ShastaChaptercds

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Ask and you shall receive!! Thank you all so much for your feedback- we can’t wait to host you all shortly 🎉

We are always looking for volunteers, so if you’re interested in earning schooling vouchers make sure to keep an eye out for sign up links leading up to the events!

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“I asked for a plan for my HORSE’S movement, not mine. It’s the horse that needs rehab, not me.”

A student said this to me after receiving feedback on her riding.

Her horse was hollow, crooked, and struggling to carry himself well. She had expected a list of exercises for the horse—a rehabilitation program to strengthen his body and improve his way of going. Instead, much of our conversation revolved around her: her balance, her posture, her awareness, and the way she organized her own body in the saddle.

She was surprised.

Like many riders, she viewed herself as the instructor and the horse as the student. From her perspective, the horse was the one with the physical deficits, so surely the horse was the one who needed the exercises.

The problem is that a horse cannot separate their movement from the person sitting on their back.

Our bodies become part of their biomechanics.

Every shift in our pelvis changes how the horse uses their back. Every collapse through one side of our torso influences how they load a limb. Every moment we brace, grip, lean, or become asymmetrical changes the information the horse receives about balance, direction, and weight.

In other words, rider and horse become a single athletic system. One cannot move independently of the other.

This is why any rehabilitation or gymnastic program is only as effective as the rider’s ability to perform it.

Shoulder-in, for example, is a brilliant exercise for improving lateral suppleness, engagement, and straightness—but only when it is ridden correctly. If the rider overbends the neck, collapses a hip, drives with the seat, or blocks the horse’s back with tension, the exercise no longer develops the horse as intended. It simply rehearses poor movement under a different name.

The exercise itself is not therapeutic.

The quality with which it is ridden is.

This is why the conscientious rider learns to balance themselves, control themselves, and understand themselves before asking the horse to do the same.

They understand that horses cannot separate our influence from their own movement. Every aid, every posture, every habit becomes part of the environment in which the horse learns to carry themselves.

The goal, then, is not simply to find better exercises. It is to become a better influence.

Because a horse can only move as well as the conversation we create with them allows.

In the end, horsemanship is not simply the education of the horse. It is the continual education of the rider.

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Looking for summer fun? Come get some schooling in at WSS! With a jump arena, dressage court, and full cross county course with jumps from grasshopper to novice, there’s something for everyone! Register at the link below👀⤵️

https://tinyurl.com/wss-schooling

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🐴 Shasta Chapter CDS Meeting Reminder! 🐴

Looking for fun horse-related activities in our area? Join us for our upcoming general meeting! EVERYONE is welcome—whether you’re already a member or just curious to see what we’re about. We need your support and ideas to make Shasta CDS thrive with upcoming shows, clinics, and educational events!

📅 WHEN: Tuesday, July 28, 2026 @ 6:00 PM

📍 WHERE: Good Times Pizza (22049 Old 44 Drive, Palo Cedro)

❓ WHY: Bring your ideas for activities and help us shape the future of our chapter!

See you there! 🍕✨

Send a message to learn more

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Saturday September 19th

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Exciting news! 🎉 USDF is thrilled to bring back our "Dressage For Every Body" campaign as our August theme of the month on YourDressage! To make things sweeter, our friends at Horse Dazzle AND Kerrits Equestrian Apparel have teamed up with us to offer some incredible prizes for our readers and writers! 🎁

Created to highlight size inclusivity in dressage, our annual Dressage For Every Body campaign gives a voice to those who feel or have felt like they don’t fit the stereotypical image of a dressage rider. From stories of resilience, courage, kindness, and confidence, we want to continue encouraging and inspiring riders of all sizes... because to us, "Every Body Is A Dressage Body!"

Share a photo of yourself and your equine partner with us using the hashtag for the opportunity to submit your story or be featured in an upcoming gallery, as well as a chance to win some awesome prizes from this year's partners!

💎 Check out Horse Dazzle's selection of exquisite, high-quality, and unique luxury equestrian items, accessible and affordable for horse lovers who want to shine above: https://www.horsedazzle.com/

🥕 And visit Kerrits to browse the plus-size riding apparel that has been a part of their core collection for over two decades: https://kerrits.com/

📸 Charles Toler Photos; submitted by Kelly Wachter as part of our 2025 Dressage For Every Body campaign: "Me with Welsh Cob youngster Ffrewyn Anthem during our recent clinic with Jessica Jo Tate."

Wisdom from Carl Hester: “Expression is a dangerous word because once you put expression into it, then if you have got the wrong rider, or a rider who doesn’t ride with an independent seat, then they use their hands and that’s when you get that horrible looking, jerky dressage.” �https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2019/09/carl-hester-talks-his-horses-his-training-and-more/