Dressage at Bramblewood
 

A horse that is truly balanced, forward and straight, is a joy to ride.  A horse that understands every nuance of its riders aids is happy to begin its work each day.  Happy, fit, healthy horses are the goals of dressage.  However it is very rare these days to hop on horse that exhibits any of these qualities.  And in this world of instant gratification very few people have the patience or time to commit to a program of the systematic study of dressage.  We do ourselves a disservice to think that dressage is an art unto itself, that it cannot be combined with all the other disciplines that give us more immediate satisfaction: trail riding, jumping, games and pleasure.  Because dressage is riding in all its forms, from the moment we take a horse out of its stall to the second we release over a jump.  We owe it to our horses to understand dressage so that we can communicate clearly, fairly and kindly when we ask them to complete any task.

Dressage lessons at Bramblewood are offered for all levels and abilities.  Mihran brings together the best of the European and American traditions to offer his own unique program that immediately identifies the rider's strong points and shortcomings - while giving the rider effective tools to balance each. 

Very few programs in the US utilize the benefits of a cross-disciplinary approach to lessons and training.  Jumping barns teach jumping and dressage barns teach flat work.  But at Bramblewood we hope to marry these two distinct worlds and give students the chance to become complete, educated and above all, kind riders who make sessions a joy for their horses.

For Mihran dressage is not just a discipline confined to dressage shows.  A horse trained to carry itself lightly and happily is just like a rider who uses yoga or goes to the gym in order to strengthen their own bodies.  Horses that are able to bend and flex and move in balance with their riders are happy mounts that can be used for jumping, riding distances, trail riding – any discipline.  In short, dressage is necessary for any horse in order for them to remain sound and mentally whole.