I’m convinced this is one of those videos that doesn’t have many views because only professionals and geeks really get it. It’s not a quick fix “how to” it’s an ACTUAL how to! Warming up, creating a space for the horse to find the answer, allowing stretching and breaks, showing the “messy parts” and having correct expectations and attitude for the horse during this time. This is the type of videos I learn the most from. Thank You, you’ve nearly inspired me to start riding dressage 😉

I love that these videos are long enough to show you working through the issues with each horse and explaining your what the goal is of each exercise.

Please do more of this kind of video - riding with genuine empathetic instruction. So helpful.

Thank you for including the messy-that’s the real stuff most trainers are reluctant to show

Just love how you leave the "messy'' moments in the video, it is so refreshing to see a top level rider actually showing the imperfect moments! Very helpful too as we can see what you then do when you get those moments, I know certainly for me, with having a green non purpose bred horse, it is great to learn what things you do to help the horse out of those moments. My horse has a few of the same issues especially with his contact- he doesn't hold it steady and loves to overbend or hold the bit so seeing how you tackle this issue with this horse has been quite helpful in giving me a few ways to help my boy learn to be steadier. Your training system is quite kind and simple for the horse which I love, quite a few Dressage people I've worked for have used harsh fast training and in the end the horse doesn't come out for the better (and still has issues with their contact) as yes it is easier to either ride super deep or long instead of going through the messy moments to work through their contact issues!

I have to commend Jess for excellent filming of these videos. I find often the bad videos I see online (jerky, moving off the subject, bad audio with excess noise) impossible to watch. Joseph's videos are well done and fun to watch. Thank you.

Joseph! This is a great video - you don't know how valuable this is - you speaking aloud what you are "thinking" throughout the ride. Its beautiful to watch the horse and you as you ride here. SOMEDAY, when you get refreshed and recharged and you begin to vlog again. THIS is what we love, and no one else is doing THIS. It shows your love of horses and riding. 100%. Saving this video to revisit often. Thank you.

Thank you Joseph! And please do more of this kind of video...it is so helpful hearing you talk thru what is happening with Designer, and how you would like it a bit different, possibly. Also I love the term “searching”, because that is really what we are doing with our horses. Such a positive approach !! I will watch this many many times !

Hi Joseph, Your position doesn't 'suck'. Your position is a work in progress and is going to become better and better.

Favorite video ever! First of all, if you were one of my violin students, to correct posture I would have them stand with their heels, back and head against a wall. Imagining that there is a yard stick on the spine that extends above the head. Then, keeping the position, relax their muscles. This works in riding as well. I believe that you have a disadvantage because you are so tall. And, in training, you need to look at the horses position etc.allowing your head to fall forward. I mean, that is your job... to train these horses and you are amazing at it! The main issue I believe is that incorrect posture makes it more difficult to keep the horse balanced. I was so fortunate that when I learned to ride, my trainer always included some dressage in my lesson. Doing circles to bend the horse while keeping my posture correct and my shoulders straight, not leaning in. It's amazing that I am 56 and I can remember the things I learned many years ago. And, I have an advantage being 5 ft. tall :) What really amazes me is that you are SO talented with horses, yet you are incredibly humble about issues you are working on. And you can fly a drone like a professional!!

Thank you for your videos. It's so refreshing to hear someone say how to use your body as well as what to ask of the horse. I've surprised instructors' with the question of what an I doing with my body? And I've been specific, ie: rt hand, lt leg, hips, upper body. Also helps that you don't edit out the "not right moments". You have a very calm voice, so nice to listen to, I think it really helps me absorb your information.

Looking down at our horses is a big habit to break. The horse seems to mirror us though, so I think the rider looking down makes them look down and puts them somewhat on the forehand, which is reason enough to try and ride looking up and therefore evaluating their movement 'blindly' and only thru the feeling under us....

Great video Joseph...This is one of the biggest challenges that I have with one of my horses. Seeing and hearing the the corrections and results was super helpful.

I'm a voice teacher, and in training singers, so much of what I do is instinctive, responding to subtle changes in what the student is doing/not doing- much like riding, where the horse is the student. I know that I would find it very challenging to narrate what I do at every moment, as you're doing here, Joseph. I'm new to dressage (at 68!) and these videos as well as those of Amelia are really woderfully educational!

Thank you for sharing! I have been able to learn and apply so much to my own young dressage prospect. Your videos are invaluable to the average adult amateur dressage enthusiasts!

Joseph I learn so much from you- in your layback explanations. I guess I understand everything you say and do. It's just great!

the messy moments are the most helpful to watch

Thank you. I love the positivity and you are fair to the horse. You can tell the horses like working with you, and to me as a dressage rider, that beats any prize at a test. I love it and you're talking through things, and being honest about your own weaknesses is admirable and really takes it to the next level.

Thank you for sharing your training rides. It is so helpful to hear your thoughts as you're working your horses!

This old video is so great, I love your recent videos as well but going back to this one shows me the second by second corrections the I need to be thinking about when Im riding. Thank you.

Again a great session showing us real training with empathy and good timing for the horse. Thank you! I am learning so much.

Great training video! Love that it is real and shows the moments when everything is not perfect - so the rest of us can see that it takes practice and time to get the lovely self-carriage from good riding and time to develop. Really enjoying your channel.

Thank you so much for showing the "not so perfect" moments.

Truly appreciative of your ability to clearly communicate, which translates into my complete understanding. Thank you.

Nice ride, positive attitude. Thanks for sharing. I love this horse! He has a HUGE walk and I can see how you would need to be careful to not make it pace-y when you take more contact.

Love this video!! My favorite of all of the 20 or so of yours that I have watched so far. They are all enjoyable and useful, but please do more of these on different horses at different stages of training and with different "stuck points." I will watch this one many times and will keep getting new insights, I'm sure!

I have watched this more than a few times. I can’t tell you how it’s influenced me when I ride. I think of the different points in this ride and what you’d say and how you’d be thinking of reassessing your position and at the same time considering and knowing how your horse is feeling. It takes a great deal of time for you to create these videos and then publish them on your channel,,,but sure would love to see more like this from you. It’s inspirational.

This is my go to video when things get a little fuzzy Thanks Joseph.

Fantastic post. It was really useful to actually see "how" you were schooling him ... and then the progression as he began to understand what you were asking of him ... it was really evident. Videos like this are pearls ... your narration as you worked through your process riding him was enlightening and really useful. I encourage you to make more of these training/schooling videos as they are the best way to illustrate not only the potential of your young horses but also to provide great tips for training any rider/horse. Obviously each horse is unique and it would be stupid of people to follow the exact process of your training regime slavishly as it is about feeling each horses unique responses combined with their level of development. The usefulness for me as a rider is the clarity these sessions provide by illustrating with THIS horse in those moments, as you work with him, the effect of your schooling goals as you describe them and in observing, in real time, how each part of your process (half halts/flexion/leg yields/when to collect or ask for more contact/when to ask for stretch through the back etc) works. Essentially ... the immediate effect your array of aids and exercises has on his gaits/engagement/development of his lightness of forehand/ transition quality/ maintenance of self carriage with contact and so on. So ... thank you for making the effort in terms of the quality of this educational information ... and thanks for then posting these gems ... they are really appreciated. Greetings from New Zealand. More ... !

Very useful video, nice work session thanks for sharing and VERY NICE HORSE.

Great video - so much more to learn by watching the same problems we have in our own riding and how you deal with it. My horse always wants to canter when the trot work is just 'getting good' now I know why and have an idea how to proceed. Thanks very much.

Awesome video, just loved it. What a wonderful walk he has!

Thank you so much for this tutorial. it was so informative for me as I am having similar issues with my boy. thank you.

Great video, Joseph! Thank you!

that looks like the most comfortable trot everr

Thank you for such helpful video!

Great informative video Joseph, thankyou

I am in this place with my mare. She goes well in walk but comes against my hand in trot with fleeting moments of soft roundness . I can only hope that she will improve with constant patient work.

Thumbs up[, literally. I always teach, pretend your holding two cups of scalding coffee and you dont want to power them down your horses shoulders. There is a second half to thumbs up and that is to pretend you pushing your knuckles against a wall and you dont want to break contact. We all think about pulling and bending our elbows, but we do not consciously think about putting the hand back out where it started. So I tell students to keep pressing your knuckles against the wall. Make the horse go to the bit, dont bring the bit to the horse... gawd I love dressage....

Joseph when you are showing you need to pretend you are teaching!! This was so much better than your show!!🌹I'm not being snarky, you are a very good teacher!!

Loved this video!

Super video! I don't have time to watch the whole thing right now, but will save the rest for later. I like your description of how hand position (holding hands in puppy paws) affects the whole body. Also, question on clucking in the tempo....do you do this for your own awareness of the horse quickening or slowing the tempo, or are you doing it for the horse? I find that talking to myself during my self-schooling sessions sometimes help me to be my "own instructor" when I can't work with a coach all the time.

Really great video. Thank you for posting! Could you please do a video about how to deal with horse that wants to run?

It's really helpful sir. Thanks for sharing this video 🤗

man, I'm exhausted just watching!!! beautiful :)

Thank you so much!! Can you explain the purpose of yielding him off your right leg and then coming back to the inside rein?

so much progress made in 30 mins amazing

I have the same problem with " flat hands". I find when I'm concentrating on something else my wrists flatten. Thank you for pointing out how this does effect your body. I think it must take years to have all body parts in sync to form a good position. I guess eventually it will become second nature. I just keep plodding along, Im an older learner and I hope by the end of my riding time I will have my position as second nature. 😊🙏????

This is great teaching. Thank you. I wonder why you don´t use a crop to help you with your aids on his training. Thanks again.

This horse has the BEST walk! ❤️

I think that getting them on the bit is the easy part. The tough job is to keep them there with back and seat into soft hands and keeping them there. Great when it happens

Thanks, Joseph. Can you do more instructional videos like this one?

Love this video... i like seeing it ugly and then seeing it better!

How does your rising to the trot help him understand what you want?

I wish you would please explain which rien leg aids you are using. Like you sis Amelia does.Love your vids though.xx

When there are “bubbles” I guess it means the reins become floppy, he stops pushing …. ? At least that’s how Marta Renilla used the term “bubbling” or “bubbles” when I trained with her.

Hi Joseph, have a techie question, what microphone are you using? Love the quality of the sound and am thinking about buying one for the videos where I ride... Thanks a lot for the help from a fellow (little) KZfaqr 😊

Fantastic Joseph ... denise, a young horse ecouraged to round and stretch through - head down is normal at the its stage of balance. We can all look super, when riding a strong, balanced, through and forward horse who can carry itself. Step by step ....

Forgotten what level he is at, could he be ridden with a straighter neck, less bend in the neck, more just at throat latch?

thumbs up :)

The contact is there when you apply pressure....turns and follow through with direction. if horse does a bobbing or a yes motion...change bit..why use bit which the horse is fighting in direction change.. communicate horse through tack, body motion, mind set.....less pressure with rein......

Your mic picks up outside noise...there must be a better way to filter out the noise...it's a clicking noise.

None of this is easy for the horse & rider.

Poor horse, leave him alone