“I had a blast working with Maribeth Dunlap who developed my 4th Level Musical Freestyle for me any my mare, Illyra. She put in so much time and effort into timing out the music and putting the choreography together to make it perfect for us. Illyra was absolutely exhausted after dancing all weekend. LOL. If you’re thinking of designing a freestyle, I highly recommend Maribeth Dunlap Dressage to help! Now I need pink boots and jacket to go with my Barbie-themed freestyle!”

Tammy James, Virginia Beach, VA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Had so much fun watching Tammy James work with Maribeth Dunlap to design her 4th Level Musical Freestyle. We are so lucky to have Maribeth’s expert ear and eye right here in Hampton Roads! If you’re thinking of designing a freestyle, reach out to Maribeth Dunlap Dressage.”

Cristin Bertolini, Virginia Beach, FA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“After meeting Maribeth at my first dressage show in 2008, I soon realized what an exceptional and professional dressage trainer she is.  Her knowledge and understanding of classical dressage is rare these days.

Maribeth has helped me with several of my horses through the years.  I have found her training techniques to be very fair to me and my horses.  This is very important to me.  I always knew she’d resolve whatever issues I was having, whether it be with me, the rider, or my horse’s issues, we always end up moving forward in our training.  Under Maribeth’s instruction, concepts that have always seemed hard to reach now make sense.  She has the ability to make something that seems so difficult to achieve, that much easier and clearer.  I love her philosophy of “ride smart, not hard”, especially as I get older.

Through Maribeth’s instruction, the first big breakthrough in retraining my current gelding was in our efforts to achieve self-carriage and forwardness.  The changes and improvements to my seat and hands had a profound transformation in me and my horse.  Maribeth always makes me feel safe in the saddle, with my confidence restored and intact with every ride.  She always inspires me and leaves me encouraged and excited about the possibilities in my future rides.  She makes the art of learning to do the dressage dance so much fun!!  The future is bright especially with Maribeth’s extensive knowledge of creating Musical Freestyles.

Maribeth herself is a gifted classical dressage rider, as well as an exceptional horse trainer and inspiring riding instructor.  She knows the equine through and through.

Most importantly, our equestrian friendship has turned into a cherished lifelong friendship.

Thank you, Maribeth, for the incredibly fun and informative training sessions through the years, on some of my most beloved beasts, past and present.  I look forward to continuing this wonderful journey of learning to dance with my beloved steeds.”

Carolyn Guttroff, PA & NC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The health, wellbeing and fitness of our horse is of the utmost importance to us and it has been a joy and a pleasure to work with Maribeth this past year as she has skillfully guided our young mare through a transition from eventing to dressage. Maribeth’s approach is highly professional, goal oriented, thoughtfully structured and systematic. The concepts and techniques she presents in her riding lessons are clear, concise and purposeful. I found it invaluable that Maribeth utilized a “three things learned” quiz at the end of each lesson to help me focus, review and carry forward the concepts and techniques presented. Maribeth has devoted much of her life to educating, training and sharing her equestrian expertise with students and clinicians alike and she has the capacity to help anyone who desires to improve. She will help bring out the best in you and your equine partner!”

Susan and Peter Freeman, Venice, FL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dressage is a new discipline for me. Maribeth has made the transition from my hunt seat background to Dressage exciting and rewarding. I have a whole new learning curve that is expanding with each lesson. Lessons are challenging, fun and productive. When schooling I’m relaxed and confident. Always looking forward to my next lesson. Thanks to Maribeth, my horse and I are so connected that I label every ride as “Awesome”.

Julie Kale, Punta Gorda Isles, FL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I am a returning older rider who feels privileged to call Maribeth a friend. In her friendship, I have found the support & encouragement to overcome many obstacles that customarily plague riders in my situation. I have found a positive attitude coupled with positive action and follow-through, a generous spirit that advises, shares knowledge, & guides anyone who wants to learn, & I've found the best example in Maribeth as she is constantly satisfying her love of learning through whatever means available to her. She lives & breathes classical dressage, for to her, not only is it the art of horsemanship, but it is a way of life, incorporating the principles of balance, rhythm, straightness, & flexibility into her everyday thinking and actions. If you want a good role model for yourself or your young daughter as a horsewoman, or if you want to work with your horse in a way you never have before, Maribeth will help you be your very best."

Cathryn McGonigal, Pleasant Gap, PA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I have ridden with many different instructors with various styles and methods.  I was so impressed with Maribeth's ability to utilize traditional/classical and more modern concepts in her teaching style in a progressive way which was so logical.  She got me to ride outside my comfort zone with my difficult horse and show me what he and I are capable of with the right focus in our warm up!  I was so impressed watching her with our students of largely different abilities finish their lessons glowing with success, learning exercises that were perfectly challenging for them to execute without frustrations.  Her kind and positive demeanor was refreshing and uplifting.  I look forward to her clinics for myself and all of our clients."

Jennifer Greshko, Plum Ridge Academy Inc., Nescopeck, PA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Testimonials for Maribeth attest to her excellence in teaching students and expertise in training dressage horses. As an adult amateur who has ridden dressage for 20 years and has trained with various American and European trainers, I can attest that Maribeth is both of those things. She is also an excellent farm owner who understands horses nutritional needs, physical health, and psychological well-being. Her clients horses receive superior care, regardless of their breeding, age, or talent. Her business is impeccably run - excellent footing in the indoor and outdoor arenas; clean, dry stalls that are picked frequently and have appropriate bedding; roomy paddocks with good water and shade; beautifully-managed grounds; quality farrier, vet, and dental care. Finally, her professional communication skills make her one of best in the dressage business. Thank you, Maribeth!"

Mya Poe, Ph.D., State College, PA, Boston, MA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Maribeth was the first person to introduce me to dressage several years ago. Since then, I have worked with many people, but Maribeth remains one of my favorite teachers. Her unique style of teaching is positive, patient, and effective. Perhaps my favorite of Maribeth’s qualities is her ability to face every problem in many different ways. For my horse, who was locked both physically and mentally, her ability to break through to him in a kind and soft way was the key to overcoming obstacles that we had been facing for a very long time. Maribeth teaches dressage not only as a sport, but as an art form– light, harmonious, fluid, and beneficial to the horse. She is able to break things down into manageable pieces, and then helps the rider to use these pieces to see the bigger picture and to see how their work today will help to build their future. I could never thank Maribeth enough for what she has done for my horse and for my riding!"

Kathleen Pierce, Abbottstown, PA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I’ve been a student of Maribeth’s since 2010. What I enjoy most about working with her is the positive and persistent approach she takes to teaching. Her tone is always encouraging, yet she pushes me to achieve more, frequently saying, “Let’s raise your expectations.” She’s also a position master and has helped fine-tune my seat to be more balanced, secure, and effective. My pony, Macaroni, and I can see our riding continuing to improve every day as a result of our hard work and guidance from Maribeth. Thank you Maribeth!!"

Emily Izer, Greencastle, PA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Who would have thought that I would ever have people responding so viscerally to a dressage ride? Not I, for sure. However, I hear comments like, “beautiful”, or “brought me to tears” after a Musical Freestyle developed in a clinic with Maribeth. She was able to help me (who, btw, cannot carry a tune) to develop the choreography and musical phrasing, and made it seem easy and flow so seamlessly. My criteria were not so simple – I wanted a high degree of difficulty, but it had to be easy to remember. She does have the knack to break these complex processes down to understandable concepts for even the most “Left brain” rider. 5 star review!"
Killian Brech, State College, PA

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I have been an adult amateur student of Maribeth's for about 6 months since moving to Pennsylvania.  Having ridden dressage for 14 years with various instructors I can attest to Maribeth's "eye" and knowledge of gymnasticizing exercises and dressage movements that will benefit my horse. She has the ability to explain what it is she is asking us to do and can break down the movements, if needed.  My horse and I are certainly progressing under her guidance and having fun at the same time!"

Cindy Hartinger, Centre Hall, PA