in this first lesson, your instructor Mette Larsen explains how and why dressage can help you improve your confidence, communication, relationship, and rideability in any discipline.

Does dressage feel intimidating, or like it's not designed for you or your horse? In this lesson, Mette does some serious myth busting, dispelling the common myths & misconceptions when it comes to dressage, as well as explaining what dressage really is and the exact ways it can benefit all types of horses and riders, from trail riders to Grand Prix jumpers.

Gain a deeper understanding of how dressage can be so beneficial to both horse and rider, and the exact areas in which you can expect improvement by incorporating dressage fundamentals into your training. You'll also learn Mette's Four Fundamentals of Good Riding, and how to set the tone with your horse for each training or riding session for the best possible results.

In this lesson, you'll be introduced to the true definition of dressage, and begin to explore the dressage fundaments pyramid and each element of that pyramid to help you build a strong base for your horse. You'll also be introduced to Mette's unique approach to the fundamentals and where she believes you should put the most emphasis for the best results in a variety of disciplines.

A strong foundation starts from the ground up. In this lesson, learn how groundwork can strengthen your partnership and deepen your communication, build confidence in your horse, and help to introduce basic dressage concepts in a low-pressure environment. You'll leave understanding the theories behind good groundwork as well as with a step-by-step guide of how to begin working with your horse in-hand and at liberty.

Have you ever been told to "get your horse in front of your leg" but weren't totally sure how to accomplish that? In this lesson, Mette breaks down exactly what it means to get a horse "in front of the leg," why it's so important, and the theories behind how to teach any horse to be more responsive and forward to our leg cues.

Now you'll take what you learned in the previous lesson and apply it to practical exercises in the saddle. Mette demonstrates on the horse what it looks like to be behind the leg and in front of the leg, walks you through how to get a lazy or dull horse more forward and responsive, and takes you through exercises to help you build your communication and understanding with your horse as well as troubleshoot common problems.

Learn why balance is such a critical factor in success in any and all disciplines, how to recognize poor balance, and how to build better balance and strength in your horse. Gain a clear understanding of how balance especially affects jumping disciplines and can be the deciding factor between a winning round and a losing round in the hunters, jumpers, equitation, and eventing. Mette will explain in-depth how the horse's biomechanics work, and how helping our horses become more balanced can help prevent injury, maintain soundness, and drastically improve performance.

In this lesson, you'll build upon what you learned in the previous lesson. You'll learn how to analyze your horse's balance, and simple but highly effective exercises to help your horse build hind-end strength and develop better balance over time. You'll also learn what "self-carriage" means, how to recognize it, and how to encourage your horse to build self-carriage.

Mette introduces you to her very favorite topic: straightness. In this lesson, Mette will explain in-depth what straightness really means, and why it can be the pivotal ingredient to success. You'll learn about the three main types of straightness, what they are, and how they affect your riding and performance. You'll also learn common issues that arise in the show ring from a lack of straightness, and the fundaments of straightness to help you build more straightness with your horse.

See straightness in action when you take the previous lesson's teachings and apply them to practical exercises in the saddle. Mette will demonstrate the three types of straightness, how to analyze and understand if your horse is straight, and show you what commonly occurs with a lack of straightness. You'll also learn step-by-step how to begin to build more straightness and consistency in your horse.

In this lesson, you'll gain a clear understanding of the biomechanics of shortening, lengthening, collection, and extension, as well as the difference between each activity. You'll learn the pre-requisites for each, and how to begin to achieve them step-by-step. Mette will also explain how the ability to shorten, lengthen, collect, and extend can make or break a round over fences.

Learn step-by-step practical exercises to master lengthening and shortening, before advancing into exercises to begin to learn how to achieve true extension and collection. Mette will walk you through troubleshooting common roadblocks as well as demonstrate correct and incorrect lengthening, shortening, extension, and collection.

Watch Mette work in real time with riders of different disciplines and horses of different breeds to see how her methodology creates instant results that will translate to greater success. 

Mette rides bridleless to introduce you to tackless riding and demonstrate the relationship and communication skills that can develop between horse and rider as you begin to master the fundamentals of dressage.