Dan Bizzarro Method

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Their influence shaped how I ride, how I think, and how I teach — always with clarity, fairness and a genuine desire to help horses understand their job.

I help riders build clarity, confidence, and real progression.
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My name is Daniele Bizzarro and I've spent more than 20 years riding, training and coaching horses and riders across dressage, show jumping and cross-country. I grew up just outside Turin (Italy), started riding when I was nine, and very quickly discovered that I loved the process of training horses just as much as I loved competing them. Over the years I've had the privilege of producing a large number of horses working with some of the best riders and coaches in the world, including William Fox-Pitt, Caroline Moore and Ian Woodhead. I've represented Italy in Nations Cup competitions, I was in the short-list for the 2024 Paris Olympics and I competed at the 2025 European Championships, and I've ridden every type of horse along the way: sharp ones, strong ones, lazy ones, spooky ones, young ones, talented ones, complicated ones. The variety taught me more than any book ever could. I believe every horse can go better, and every rider can feel more confident when the communication between them is clear. The Dan Bizzarro Method is based on a few simple principles that stay the same whether you're doing dressage, show jumping or cross-country:

• Clear reactions to the aids — the horse knows what you're asking
• Balance and self-carriage — a horse that can carry itself feels lighter, softer and easier
• Straightness and accuracy — the foundation of every good transition and every good jump
• A soft, consistent contact — not forced, not restrictive, but genuinely connected
• Small corrections at the right time — before bad habits grow
• Confidence for horse and rider — without tension, pressure or confusion

My teaching style is direct, calm and practical. I don't overcomplicate things. I show you what matters, and I explain why it matters, so you can train your horse even on the days when I'm not there. Riders often tell me they feel "relieved" after a lesson — not because it was easy, but because everything finally made sense. Why I Created the Dan Bizzarro Method
After years of coaching, I kept seeing the same patterns:

• Riders were working hard but feeling stuck.
• Horses were trying their best but becoming tense, unbalanced or confused.
• Most people weren't struggling because they lacked talent — they simply didn't have a system that made the work clear and consistent. So I created the Dan Bizzarro Method to give riders a structure they can follow at home, at clinics, in competition warm-ups and even out hacking. It's designed to be simple, effective and genuinely useful for the horses people ride every day — not just elite athletes. My aim is always the same: to make horse riding easier to understand, more enjoyable, and more rewarding for both horse and rider.

23/10/2026

When a horse feels strong, changing the bit can seem like the obvious answer.

Sometimes a different bit is appropriate for the horse, rider or job. But no piece of tack can replace training.

If your horse doesn’t respond when you ask them to wait, you’ll still end up using more pressure. They pull, you pull back and eventually every ride becomes a battle.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀. It’s teaching your horse to react to your aids, rebalance and maintain the rhythm without you holding every stride.

Ask for the response. Make sure you get it. Then soften and allow your horse to carry themselves.

A light horse isn’t one you can physically hold back. It’s one that waits when you ask.

That is exactly what I help you train throughout 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟴 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀.

Across seven guided audio lessons, I coach you while you ride your own horse. We work through clear transitions, halts, circles and simple exercises that improve their reactions, soften the neck and teach them to engage and carry themselves.

You’re not left trying to work out what to do or when to soften. I guide you through each exercise so you can feel the correct response and build on it lesson by lesson. 🎧

7️⃣ Listen-while-you-ride lessons
📍 Ride in your own arena, on your own horse

Transform your strong horse into a light, rideable horse in 28 days.

Comment 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚 and I’ll send you a FREE lesson 👇

⚠️ Follow my page first or I can’t send you the DM 👍

23/10/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 👀

And it's often because you're preparing too late.

Think about a simple transition at a marker.

You're trotting down the long side, thinking about where you need to transition.

You reach the marker, ask for walk and suddenly your horse falls onto their forehand, takes several strides to respond or loses their balance.

You might think the transition was the problem.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱?

Was your horse balanced? Were they listening? Was your rhythm consistent?

Or were you hoping everything would come together at the last moment?

This is why I spend so much time working on the fundamentals.

Because a good movement doesn't begin when you reach the marker.

It begins with the quality of the work leading up to it.

If your horse is already falling through the corner, losing their straightness or ignoring your aids, the next movement is going to be much harder.

🐴 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

And that's exactly what we work on in my listen-while-you-ride audio course.

𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝟭𝟬 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁.

🎧 7 guided audio lessons, each 35-45 minutes, that you can follow on your own horse, in your own arena, at your own pace.

We'll work on the accuracy, transitions, straightness and balance that can make a real difference to your marks.

🆓 Follow my Page and comment 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 to TRY IT FOR FREE!

22/10/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲? 🎧

Not just watching a video and trying to remember what I said when you get to the yard. Actually riding your own horse, following my instructions and understanding what to correct as you’re doing it.

That’s exactly why I created my listen-while-you-ride audio course.

If your horse gets strong, rushes, leans on your hands or simply doesn’t respond when you ask, I want to help you work on the foundations that make riding easier.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗥𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁.

Because the goal isn’t to spend every ride pulling, kicking and constantly correcting your horse. It’s to have a horse that understands your aids, carries themselves and works with you.

And you don’t need to wait until your next clinic or lesson to start making progress.

🐴 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟴 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀.

🎧 7 listen-while-you-ride audio lessons
⏱ 35-45 minutes each
📍 Your own horse, your own arena, at your own pace

And you can try the first lesson completely FREE.

🆓 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗜𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘!

22/10/2026

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲. 👀

I see riders set up a lovely polework exercise, trot through it a few times, change direction and finish feeling like they've had a productive session.

But here's my question.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲?

Was it your rhythm? Your straightness? Your horse's reactions to your aids?

Or were you simply trying to get through the poles without knocking them?

There's a big difference.

Imagine you're riding through a line of trot poles.

Your horse gets quicker on the approach, drifts slightly to the left and rushes away afterwards.

You get through without touching a pole, so you turn around and do it again.

But what have you improved?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

I'd much rather you ride a simple exercise properly than a complicated one without understanding why you're doing it.

Start by deciding what you want to achieve.

If it's rhythm, can you maintain the same trot before and after the poles?

If it's straightness, can you keep your horse on the line without constantly correcting them?

And if something isn't working, fix it before repeating the exercise.

🐴 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.

📲 Need some inspiration for your next session? I've put together a FREE polework layout library inside the Dan Bizzarro Method App.

Follow my Page and comment 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗦 and I'll send you the link!

21/10/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳. 👀

There’s a difference between carrying a whip because you want a bigger reaction and using one to teach your horse to respond to a smaller aid.

I don’t want to spend my entire ride kicking harder, squeezing every stride or having to remind my horse to keep working. I want to ask clearly, get a reaction and then be able to ride quietly.

That’s why I use a dressage whip in training, including when I’m working on my jumping. It’s another way to make the instruction clear, particularly when I want my horse to keep using their hind legs properly.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

If your horse learns to listen to a light aid at home, you’re building something you can take into competition, even when that particular whip isn’t allowed.

𝗔 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

And I’d much rather spend winter teaching those small, clear reactions than arrive at my first event next season still having to work twice as hard as my horse.

💬 Do you school with a dressage whip even when you can’t compete with one?

21/10/2026

𝗜'𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘁. 👀

That might sound strange coming from an event rider, but there's a reason behind it.

When a horse is unsure about a fence, riders often become so focused on getting over it that they forget about everything else.

The horse starts drifting left, so the rider kicks forward. They drift further, the rider gets stronger, and eventually the horse runs past the fence.

But the problem wasn't necessarily that the horse didn't want to jump.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲.

If I'm working with a horse that's unsure, my priority is keeping them straight and approaching the centre of the fence.

If they need to stop and look, I'd much rather they do that while staying straight than learn that they can avoid the question by drifting sideways.

Because if you allow your horse to keep running out, what are you actually teaching them?

🐴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽.

Your reins guide the head, but your legs need to control where the body goes.

And if your horse doesn't understand how to move away from your leg on the flat, that's something you need to address before expecting them to respond when they're worried about a fence.

This doesn't mean deliberately riding an unprepared horse at a fence or encouraging them to stop. It's about recognising what you're actually trying to teach.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁.

💬 Would you rather your horse stopped straight or ran past the fence?

20/10/2026

𝗜𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴. 👀

One of the hardest parts of training is accepting what learning actually looks like.

Not every session should look polished, and not every jump should be perfect. Sometimes the right thing to do is repeat the same simple exercise until your horse actually understands what you’re asking.

Give them freedom in the neck. Give them a chance to work it out. Then stay patient enough to see the result.

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿.

It’s easy to get frustrated when something doesn’t work straight away. You start changing your approach, doing more with your hands or trying harder to make something happen.

But sometimes your horse simply needs you to be clearer and more consistent with what you’re asking.

If the goal is straightness, keep working on straightness. If the goal is maintaining a rhythm, don’t get distracted by everything else that’s happening.

🐴 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲.

The aim isn’t to make every attempt look perfect. It’s to help your horse understand the question so that the correct response becomes easier and more natural.

And when that happens, even if it took a few messy attempts to get there, you’ve achieved something worthwhile.

💬 Have you ever had a breakthrough with your horse simply by giving them more time to understand?

📌 Save this for the next time a schooling session doesn’t go quite to plan.

20/10/2026

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴, 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗶𝘁. 👀

I see riders getting into this argument with their horses all the time.

The horse gets quicker, so the rider takes a stronger contact. The horse leans into that contact, so the rider holds even harder.

And before you know it, you're spending the entire ride trying to stop your horse from doing something you never actually taught them not to do.

𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴?

That's the question I want you to ask.

Because there's a big difference between a horse that's going slowly because you're holding the reins and one that's maintaining the rhythm because they understand what you've asked.

If you have to keep pulling to maintain the same speed, your horse hasn't really accepted the instruction to wait.

And if the moment you soften your hands they rush forward again, the problem hasn't been solved.

🐴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

I want horses that understand the difference between going forward and waiting, that respond to small aids and can maintain their balance without constantly leaning on the rider.

And that starts with getting the fundamentals right, not finding a stronger way to hold them.

That's exactly why I created my listen-while-you-ride audio course.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟴 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀.

🎧 7 audio lessons
⏱ 35-45 minutes each
📍 Work in your own arena, on your own horse, at your own pace

I'll guide you through the exercises as you ride, helping you develop a horse that understands your aids, waits when asked and becomes lighter in the contact.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻.

🆓 Follow my Page and comment 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚 to TRY IT FOR FREE!

19/10/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀. 👀

In this lesson, the horse was refusing to go down a step. But I wasn’t particularly concerned about how quickly she went down it.

I wanted her to understand that she needed to stay straight and pay attention to what her rider was asking.

Instead, she was looking around, avoiding the question and waiting to see whether she could get away without responding.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸.

If your horse learns that ignoring an aid for long enough means you’ll eventually stop asking, why would they suddenly start listening when the situation becomes more difficult?

That’s why I wasn’t asking the rider to push her down the step. I wanted her to give the horse freedom to use her neck, keep her straight and make the instruction clear.

We also used the whip to reinforce the aid, not to punish her for refusing the step.

🐴 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻. 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿.

Once she stopped ignoring the instruction and started thinking about what was being asked, the step became much less of a problem.

And that’s the bigger lesson here. Whether you’re asking for a transition, trying to maintain a straight line or approaching a fence, your horse needs to understand and respond to your aids.

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁

19/10/2026

𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝘆. 🥶

The eventing season is winding down, the days are getting shorter and schooling in the cold and rain isn't quite as appealing as it was a few months ago.

Plenty of eventers switch their focus to dressage and show jumping, but with fewer competitions and unpredictable weather, it's easy to lose motivation.

And when you do get into the arena, what are you actually working towards?

You trot around, ride a few circles, practise some transitions and finish feeling like you've achieved very little.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀.

The horse that gets stronger towards a fence. The transitions that never feel quite right. The straightness you struggle to maintain.

You don't need to jump a course every week to improve those things, and you certainly don't need to spend an hour schooling in the pouring rain.

🐴 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Even a shorter session can be productive when you know exactly what you're trying to improve.

That's why I've included a 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 inside the Dan Bizzarro Method App. 📲

It helps you organise your riding week, plan different sessions and keep some structure in your training, even when the weather and motivation aren't on your side.

You'll also find polework layouts, free training guides and audio lessons to give your sessions more direction.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻.

🆓 Follow my Page and comment 𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗗𝗘 for the FREE planner and other resources inside my app!

Address

Crown Farm
Ascot Under Wychwood
OX76AB

Telephone

+447767291713

Website

http://danbizzarromethod.com/, https://app.danbizzarromethod.com/, https://danbizzarromethod.com/coaching/clinics, https

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