #kwpnhorse #dressagehorsesofinstagram #roadtograndprix #dressage #dressagehorse #equestrian #marylanddressage

06/29/2020

Thank you to @richard.malmgren for coming to Locks Edge to do some long lining. It was really fun for me to watch him do Tinder—he is looking so grown up. #tindernoodle #dressagetraining #younghorse #longlining #dressagehorse #oldenburgsofinstagram #oldenburghorse

06/25/2020

Huge thank you to Margaret Hawkins and Whispering Spring Farm for inviting me to do a clinic at your farm today! I had such a fun time teaching a fantastic group of kind, conscientious riders. And, I got to meet these adorable little guys. 💕 #dressagetraining #minimulesofinstagram #minidonkeys

06/22/2020

Congratulations to student Abby Rowe on her invitation to the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Final, 14-18 Division! I’m a very proud coach. 😊

06/21/2020

Thank you @teamtatedressage for a fun impromptu clinic on Saturday. Zaza loved meeting you and says come back soon! #dressagetraining #dressage #oldenburgsofinstagram #horsesofinstagram #equestrian

05/31/2020

Hansi’s first field trip! He was a rock star. Such a fun and willing horse, with so much talent. #dressage #dressagehorse #dressagetraining #kwpnhorse #canterpirouette

05/29/2020

As someone who has been an athlete in multiple sports for most of my life, I always take this into consideration while training horses. Small, incremental progress yields the best results in the long run.

So many riders "do dressage" without understanding what an intense struggle that can create for the horse, or how much it can cause discomfort to the horse, or why it is so totally natural for a horse to resist.

So try this.

Get a personal fitness coach, and do some squat thrusts, where you put your legs under your mass, sink down, and spring up, and see how damn well much you like it.

Unless you are a fitness addict, and are totally used to it, I can tell you exactly how well you are going to like it---

You are going to hate it.

Now, take your horse, and ride him on a mild curve, right or left. Because you have a connected outside rein, and an activating inside leg, you can induce your horse to bend the hocks and stifle of his inside hind leg, make it step further under the mass of his own body, plant the hoof, and lift that same mass.

This is called "engagement." It creates weight lifting, because instead of just letting the hind legs trail out behind, where they push the horse along, they now are being asked to not only push, but also to engage and lift.

Get it? Your horse hates it just as much as you hated doing squat thrusts, and for exactly the same reason.

However, there are a few human athletes who do not hate doing squat thrusts. Who are they? Well, think it through---

They are the athletes who have been made strong and resilient and powerful over many months, even years, of gradually increasing exertion to the point that now they can do what previously they could not do.

So if you would not want to be forced, wham bam, to do it yourself, don't do it wham bam to your horse.

Start easy, build slowly, learn the appropriate exercises, don't just say "Last week I couldn't even spell dressge rider, and now I are one."

Learn what you are doing so that what you ask your horse to do makes athletic sense, just exactly as though it was something that your hypothetical personal trainer was asking you to do.

Otherwise, all you are doing with your horse is not correct training. You are simply being a bully.

05/28/2020

Charles de Kunffy

“A horse doesn’t have a problem of evading his rider. Evasion is nature working for itself to be effortless, as nature always will. That’s why rivers are flowing downhill, not uphill. Nature seeks tranquility, and therefore when the alien weight of a rider intrudes on a horse, he wants to be lazy about involving his haunches and surrendering the power and whereabouts and direction of the haunches to his rider, simply out of nostalgia of the natural state when he was unencumbered and not required to do something he doesn’t volunteer to do. It becomes man’s rationality versus nature’s laziness and seeking the status quo. The avoids submitting to the rider with three common evasions: inversion/over flexion, misalignment, and rushing.”
- Charles de Kunffy

The Ethics and Passions of Dressage, page 92

05/25/2020

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. - Mary Oliver
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#horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #dressagerider #dressagetrainer #barnlife #kwpnhorse #equestrian #friends

05/12/2020

Blue skies, green grass, new friends. 💕 #friendship #besties #horsesofinstagram #kwpnhorse #oldenburghorse

05/11/2020

🖤 Hans 🖤 Very excited about this boy and enjoying being able to train without the pressures of showing for now. #dressagehorsesofinstagram #dressagetraining #kwpnhorse #dressage #roadtograndprix

04/28/2020

It’s fun to look back at old videos, and see how the horses have developed. Here’s Vodie working on piaffe in May of 2019, and April of 2020—almost exactly a year apart. Progress happens in such small increments in this sport. Daily training has its ups and downs, so it’s important to look at the big picture when it comes to gauging progress.
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#roadtograndprix #dressage #dressagehorsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #fei #dressagetrainer #kwpnhorse #vodiethepiaffemachine

04/25/2020

A very happy birthday to this ridiculous creature. 27 years! He’s been in my life for 21 of them, which is pretty unbelievable. He’s losing teeth at a rapid rate, but still looks fantastic and is super sound (which is more than you can say about me, haha). Happy birthday, Mouse. I wish you many more years with your best buddy, Coal. ❤️ #devilmouse #happybirthday #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorsesofinstagram #hanoverian #oldiebutgoodie

03/26/2020

He’s home! Waki returned from his winter in FL yesterday. So, so happy to have my sweet boy back in the barn. 🖤 #dressagehorsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #horsesofinstagram #marylanddressage #hanoveriansofinstagram #squawkiwaki

03/22/2020

Some days, I think he’s growing up. Some days, he tries to eat a brush. #winsomelosesome 🤷🏻‍♀️
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#horsesofinstagram #oldenburghorse #dressagehorse #dressage #younghorselife #marylanddressage #tindernoodle

02/24/2020

So proud of my students for their Year-End awards from VADA/NoVA. Lisa Rowe and Tigger VIII won Fourth Level AA, and the Rataxes Memorial Award for the highest scoring, oldest horse competing at recognized shows. Jessie Ginsburg and Vodermus won Prix St. Georges AA, were High Score FEI Amateur, and placed fourth in the USEF Musical Freestyle division. Way to go, ladies!

02/14/2020

Just hand over the snack, lady! #tindernoodle #dressagehorse #dressagehorsesofinstagram #marylanddressage #oldenburghorse

02/03/2020

Sarah making sure Tinder gets all his itches scratched!
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#horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #oldenburgsofinstagram #itchy #tindernoodle

01/25/2020

They could cover a bit more ground, but I’d say Vodie is definitely getting the hang of the one tempis!
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#feihorse #dressage #dressagehorse #onetempis #grandprixhorseinthemaking

01/16/2020

Slowly remembering how to ride. 🙃 I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to be riding again, even if I’m not at full speed yet. #dressage #feihorse #vodiethepiaffemachine #labraltearrecovery

01/06/2020

Back on a horse! Walking only (mostly 😉) for now. Fingers crossed it’s all onwards and upwards from here. 🤞🏻
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#dressage #dressagerider #labraltear #labraltearrecovery #labralreconstruction

01/01/2020

What a year! We had a lot of successes this year. Some stats:

2 USDF Gold Medals
2 USDF Silver Medals
1 USDF Silver Bar

3 Top Ten USDF Year-End Award Rankings

3 horses qualified for USDF Finals

Our team competed in championship classes at the Region 1 GAIG Finals, CBLM Finals, Developing Horse National Championships, and USDF Finals, coming away with:
1 Championship (CBLMs)
2 Reserve Championships (GAIGs, CBLMs)
3 Third Place (GAIGs, CBLMs)
2 Fourth Place (GAIGs, CBLMs)
6 Fifth Place (GAIGs, CBLMs, USDF Finals)
1 Sixth Place (GAIGs)
1 Eighth Place (GAIGs)
1 Twelfth Place (DHNC)

This year also brought some tough times, especially the tragic loss of one of the horses in our barn family. We have an amazing community here at Locks Edge, and the kindness and generosity that our group brings to the table is truly awe-inspiring. I can’t thank you all enough.

Huge thank you also to Kevin Oyarzo for his excellent farrier work, Dr. James Lewis, Dr. Paul Anikis, and Cate Fiolka and Theresa Keyes of Ride Times LLC for all of their support and great service.

Can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store.

12/30/2019

The Performance Refinery

EQUESTRIAN PT & RIDER PERFORMANCE INFORMATION CORNER:

HELP FIND AND ENGAGE YOUR SEAT BONES CORRECTLY IN THE SADDLE

Have you ever tried to turn a 4-wheel ATV motorbike around a corner using only the two left wheels? Probably not, it would be near impossible! You would have to compensate somewhere in your body to remain upright, with the likelihood of tipping over very high. It’s the same on a horse. “If we ask our horse to turn by dropping one seat bone in the saddle and floating the other (e.g. collapsing through the pelvis), the horse has to compensate through its own body to make the turn happen.

Firstly we need to understand how our pelvis moves, then how to apply our understanding to engage where exactly we should be sitting or feeling in the saddle?

If we don’t know/understand how our body moves, then how do we understand where exactly we should be sitting or feeling?

1.
Start by understanding where exactly your seat bones are and the difference between the anterior (front), middle and posterior (back) portions of your seat bones. If we don’t know how they move, then how do we understand where exactly we should be sitting or what we should be looking for in feeling.

2.
Sitting on a 65cm Swiss Ball/Stability Ball in front of a mirror, practice finding your middle portion of your seat bones. Then rock forward on your pelvis to find the front, before rocking back to find the back portion. Make sure that your shoulders remain on an even line and you don’t drop one side in order to find a seatbone.

3.
Now translate this across to when you are sitting in the saddle. Practice finding an evenness between both seat bones (Left & Right) and sitting directly over the middle points, so that they are facing directly downwards. If you are struggling to find your seatbone alignment a great ‘on horse’ exercise for this is by using 2 Franklin Balls. Place one directly under each of your seatbones. This will create a heightened neuromuscular awareness as to exactly where your seatbones are at any given point in time in the saddle.

This neutral pelvic positioning will also help you to be able to engage your pelvic girdle core muscles correctly. Namely your Transverse Abdominus, Glute Medius & Adductor Longus & Multifidus. This is achieved through a ‘Force Couple Relationship’ ~ A necessary factor for having optimal neuromuscular control is having normal force-coupling relationships = the ability to activate groups of muscles at once.

Share & Care by tagging a fellow Rider below whom would benefit from some in saddle pelvic performance tips 💪🏼🎓🐴

ALL TEXT & IMAGES COPYRIGHT: The Performance Refinery

12/22/2019

I’m always amazed by how a horse’s body can develop and change through good dressage training. The first picture is Waki upon import in summer 2017, as a green PSG horse. The second photo is Waki in spring 2019, competing at Grand Prix.
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#squawkiwaki #dressage #dressagehorse #dressagetraining #feihorse #hanoveriansofinstagram