Dorato Performance Horses

Dorato Performance Horses Horse riding coach. I help equestrians move WITH the horse for safety and partnership.

Learn: https://doratoperformancehorses.com/
Book a call: https://calendly.com/teresa-doratoperformancehorses/strategy-session-for-equestrians

If you are a question-asker like me, you've probably, at some point, been stopped by a trainer and told to "just ride".S...
06/23/2026

If you are a question-asker like me, you've probably, at some point, been stopped by a trainer and told to "just ride".

Sometimes there is good reason for that. There are moments to turn our brain off:

1. If we need to focus on "in the moment" awareness
2. If we already understand the concept well
3. If we are missing communication from our horse

But, if we don't understand the why, it is very hard to turn fact into feel. Often that "just ride" order feels like being written off.

No, you don't need natural talent to ride. You are not a bad rider if you need to ask questions. A need to understand "why" does help you with retention and developing mastery.

I've met so many equestrians who have spent tens of thousands of dollars on lessons and haven't been taught the basics. How are they to know what they haven't been taught?

If I have to tell a student to "just ride" I will tell them why I did. It is our job as professionals to thoughtfully consider our student's questions, to ask guiding questions of our own, and to have enough expertise that we understand, and can explain, the why.

06/22/2026

Target training for neck relaxation. Follow for part 2

Motivation/Mindset Monday - We Are All At Different Stages....And That's OK!This is a tough one because in our sport we ...
06/22/2026

Motivation/Mindset Monday - We Are All At Different Stages....And That's OK!

This is a tough one because in our sport we affect a living animal with no voice, not just ourselves. We need to understand our actions and how they positively or negatively affect the horse. I maintain a (maybe naive) hope that we all want to be better for their horses. Put that phrase in your mind for a second, "People are doing the best they can and want to be better for their horses." How does that change the way you think about others?

Everyone's resources of time, money, and expertise are different. Our job is to do our best with what we have, keep learning, ask for help when we need it, support others, and advocate for the horse.

Yes, toxic situations and "money grabs" exist and we need to be discerning. But, if we approach our industry with a spirit of encouragement and mutual learning a lot can change.

Many of the best equestrians started from nothing. You do not need to be a professional to be an amazing horseman. You need a spirit of humility and life-long learning. Many current professionals were picked out of a barn lineup to teach beginner lessons because the barn needed revenue. These are some of the most sincere young professionals I have ever met who recognize their start was less than ideal and work harder than anyone to be better. Your past doesn't dictate your present.

What we do need is better lesson barns so that equestrians have a solid foundation to work from. That is an easy fix. We just need to teach to a higher standard.

06/21/2026

A fun Sunday giggle - a minute of Cali exploring pony kindergarten

06/20/2026

What Makes Us Different?

I strive to do things differently around here. We are not a program with kick ride horses, large group lessons, an emphasis on showing, and a stuffy, cold environment. We do not trot around, banging on the horse's back and pulling on the horse's mouth, for the sake of recreation.

WE DO:

1. Have well-trained horses. All horses are schooled by owner/trainer Teresa Pilegaard and are true co-teachers.

2. Believe in a horse-first lesson system. All students learn to observe equine communication and how to respond appropriately with empathy and leadership. The needs of the horse come first.

3. Believe that time in the saddle is a small piece of the puzzle. We assist in building physical and mental strength and balance outside of simply riding.

4. Adapt to both horse and rider. While we are always grounded in classical principles, we fully believe in the modern science of both human and equine learning. These are not cookie cutter lessons, but tailored to both you and the horse.

5. Encourage curiosity in horses and humans! We highly encourage questions and self-discovery from our students and provide guiding questions and direction to improve. We want a "thinking rider"!

6. Believe that people of all ages are incredibly capable! Lunge line lessons and breaking things down into smaller parts build "riders" into horsemen. Through our riding journey, how many of us had to completely relearn the application of aids and use of the seat? Why not start with a correct, solid foundation?

In the "ethical horsemanship" space I have been asked by several people, "how do you run an ethical lesson program?" That should give the industry pause. I believe you CAN run an ethical program. It means having deep knowledge of equine communication and training, holding to your principles, and building a culture that puts the horse first.

If this sounds like something you want to be a part of, reach out! I would love to connect!

We have to look outside the horse world.The horse world is steeped in tradition, for good reason. But, as an industry, w...
06/19/2026

We have to look outside the horse world.

The horse world is steeped in tradition, for good reason. But, as an industry, we are terrible at recognizing where tradition no longer serves us. We don't like some "outsider" showing us there is a better way, even if it is more humane for the horse or will save years of struggle for the rider. We plod along saying "heels down, eyes up", even putting it on t-shirts, when those are some of the least-effective at best cues we could give.

Take the blinders off, look to other sports, what are they doing for greater effect? They are listening to modern science - the science of teaching, the science of movement. There is a wealth of knowledge for us to tap into and yet we don't rock the boat.

But, the boat was rocked last century when military equestrian schools were disbanded and our sport became recreational in nature. When that boat was rocked, suddenly the student dictated what the professional should teach. "Oh, I just want to be able to trail ride" or " I just want to have a nice ride once a week" doesn't change what it takes to learn how to ride ethically. Recreational riders must still learn correctly and often their access to learning is less. If our sport is to survive, we MUST learn how to teach better in the amount of time we have. We MUST give homework in between sessions. We need to build a culture of learning for the well-being of the horse, even if we "only" ride once a week.

If you are looking for a great program that combines exercise science with modern teaching skills, Train Your Seat is a great place to start!

Training Tip Thursday: "Kick Rides"Training a horse well takes a lot more work than most want to believe, so many steps ...
06/18/2026

Training Tip Thursday: "Kick Rides"

Training a horse well takes a lot more work than most want to believe, so many steps get skipped leaving a horse's foundation looking like swiss cheese. Can they do they basics? Sure, maybe even with a few fancy tricks thrown in. Do they understand what is being asked? Not with true clarity. This is the step where many horses either develop tension that causes physical and mental issues or simply shut down.

What most don't realize when looking for a horse for a new owner or beginner is they describe a shut down horse as their "dream horse." We've all see it over and over: no spook, buck, rear, will tote grandma around without blinking. Kick ride.

This is where I sigh and wonder if beginner horsemanship can be saved. (I promise, I am fighting hard to not become a crotchety old cynic!) What these words tell me is the horse has decided to protect itself by not responding and people think this is "good training."

Our industry is stuck in a vicious chicken or egg cycle. People complain there are not enough beginner safe horses and I think there is a clear reason. Where are the kids with strong foundations that can ride a horse with a strong foundation who needs "miles"? Professionals bemoan the lack of barn rats, but are we teaching the complexity of the partnership that leaves people WANTING to be at the barn soaking up the information? Or have we dummbed it down to somewhat meaningless recreation? What needs to change first? Beginner horsemanship - to teach new horse people the language of communication, physical mobility, and timing that are truly required. But I would argue, we need sensitive horses to do that.

If we move away from kick rides, lesson structures will have to change, but imagine what we will gain in a new generation of horsemanship and in the welfare of our horses.

06/17/2026

Chappy has shivers, leading to issues in picking up and extending the left hind leg. We have worked diligently for almost a year and are starting to break through some really interesting blocks in the jaw, diaphram, and hind end (with a lot of other parts in between).

I've known this horse for years. When he did pick up the left hind, which was quite hard for him, it would shake, stutter, and rotate outward to bring the leg behind him. When he came to me a year ago, I was not fully confident in whether he could make substantial progress, but I was willing to give it my all....if you know Chappy, it is hard to NOT fall in love with him.

Sure Foot pads, targeted farrier work, consistent bodywork, in-hand rehab, red light therapy and more and look at the difference in the way he moved his leg!

The first video is toward the beginning of his time here and shows the initial progress in extension. The second video is from this week, the first time I could ask him to pick the leg up practically "normally".

The work continues, but this is amazing.

I have a love/hate relationship with marketing. I understand it is the only way to help people - if people don't know ab...
06/17/2026

I have a love/hate relationship with marketing. I understand it is the only way to help people - if people don't know about you, you can't help them - but sometimes it simply feels disingenuous....which means I am not a super great social media personality.

But, what I AM is INVESTED:

- In your safe, effective, pain-free progress
- In converting fact to feel
- In teaching to your individual needs (even if it means coming up with insane metaphors and hopping around the arena like a maniac)
- In developing soft communication
- In emotional regulation for horse and rider
- In helping horses move in balance
- In your confidence
- In your INDEPENDENCE

Riders, don't settle. Your coach is out there. It might be a deep dive search, but he/she exists. Don't give up.

Photo of a fun ba****ck yoga/body awareness/balanced horse session with a lovely young equine professional. Thank you to hubs for snagging it, so rare for me to have a picture of me teaching!

It is vacation week for the horses....and me!One of the hardest realizations, in that it took being clobbered across the...
06/17/2026

It is vacation week for the horses....and me!

One of the hardest realizations, in that it took being clobbered across the head with a 2x4 (I mean, hospital visits), is that you cannot give from an empty cup....oh the wisdom of doing things wrong and learning what is needed to do them right. We build 4 vacation weeks into our lesson membership so the horses, and humans, have time for renewal. This structure has been life changing for me. As I've delved deeper into "coach" instead of "instructor", I give more of myself - my creativity, enthusiasm, empathy. We can only give the best of ourselves when we refill the tank. This structure, and the other boundaries we set, has allowed me to continue giving of myself with the depth I want. I am determined to not become a crotchety instructor and this is one of the ways how I prevent that. :)

Our socials will still be social-ing as I have gradually become more tech-y and learned how to schedule these things, but we will not be in the office again until Monday the 22nd.

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5636 Keyser Road
Hume, VA
22639

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+15407170121

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