When Two Spines Align: Dressage Dynamics (eBook)

Beth Baumert trains horses and riders at Cloverlea Dressage LLC in Columbia, Connecticut, the farm she and her husband Alan have owned since 1973. They have two sons in New York City and Colorado, and a daughter, Grand Prix rider Jennifer Baumert, who operates Cloverlea Dressage LLC in Waxhaw, North Carolina, and Loxahatchee, Florida.Beth’s primary interest and field of study has always been rider education. For many years, she produced videos of the Aachen Dressage Show, as well as other instructional videos/DVDs, so American dressage riders could aspire to the European standard. She is a USDF-Certified Instructor and was the initial editor for Dressage Today magazine and has served as its technical editor for most of the years since the magazine’s beginning in 1994. In that capacity, Beth is in constant contact with the best dressage riders in the world as they discuss and write about the technical aspects of dressage.Beth is on the Board of Directors of The Dressage Foundation (TDF) and serves as President. TDF is on a mission to cultivate and provide financial support for the advancement of dressage in the United States.To learn more about dressage, visit Beth’s website: Dressage-Dynamics.com.

Introduction: The Possibility of MagicPart One: How Riders WorkChapter 1: The Seat—The Place Where Two Spines MeetChapter 2: An Introduction to PowerlinesChapter 3: The Vertical Powerline—Power to GOChapter 4: The Connecting Powerline—Suppleness to STOPChapter 5: The Spiraling Powerline—Flexibility to TURNChapter 6: The Visual Powerline—Connecting to the Outside WorldChapter 7: Clear Aids for CommunicationPart Two: How Horses WorkChapter 8: Balance IssuesChapter 9: How the Horse's Weight Distribution ChangesChapter 10: Impulsion and EngagementChapter 11: Leverage for CollectionChapter 12: TransitionsChapter 13: Half-HaltsPart Three: How Two Spines Meet in BalanceChapter 14: RhythmChapter 15: EnergyChapter 16: Flexion of the PollChapter 17: Spinal AlignmentChapter 18: The BendChapter 19: The Height of the NeckChapter 20: The Length of StrideChapter 21: The Line of TravelChapter 22: Figures and MovementsConclusion: The Probability of Magic