Lesson 1 – Hand and arm position

Finally, here is a video that talks in real language about what is connection and what is contact and what you should be feeling in your hands. Should you have an empty feeling in your hand, or should you have weight in your hands? This video will answer that question once and for all.

“Contact used to terrify me when I was learning to ride dressage. Every coach would tell me something different. Every ride I would seek and search for this elusive magical beast, which was called connection. I thought all my problems in dressage would be answered if I understood connection in a better way. Alicia is the first person that has used real language in teaching it and demystifying it so I can understand it at the level I need to to get my Grand Prix scores over 70%.”

Lesson 2 – Hand and arm position continued

This video is going to give you so many light bulbs and make so many connections for you when it comes to contact and hand and rein connection. I’m so excited for you to get into it.

“I love this video. This is one of my favorite videos in DI. It’s definitely helped me uncover a new layer of learning to get to my 70% in Grand Prix, and I trust you enjoyed it just as much. “

Lesson 3 – Communication with the horse

In this video, you will learn what steering is and isn’t; and what the job of the reins and steering has to do with the horse’s shoulders and movement of its body.

“Knowing that the reins control the shoulders of the horse is vital to piecing together the components of how to ride a Dressage horse.”

Lesson 4 – Clarity of aids – where your hands should be

Where your hand should be and Contact is one of the cornerstones of Dressage Success. If you get this wrong, it’s very hard to get anything else right. Alicia gives you a simple visual that you can use every single time you ride that will guarantee your hands always stay in the right position.

“ Where my hand should be in contact with the reins always confused me. Even training with Olympians. I remember one Olympian telling me one thing and another Olympian telling me another thing. My horses have never gone better than when I keep my hands and my reigns in a positive contact like Alicia describes and this idea of a positive contact, not a negative contact is vital to make dressage progress. When I was learning to ride dressage, my hands were so far back. I used to have rub marks on my knuckles and my saddle had leather worn off the pommel from where my hands kept rubbing because my hands were so much in the wrong spot. Shortening your reigns and having a positive contact. Sounds so simple and easy, but if you just commit to doing that, everything about your dressage riding will change.”

Lesson 5 – Clarity of aids – where your hands should be part 2

Learn which rein contact you need to choose when your horse isn’t connected or on the bit yet.

“Short reins are the secret to dressage! This took me forever to learn when I started and I wish I had understood it a lot faster than I did!! Would have saved a lot of time!”