Dressage Coddiwomple
Welcome to my blog - my dressage coddiwomple - a meandering life journey which has and continues to take me down interesting roads where I have discovered extraordinary trouvailles and whimsical crooked paths.
Although I do not consider myself a writer of any grand quality, I am a bit of a spontaneous gallivanter who enjoys sharing and writing about my experiences and observations. I view writing as another way to learn and cement the ideas further into my understanding.
Writing allows me to dig deeper into the subject material and gives me more reason to research and explore. I love learning new things and I enjoy sharing what I learn with others.
Writing is also healing and I have written many stories thoughout my life, some of which I share here in my "Other Odds and Ends" section. I am interested in many things and originally maintained this blog for my equestrian passion but have now decided to broaden the topics to other areas of interest and passions. If you continue to explore my dressage coddiwomple, I hope you will find my writings interesting and of some value.
Enjoy! Maribeth
Charmeur & Maribeth 2023
Things to Consider When Buying A Dressage Horse
Having a clear idea of your goals and expectations will help you to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses - yours and the prospective horse - and determine if prospective mounts are suitable for achieving your goals.
Competition: Why we compete
There are many reasons why people choose to compete. It is and should be an individual and personal decision.
Life’s Rhythms
Much like riding is for me in my life today, I lived to ski when I was younger. But over the years, time and life went by and I found that I hadn't skied in a very long time.
The Rider’s Position And Effective Use of the Seat
When a rider has not yet mastered her own balance on the horse, she often relies on the use of the wrong muscle groups to stay on the horse.
Becoming a thinking rider -learning how to think
Over the many years of riding, training, taking instruction, reading and learning, I have learned and have adopted, in my own style, a systematic way of training and a systematic way of thinking.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Dressage Whip
You want to keep in mind that a whip is a precision instrument; a tool or an aid for the rider. Although it is held in the hand, it should be thought of as an extension of the leg as its purpose is to support the leg, to inspire a reaction to the rider’s leg, and to get various reactions from the horse - depending upon the goal of the rider.
Motivation and Maintaining the Momentum
Getting Motivated – “Start Your Engines”
If you’re like me, getting started is the hard part. So how do we get motivated and get our engines started?
Classical dressage
Classical is something that has stood the test of time, it is enduring and long lasting, it is ancient and old, it is something precious and worthwhile, and it is something that retains its value regardless of its age.
Work On The Longe
There are many benefits and reasons for longeing. Longeing is an art itself and it takes many years of good practice to become effective.
Riding Accurate Arena Patterns
Riding accurate arena patterns is a very important concept to the training of the horse and rider.