A paradigm-shifting video for creating a great connection with the reins. Karen discusses and demonstrates how to mix and match having connection with the reins (or not) with being precise in your focus (or not). Too often riders feel like they have to choose between being loose and light but imp...

Karen speaks with a group of students at a clinic about the ingredients that factor in to having an excellent connection with the reins. This talk will help you understand the things that effect the connection. Best of all, it will help you diagnose and more wisely begin to solve some of the issu...

In this video I teach Ewa in Sweden on her lovely Lipizzan. He has a habit of curling his head behind the vertical, and becoming too low in the poll. This can be much more challenging to correct than a horse who is too high! I will explain my thought pattern for this issue and you can watch as I ...

Karen sets up one of her (and students') favorite simulations. See how 'the way in which' you connect through the reins can either dissolve or cause brace! Some very important concepts are discussed and you will see a way to practice your technique away from the horse. This is another 'must see' ...

Karen teaches a student who has a lovely connection with her horse, but she loves the stretch and gets a bit low in her working gaits. In this video you will get some great theory, and will see the student quickly put it into practice!
This is a great video for anyone who wants to understand how ...

Karen teaches a student, Elisabeth, on a horse she is working with to help her find a better foundation. The horse is a big, long mover, but does not have the basic responsibilities of self regulation of speed, or steering. She also does not have a positive relationship with the reins. You will s...

Karen demonstrates how the basics of foundation are carried forward as you begin DN posture exercises. She shows how 'Freestyle' can fit inside the 'finesse'. This video is excellent for any rider who is playing with the exercises of D,N and is wondering how it fits with their foundation

In this video, Karen teaches a dressage student with a beautiful warmblood how to create a more balanced posture and positive connection by focusing on Poll High and Self Carriage. This video will show the power of these priorities, and will give you a very beautiful horse to watch

Karen rides her 5.5 yr old in a way that will solidify the concept of 'freestyle inside the finesse' or feeling like you're riding without the reins, even when the reins are there. Natilla can do both connected and loose reins very well, but the focus is to be able to flow from one to the other i...

Follow a student of Karen's through 5 sessions over a 9 month period. This video is not so much a 'how to' as it is a 'look what is possible' video. Khodee is a young, squirrely Arabian who was having a lot of trouble organizing his body, especially when presented with the challenge of riding in ...

Karen gives you 3 questions to ask yourself when looking for your best working gaits. It's so easy to ride around wondering: "Is this it?". With these 3 questions, you will have more ways to self-assess and be confident that you are in good working gaits. PLUS Karen gives you a bonus question to ...

In this video Karen coaches a professional (and DN student) with a young horse who shows some anxiety about the contact with the reins. He tends to curl up and lower his neck, while getting ‘balled up’ in his body. She says relaxing and letting the reins go longer hasn’t helped him. He seems to g...

Ewa Angantyr gives a mini masterclass on long lining. She will explain equipment, preparation, and exercises for line of direction, figures, transitions, and more. At times she will narrate as she goes, and at times you will be able to just observe as she long lines her horse. Long lining is a re...

In this video you will see Karen coach a student who’s horse has a less-than-positive connection with the reins. The reins have been used for speed control and balance and the horse has adopted a defensive posture which further disrupts the balance, setting the weight more on the forehand and run...

In this video Karen shows you a simple leading exercise that will help prepare your young horse for riding. It introduces the outside rein and helps you position yourself closer to where you will be when riding. It’s a simple exercise, but it requires preparation. Quora does a good job of showing...

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...

In this video, we take a close up look at throughness and what it looks like in motion. You’ll see clips from a lesson I took on Ovation with Luis Lucio where he had me do a technique of his. I am experimenting with a different bit on Ovation and I am quite happy with how he likes it. Typically h...

In this video, Karen will show how to improve your horse’s posture in the stretched and working gaits without relying on the reins. Karen will show how to create the stretch, and then bring it up into the working gaits. This is a great exercise for anyone who wants to improve their connection wit...

Karen explains why arm position and shortening of the reins can be helpful when asking your horse for collection

Karen rides Solana and demonstrates how she uses a neck rope during dressage in order to create more lightness of the front end, or a taller neck. She will explain how a neck rope could be used also for basic stopping and turning, but in this video she uses it in a more refined way. This video is...

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 rides Solana to demonstrate an exercise to help you start riding without the use of the reins. This is an exercise can help solve many problems people have with the connection in the reins. It will help you get the seat connection you need for yields and for stopping. The better your commun...

Karen describes and shows different postures of stretched versus working versus collected. She includes a comparison of Working Gaits with the poll the highest point and with the poll low. Karen took video from some normal training sessions and describes the different postures she asked for at di...