Discussion and simulation to help you understand and feel what it means to bend. I hope you do get up and try this one... So many students find this helpful at my clinics! What you will learn about your bodies in this exercise usually directly translates to what you find while riding. This video ...

This video explains, in a nutshell, one of the most important concepts in the Dressage Naturally program: The Basic Alignment Exercise. Karen uses a clear visual example to explain it. This exercise is key to breaking free of trying to ‘hold your horse straight’ or ‘hold the bend on’ with stronge...

Karen coaches a rider through the Basic Alignment Exercise for the first time. Basic Alignment Exercise is one of the most powerful and fundamental exercises in Dressage Naturally. Once learned, this principle can be used to bring better balance and freedom of movement during basic and advanced m...

Karen teaches a student the Basic Alignment Exercise riding. In this short demo you will hear Karen describe the exercise and take the student through the first stages of it. By the end you will be able to see a clear result as the horse aligns and stretches. This video is excellent for anyone wh...

You will meet Barbara and Ponce as they looked the first day they arrived at Karen's, then watch as Karen helps them over several weeks to improve their balance, alignment and posture. He is a wonderful horse with a very capable rider, but is scattered in his focus and disconnected in his body. Y...

Karen rides a student's horse, focusing on alignment to help him find more throughness. After Karen rides, she coaches his owner on him. You can see a previous session with this student and horse in a video called: 'Alignment - Barbara and Ponce'

Karen coaches a rider through the beginning of Basic Alignment Exercise. Basic Alignment Exercise is one of the most powerful and fundamental exercises in Dressage Naturally. Once learned, the principle can be used to bring better balance and freedom of movement during basic and advanced movement...

In this video, you will see Karen start a ride on Natilla. She will narrate what she is thinking as she transforms Natilla’s body from ‘just trotting around’ to stretching in a let-loose posture, aligned and free on a circle. Karen shows how even a subtle use of the Basic Alignment exercise can h...

Karen teaches Kris on her horse, Wouter. We met Wouter in the video: Basic Alignment Exercise - Wouter. In this video Karen guides Kris in 3 sessions to improve their ability to find consistent 'throughness'. This video is great to help anyone looking for more consistency in their connection, as ...

Karen rides a student's horse at a clinic. This is a horse who moves with an extremely high head carriage and tight back. He and his rider have all the ingredients to be in the sweet spot for a balanced, let loose posture but they needed a little help really finding it! This video is especially f...

Karen plays with Duncan on line. This is 3 days and 10 days after his arrival, and a continuation of the video 'Building Rapport with Duncan'. Karen uses a combination of Moving Massage and Basic Alignment Exercise. Find more videos about Duncan by searching for 'Duncan'.

Karen plays on line with her 2.5 yr old PRE filly, Natilla. You will see one way she begins to build in lightness on circles in a simple, fun way that engages Natilla's mind. Natilla is 16.2h at 2.5 yrs and so Karen is very conscious to find ways to prepare her without putting undo strain on her ...

Karen rides her 4 year old filly, Natilla and describes the very basics of balance and posture appropriate for a horse at this stage. She describes and demonstrates how she begins creating the connection in the reins and the posture through simple balancing between the inside and outside. This vi...

Karen helps us gain greater success with her posture exercises on line. Learn how to spend less time searching and more time enjoying. Karen reminds us how her exercises, and foundational exercise of Circle Game fit together. This video is good for anyone playing with the D,N exercises online

Watch as Karen coaches several horses and riders to play with a very specific circling exercise while riding. Some of what she shows is pretty subtle but we think you will enjoy hearing what Karen chooses to focus on with each pair; and likely it will be something that you also need to focus on! ...

In this video, Karen helps a student who is having trouble with her horse bulging out around the circle. She rides the horse to help them break the cycle of brace and crookedness. She uses the idea of Basic Alignment Exercise to reset their middle. You will see how this one session makes a change...

Karen coaches a student who is preparing for First Level dressage tests. They have trouble with energy at the canter, and keeping balance on 15 meter circles. Karen traces it to a fundamental imbalance in the shoulders (the horse leans on his inside shoulder when on the left lead). By focusing on...

Karen helps a student with their sensitive Arabian. The rider is having trouble finding a harmonious connection with the reins. Karen rides the horse to demonstrate how to use Basic Alignment Exercise to help the horse learn how to find a balance where he can soften his body and find the Sweet Sp...

Watch as Karen coaches a student who is having trouble with a horse that is very good at running out his shoulders. The rider has a habit of using the inside rein in turns, and this only compounds the problem. The rider learns to guide the horse from the outside of his body, and the horse finds a...

This video is a continuation of the exercises in the video: Counter-Bend Exercise At The Trot (January 2018). Karen will show how to do bend and counter bend in the canter and counter canter. These exercises will build the rider’s coordination and skill in differentiating between cues for line of...

In this video, Karen demonstrates counter-bending exercises to do at the walk and trot that help in creating alignment, flexibility, and suppleness. This will help riders coordinate between bend and line of direction. These exercises are helpful for anyone who has working or collected gaits, and ...

In this video, Karen coaches a student and her new horse to find more alignment on the circle as a way to improve his general thoroughness. The student reports that he can be quite heavy in the contact on one rein. You will see how to apply spiraling in and out in a way that will help the horse b...