In this space, Yolanda— founder of Gallery Horse and a leading figure in classical dressage—shares her experience, recommendations, and reflections to help you choose your next horse and accompany you every step of the way in the world of high-level equestrianism.
Kissing spines (overriding dorsal spinous processes) are often feared in dressage, but they’re not always a career-ender. We explain what they are, how to spot them, why training and saddle fit matter, and the paths—from rehab to surgery—that can bring a horse back to work.
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Beyond sport, riding teaches children life’s most valuable lessons — confidence, empathy, and resilience. Through horses, they learn patience, respect, and responsibility while building physical strength and emotional balance. Riding isn’t just a hobby — it’s a life compass.
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True suppleness isn’t built overnight — it’s shaped step by step through correct lateral work. From the leg yield’s quiet obedience to the half pass’s collected strength, each exercise teaches balance, elasticity, and communication. Together, they form the language of harmony — the poetry of dressage in motion.
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Can you truly judge what you’ve never felt? In dressage, knowledge alone isn’t enough. True understanding comes from experience — from having felt the rhythm, softness, and balance of a horse under saddle. Empathy born from that feeling transforms judgment into comprehension. The best judges combine theory, fairness, and feel — guiding the sport toward harmony, not just precision.
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Dressage begins and ends with love for the horse. Beyond medals and scores, true excellence comes from harmony — a partnership built on trust, patience, and understanding. Because when training is guided by love, the result is not just technical brilliance, but joy — the kind you can see in a horse that wants to dance.
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Cribbing, weaving, and stall kicking are not contagious — they’re cries for help. When several horses in the same barn develop the same bad habits, it’s not imitation, it’s a management issue. Lack of turnout, poor feeding schedules, and social isolation are the real culprits. Stable vices don’t spread like viruses. They spread like stress.
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Dressage, jumping, hacking — no matter the discipline, everything begins with the back. It’s more than where the saddle rests. The back is the bridge between power and balance, comfort and longevity. When neglected, it’s often the silent cause behind injuries, tension, or resistance under saddle.
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The Most Overlooked Question in Dressage Horse Buying: When buying a dressage horse, most riders ask about movements — flying changes, pirouettes, or show results. But rarely do they ask the one thing that truly defines long-term success: Where is this horse on the training scale? At Gallery Horse, we believe understanding rhythm, relaxation, contact, and impulsion is essential — not optional. Because in the end, you’re not just buying a performer. You’re buying an athlete in training.
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We often focus on when to start riding a young horse — but what about when to stop? Age is just a number. A 12-year-old with a weak topline may be more at risk than a well-conditioned 6-year-old. Riding longevity depends on muscle, balance, conformation, previous injuries, and honest observation. A horse can be ridden as long as they can carry us without pain — not based on age, but on function.
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