The Steward of Dressage

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The Steward of Dressage My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Equine Chiropractor and an FEI level Dressage coach.

I help riders better understand horse biomechanics, horse nature and use this knowledge to develop the horses gaits and advance the training.

I have been insulted by the "best". This picture is of my Bulldog Quarter Horse / Mustang / Arab cross. We had bred my m...
10/06/2026

I have been insulted by the "best". This picture is of my Bulldog Quarter Horse / Mustang / Arab cross. We had bred my mother's Mustang / mare to this darling Bulldog Quarter Horse stallion. He had a lovely temperament and was a gorgeous golden palomino. We weren't very smart about the breeding goal... just two horses we loved.
Alas, she was the source of many jokes when I would show up at Dressage shows and clinics. She was what I had and I wanted to learn as much as I could and be as correct as we were able to be. I was riding in a clinic (45 years ago) with Gwen Stockebrand at UC Davis... she asked me if I had ever heard of "Seldom Seen" ridden by Lendon Grey. I told her yes, Lendon was one of my heroes! She said " Your horse is a little smaller, you should call her 'Barely Visible'".
Charle De Kunffy once told me my Thoroughbred Stallion cantered like a "Cockroach crawling across the attic floor"... I rode with Charles every chance I got for 11 years. I adored Charles and have Iearned an enormous amount from him including how to develop a canter.
There are many more examples, but the point is, ride what you have and find the best help you can find. These horses, that are less than gifted in certain ways, are the ones that really educate you. I find every horse has a gift and a challenge... learn to help them find balance and beauty in their gaits, accept and acknowledge their gifts. I have dearly loved every horse along my path and I have loved learning what Dressage can do for the horses... body and mind.
And try to ignore the mean spirited comments... it comes from insecurity...
My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Equine Chiropractor and FEI level Dressage Coach. If you are interested in Virtual Dressage Lessons I invite you to contact me for more info. My web page is tinastewarddvm.com

Piaffe is something that is supposed to be prepatory to "airs above the ground" for the most part. It is a required move...
10/05/2026

Piaffe is something that is supposed to be prepatory to "airs above the ground" for the most part. It is a required movement for the I-2 and Grand Prix tests. I find that I often start work in Piaffe very early, not so much with the intention of training Piaffe but because the horse needs some element of it for improved collection, transitions, half halts that go through the whole body (sadly rarely done) and activity. Some horses have a talent for it and many do not, but with patience, one can train a horse to have a very good Piaffe and it can happen quite organically.

The horse in this photo was a very big bodied horse and had a lot of suspension in his trot... it was very hard for him to get active and be quick behind. He needed to learn the work towards Piaffe to learn how to connect back to front so that the half halt went through his whole body and his trot, in a way, became more ordinary... less freakishly ovesuspended and Passage like. It took 5 years but the work was started early and he ended up with a very good Piaffe that scored 7 - 8.5 (35 years ago, ergo the lack of helmet. I always wear a helmet now, as do my students).

I train every horse with Grand Prix as the goal. I find that this ensures you don't take short cuts and "cheat the work". It starts with getting the horse to work through their whole body and that you get a correct half halt developed. It takes time and "The Horse is the Clock".

My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Equine Chiropractor and FEI level Dressage instructor. If you are interested in getting some "eyes on the ground", I am offering Virtual Dressage Lessons and I invite you to contact me through my website tinastewarddvm.com or FB message me.

I think this is true for understanding horses. I always say the eyes are the window to the soul. You can tell so much ab...
08/07/2026

I think this is true for understanding horses. I always say the eyes are the window to the soul. You can tell so much about a horse from their eye... their expression. You can see the eye change expression even within a ride. It can go from suspicion to frustration to softening and hopefully relaxation or contentment. I think it is always very important to step back and try and figure out what the horse might be thinking about what you are asking of it... in a way, try to "feel" what your horse might be feeling. Some may say it is silly to anthropomorphize like that but we humans are so limited in language and especially horse language, why not adventure in that direction. It is the beginning of learning how to speak horse. Especially when, in training, you find yourself hitting a wall, step back and look at your horses eye, their expression. This is often the place that one may need to get some "eyes on the ground". Someone knowledgable to help you learn to read your horse and train your horse. In Dressage, so much is expected of the horse... often, sadly, the more talented the horse, the more they are pushed and muscled and misunderstood. So step back, think about how the horse may be trying to interpret what you are asking... it may help you come up with a different approach.
My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Equine Chiropractor and FEI level Dressage instructor. If you are interested in getting some "eyes on the ground", I am offering Virtual Dressage Lessons and I invite you to contact me through my website tinastewarddvm.com or FB message me.

The photo is my first Grand Prix horse who had been a troubled soul indeed... quite the teacher for me.

I love this… over 2,000 years ago… this was the sentiment of a military leader and philosopher. Different times indeed, ...
07/29/2026

I love this… over 2,000 years ago… this was the sentiment of a military leader and philosopher. Different times indeed, but a sentiment that is shared by all horse nuts still today. Reiner Klimke said “Finish the ride while you and your horse are still friends”. While it is easy to get caught up with trying to accomplish one more “something”… a flying change, a shoulder in, a square halt, a medium trot, a smooth trot-canter transition, etc… the horse needs a break and acknowledgment of their effort. Physically and mentally, the horse needs time to process and to register any small success in the work. Not just a break but some kind of a reward… a stroke, a kind word, a treat. I often say to my students “Why the hell would a horse want to do dressage?”. I feel it is so important to make the work fair and to reward often.
My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Equine Chiropractor and FEI level coach. If you are looking for coaching that is fair to the horse, classical and a wee bit of humor, I am offering Virtual Dressage Lessons. If this interests you, I invite you to contact me through my website ( tinastewarddvm.com ) or FB message me.
The drawing below is by Charlie Mackesy

There is nothing linear about much of anything in the experience of life. It is especially true for Dressage training......
07/28/2026

There is nothing linear about much of anything in the experience of life. It is especially true for Dressage training... "rocks" figuratively get in our way, frustrate us, hold us seemingly back from progress, make us trip, or fall or make us miss a timeline we have, and agenda unfulfilled. Invariably, months later, we find that that "rock", those "rocks", were the greatest gift of all. We find that our relationship with our horse has deepened, the horses trust in us has deepened, and we have been gifted a place of spaciousness to make observations about our 4 legged friend that we might not have ever made. This can be a game changer. Even for those who want to achieve great things, they find that there is grace in having to step back and wait... wait for the horse to heal a wound... either physical or emotional. Time given is never wasted.
So, hard as it is, let the "rocks" help you make the journey and the relationship with your horse more beautiful. Dressage is art... I often say it is like living sculpting... slowly changing the horses shape and making them more beautiful... it doesn't happen quickly, even the most gifted horses need time to develop strength, it can't be rushed. If you rush it, a "rock" will appear.

The Horse is the Clock
and
The Path is the Goal

My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Chiropractor and FEI level Dressage Coach. I am offering virtual Dressage Lessons. If you are interested in help that is clear, classical, fair to the horse and with a little sense of humor, I invite you to contact me through my website tinastewarddvm.com or FB message!

The drawing is by the lovely Charlie Mackesy

This always cracked me up. I was fortunate enough to work with Anders Lindgren for about 11 years. I would haul to every...
06/24/2026

This always cracked me up. I was fortunate enough to work with Anders Lindgren for about 11 years. I would haul to every clinic I could get to when he was coming to California. He had such a darling sense of humor. So often, with the big, suspended warmbloods, people would be boinging around the arena... too slow in tempo. This was his way of saying you need to be more forward!
Here is a remarkably accurate and simple way to see if you horse is moving actively enough and forward enough. Get a metronome... there are free apps for phones or you can buy little clip-on metronomes. For trot and Piaffe you set it to 140 BPM (beats per minute)... 70 BPM can work for posting trot. For walk, canter and Passage you set it to 90 BPM. It is amazing how universally true this is. Once you have the right tempo, many things become easier!

My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Chiropractor and FEI level Dressage Coach. I am offering virtual Dressage Lessons. If you are interested in help that is clear, classicle, fair to the horse and with a little sense of humor, I invite you to contact me through my website tinastewarddvm.com or FB message!

This photo is of me (age 10) on my favorite rent horse, Red Fox galloping out in a huge field where the L.A. Equestrian Center now sits... a very long time ago!!!

I love this quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson's... it always reminds me of the importance of being happy with the little thin...
06/07/2026

I love this quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson's... it always reminds me of the importance of being happy with the little things, the simple things which are often the most important things in Dressage. A harmonious transition, a cadenced relaxed trot, a soft halt and reinback, or a nice bend on a circle. The building blocks can be the most important, hard won and delightful things.
So step back, take a deep breath, stroke your horse and reflect on what it is the horse is giving you that is working. Spend some time with that and just a little bit ignore what isn't quite right. It is surprising how all of a sudden the good stuff is getting better and the not so good stuff is diminishing. This is especially true for young horses that are a clean slate but, given time, the horse that has had a rougher start will come round. One must have clear boundaries of course, but give spaciousness to what is working. Horses must feel so picked on sometimes... I certainly have been guilty of being ambitious. I rode with a gentleman in Davis, California (where I went to vet school) named Herman Koopman. I learned so much about Classical Dressage from him. I would get frustrated with my 14.1 hand Bulldog Quarter Horse-Mustang mare who had a horrible canter. He was helping me develop some jump and strength for the jump in the canter by doing walk pirouette to canter transitions. I was struggling with the results and feeling impatient and he just said "You are young, you are in a hurry. I am old, I have all the time in the world." That was a profound statement and took me ages to get it on the many levels he meant it. So now I am old and pretty good at taking my time and taking joy in the little things.
My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian and a FEI level Dressage coach. I am offering Virtual Dressage Lessons. If you are interested in more information, I invite you to FB message me or contact me through my website tinastewarddvm.com
Below is a photo of DeeJay Johnson (owned, trained and ridden by Mari Valceschini) and myself enjoying a moment in the pouring rain before his I-1 test... tipsy with water indeed! See less

I often say the path is the goal. This quote of Mary Oliver's is another way to look at it. Whatever your passion is, yo...
05/03/2026

I often say the path is the goal. This quote of Mary Oliver's is another way to look at it. Whatever your passion is, you will have highs and lows, joys and frustrations, successes and failures. It just is this way... progress is not linear.
This is a nearly 40 year old picture of my Thoroughbred stallion learning half steps *. Shouldn't the haunches be more lowered? Yes indeed... but the flexion of the fetlock behind is greater than the flexion in front so there is some increased engagement here. Shouldn't he have lifted his knee more? Yep, but it is a moment in time and so perhaps he did, maybe not. Shouldn't the poll be a little higher? Could be...
Is the flexion in the poll correct? I would say it's pretty good. He is not folded up at C2, he is slightly in front of the vertical, his mouth is closed and relaxed, the curb rein has a tiny slack in it.
Is there adequate activity in the hind leg? No, but it's a good start.
Could the rider be sitting up more? Absolutely. Shouldn't her heel be down more? Yup. Wouldn't it be better if her thigh was more vertical? It would certainly be more elegant.
There is plenty to criticize here and plenty to commend. The point is to be honest in the evaluation of what is happening and then work on the weak spots. It is not the same journey for each rider and horse! Some of the most frustrating bits are the times you feel like you need to back track and clean up some core piece of the training that was not adequately developed. Just know that this is time well spent. Pushing harder at the training without addressing basic training issues will just make the work more diminished from its potential. Not working on symmetry and straightness in the canter will give you late changes one direction or a halfpass that is more of a leg yield one way and good the other. Not really training a correct half halt will give a poor rein back.
Take the time it takes
I also often say that if you take the time in the short run,
you will save time in the long run.
Get good, honest, eyes on the ground... everyone needs this!

My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Chiropractor and FEI level Dressage Instructor. I am offering Virtual Dressage lessons. If you want some help with with your journey, I invite you to contact me through PM or my website tinastewarddvm.com

* No one wore helmets when schooling in Dressage 40 years ago, but rest assured that I and all my students wear helmets these days!

The photo is of myself and my Thoroughbred stallion, Cloned Steel at Camille Penhoet's property, Toyon Farm, in the Napa Valley of California.

This is so true on so many levels. There are very important biomechanical reasons for developing the neck and whole thor...
04/22/2026

This is so true on so many levels. There are very important biomechanical reasons for developing the neck and whole thoracic sling correctly. There are also safety reasons for being able to manage a horses neck correctly. Often, the first physical sign of the horse saying "No", is in the neck. They throw their head up or stick it straight out and brace. If you have the neck, then you can "lead the dance". In Dressage, one hears all the time that you send the horse forward to your hand and make them round. Okay... but how...

There are a 1,000 roads to Rome...
The bullseye is the result of 1,000 misses...

I have found that there are many horses that, when sent forward to very still fists, will go happily forward with a giraffe neck, hanging on the reins, forever. You can put them in side reins and, done very carefully, and shortened slowly over weeks, you might get them to round up a bit, but this often ends up shortening the neck and you lose the throughness, the losgelassenheit, and the freedom from tension you are trying to acheive in developing a rein connection.
I like to start with getting submission or yielding or softening to one rein at a time. I like to start this by yielding the outside rein and allowing the horse to stretch into the bend rather than just pulling and shortening the inside rein. The goal in Dressage is not really to have the horse "on" the outside rein, but to have the horse fill the outside rein. Yielding the outside rein, in a way, amplifies the effect of the inside rein, without the rider having to get stronger with the inside rein. The other thing that happens is that when the horse bends because of the yielding outside rein, they also lower the neck. This is just rein education 101A for the horse. Once you have the horse understanding how to soften and give to one rein, you can start to ask with both reins. The goal is the beginning of the understanding for the horse of a half halt. That you can send the horse forward from the leg to a still hand (not pulling and not yielding) and the horse answers by softening into the contact, perhaps lowering the neck a little and rounding the neck.
Early on, the horse needs to go in a lower frame so as to engage the nuchal ligament which biomechanically pulls the wither forward and up. This, in turn, engages the spinous ligaments which are responsible for supporting the skeleton so the muscles are free for locomotion rather than the muscles having to be braced to support the skeleton. We can now develop the muscles correctly so as to take over the function of the nuchal ligament and this is what allows us to get more engagement and a more uphill way of going, with the poll more up, without sacrificing throughness. A long journey indeed... it is strength training.

My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Chiropractor and FEI level Dressage Instructor. I am offering Virtual Dressage lessons. If you want some help with getting your horse's neck to function correctly and beautifully, I invite you to contact me through PM or my website tinastewarddvm.com

This is a drawing I did over 50 years ago... yep... I am an "old boat" 😁😁😁

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