Classical Dressage

I write on this blog about my experiences as a working student of French Classical Dressage. I write about what I learn. I am not a teacher (yet ) I just write what I learn to give an idea. If you truly want to learn French Classical Dressage I advise to find a (good) teacher or come back to me when I have mastered it a bit better

I have been on Barbier farm in California for 5 weeks. I learned a lot and I am continuing lessons in Virginia with a long time student of the Barbiers.

I started riding lessons at riding schools when I was 10. Back then I lived in Holland and over there, having land is more expensive and to board a horse is not cheap either my mom couldn’t afford it so as a kid I wasn’t able to have my own horse. The plus side was that I got to ride a lot of different horses during the first years of riding, since I was riding other people’s horses everywhere.

Later in life I bought my first horse, a lovely Standardbred gelding, Kees. He is an ex-racehorse and not the easiest horse (on the contrary, he is afraid of everything and wants to take off running as fast as the wind if he can) But we grew a solid bond and now, even when he is afraid, he stops for me when I ask him to.

I’ve always wanted to do something with horses but never knew what. I didn’t feel good with a lot of riding schools because they had another philosophy than me. But I met someone who introduced me to working with horses on a totally different level, now known as ‘Natural Horsemanship’. I knew right then and there what I wanted! I was a student on that stable for a while (this is also where I bought my first horse) and the manager introduced me to Classical Dressage and taught me that Classical Dressage is not the same as ‘Modern’ Dressage of nowadays (unfortunately).

Learning that ‘modern’ Dressage is not at all the only thing out there, got me interested in Dressage again, Classical that is!

I moved to Belgium (because of a job) and found a riding school that taught Classical Dressage as well as Spanish Dressage (the same basics though Spanish dressage often works towards ‘working’ horsemanship since they use the Dressage for the Doma Vaquera (style of the Spanish Cowboys). I started my lessons at the school but unfortunately my horse Kees was not up for it because he got a bit older and his knees have arthritis. This started to bother him with indoor riding…

Because I really wanted to pursue my found horse dream, I bought another horse, almost straight out of Spain… A Hispano Arab (part Andalusian, part Arabian and often part TB but I’m not sure my horse has that since he does not have papers. Quite frankly he looks a bit to petite to have TB in him, when I just bought him he even looked like a Crevette) I named him Santo… Back then he was a stallion and a handful!

Meanwhile I met my (now) American husband online and to make that story very short I moved to the US. Now I plan to bring both my horses Santo and Kees to the US (Santo has been gelded because of import reasons, it is VERY expensive importing a stallion and paying that is only interesting with a breeding horse)

But living in the states (and not in Europe anymore, where Classical Dressage originated) I haven’t given up on my dream, and I don’t have to! I found Dominique and Debra Barbier here in the US and I’ve been offered a working student job on their stables! This I happily accept. Like I mentioned, I stayed at Barbier farms 5 weeks. I learned valuable lessons and I will definitely continue! In Virginia but also at clinics. I also plan to come back at Barbier farm, as a working student or as a customer.

I created this website to tell you about my story as a student on Barbierfarm and after. I can maybe give some tips and I will do some book reviews as well. Hopefully you will enjoy my writing and come back often for updates!

Iris

NOTE: This is my blog which means what I write here is my opinion. I base my judgment on what I know about horses, about anatomy, horse psychology and common sense (from a lot of books and life experience). I have 20 years experience and am an intern student of Debra and Dominique Barbier, Classical Dressage masters.

Though I will try to be fair, utter myself political and will not to attack people personally, what I say here on this website is how I feel and I realize this can go against what some others think. I try to be ‘professional’, that means that what I write on this website is thought through in advance and put here for a reason. I don’t just write impulsive.

Last but not least, to warn some people: I am against what I call ‘modern’ dressage often seen in most competition arenas. Read: I’m NOT saying everyone who rides competitions ride ‘modern’ or bad! ‘Modern’ dressage to my idea has just separated itself from original or ‘Classical’ Dressage because of competition urge and money and is therefore often seen in competition settings. Also, outside of competition settings it is very possible to see methods that I call from ‘modern’ dressage. Last but not least, of course there are other thing going on in the horse world that should be better or are flat out terrible but this is outside of the scope of this website. For more on the difference between ‘Classical’ Dressage and ‘modern’ Dressage read the so called page.

This said, enjoy reading or if your off; good luck in life