Tens of thousands of riders pursue the sport of dressage in North America, and the majority do so on a budget and with the horse they already have—or quite simply, the one they can afford. This means riders are facing the challenge of mastering one of the world’s most esteemed equestrian events on horses that may not be bred specifically for the task, or even if they have been, may not be top prospects for any number of reasons. International dressage judge, clinician, and riding coach Janet Foy has ridden many different horses—different sizes, shapes, colors, and breeds—to the highest levels of dressage competition, and now she has compiled her best tips for training and showing in one highly enjoyable book. Her expertise, stories, and good humor are destined to bring out the best in dressage riders and their “not-so-perfect” horses everywhere.
Thousands of riders pursue the sport of dressage across the globe, and the majority do so on a budget and with the horse they already have, or quite simply, the one they can afford. This means riders daily face the challenge of mastering one of the world’s most esteemed equestrian pursuits on horses that may not be bred specifically for the task, or even if they have been, may not be top prospects for any number of reasons—behavioral quirks, conformational impediments, age or soundness issues, you name it.
International dressage judge, clinician, and riding coach Janet Foy has ridden many different horses in the course of her riding and horse training career—different sizes, shapes, colors, and breeds—to the highest levels of dressage competition. Now she has compiled her best tips for training and showing the horse you have (or the horse you love, despite his “faults”) through the levels. With lists of the common “imperfections and evasions” experienced when riding movements—from simple transitions and leg-yield to zig-zags, tempi changes, and piaffe— followed by training tips and creative ways to “perfect” the “imperfections,” riders are bound to discover countless ways to apply Janet’s advice in their dressage pursuits.
Janet Foy is an FEI “I” judge, USEF “S” Dressage Judge and an USEF Sporthorse “R” Breeding Judge. She has judged at all major shows in the United States, including the FEI North American Young Rider Championships, the FEI North American Junior Championships, the USA World Cup League Finals, and the FEI North American Championships. She has also judged national championships, is on the USDF “L” Faculty, and instructs federation judges training programs throughout the United States for dressage and sport horse breeding. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Nancy Jones is a novelist who teaches college English literature, writing, journalism, and women's studies courses in Minnesota and North Dakota. A dressage rider with FEI-level riding experience and national level competition success, she also specializes in equestrian journalism and has published numerous features. She lives in Fargo, North Dakota.
