Aviva and Stephany catch up about Stephany’s recent horse show experience and how Dante is now an official 4th level horse! They also talk about one of Stephany’s cows coming home, and the new babies… In the Ask the L segment, Aviva talks about switching the whip during a class, the do’s and don’ts of that. We also talk about when you are allowed to carry a whip in a class and when you cannot! We speak with Beth and learn about how she got involved with horses, how she ended up in the tack selli...
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Aviva and Stephany catch up on what’s going on – Stephany’s travels, her new baby cows, Aviva has a potential buyer for Ralphie! Aviva has an amazing question from Alex about conformation, effort and how that is recognized in a test. She gives us a lot to think about with her answer – are you riding a 6 mover? Are you a 6 rider? What is a good expectation for an average horse, and where are there places that you can shine no matter what? Mark talks about his background and how he came into the n...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 6Ep. 6
We Interview Mehrdad Baghai of JRD Saddlery about saddle making and saddle fitting. Connect with the Hosts: Email Aviva Nebesky ( horsepenhillfarm@aol.com ) | Email Stephany Fish Crossman ( stephanyfish@gmail.com ) Connect with the Show: Website (DressageToday.com) | Socials (@DressageToday) Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest Guest: Mehrdad Baghai of JRD Saddlery | Connect with JRD Saddlery on Facebook Link: Video Subscription Site Today's Episode Brought to You By: Purina...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Aviva and Stephany catch up on what’s been going on lately – Stephany talks about her 6 days with Mary Wanless, the selling of her Brooksville farm and the purchase of her new young horse, So Special! In the Ask the L segment, Aviva answers a great question from Jamie: If I am in a test and things start going badly and I feel unsafe – is it ok to dismount? Thanks Jamie for a great question, and Aviva for having such a complete answer! We have a word from our Sponsor, Purina, and their Systemiq S...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Stephany and Aviva catch up on their own pony journeys, with Aviva dealing with yet more snow and Stephany recounting how her latest lessons went with Kathy Connelly. We get a really great question for “Ask the L” about corners, and as usual, Aviva makes it so much more digestible! We have a word from Purina, who is the sponsor of this month’s podcast. In this episode, Stephany and Aviva chat with Suzanne DeStefano, a Pennsylvania based Feldenkrais practitioner and dressage rider/trainer. We del...
Feb 25, 2025•52 min•Season 6Ep. 2
In this episode of the Dressage Today Podcast , sponsored by EQUESTRIAN+ , our interview is with Aviva herself! We talked about how she started riding, what prompted her to fall in love with dressage, the decisions she’s made and the horses she’s loved—all the pieces that have shaped her career. Aviva also shared her experience representing the U.S. at the Maccabee Games in Israel, and what it meant to her. We finished up by chatting about what she’s doing with her current horses and encouraging...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 1
Aviva and Stephany catch up on what is going on with them, and Stephany has some exciting news about a grant she received from The Dressage Foundation! Next, Aviva gives us input on how to improve your leg yield from the point of view at C, in our Ask the L segment We have a word from our sponsor, Purina and then we step into interviews from USDF Convention. Stephany interviews Lindsay Burns from GDCTA in Region 3. Lindsay is a first time convention attendee, and she talks about what she has lea...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 27
Aviva and Stephany discuss the latest L question from Sasha regarding how to ride the shallow loop in Training Level Test 3. We go to commercial from our sponsor, Equithrive , on its supplements to make your horse’s life better and your life easier! Aviva and Stephany interview Mary Wanless, the creator of the Ride With Your Mind Rider Biomechanics system. We talk about how Mary got started, how her program differs from the usual training people receive and how it can be an asset to any rider. W...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 26
Welcome to the Training Buzz sponsored by Purina. Hear a bit from retired FEI 5* judge Axel Steiner as he challenges a rider to ride without stirrups as she schools First and Second Level movements on a schoolmaster. He suggests practicing this skill to work on the rider’s position and help activate the rider’s core muscles during the training session. Members of Equestrian+ can watch the full video with Steiner here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial with subscription. Enter DTPODCAST at ...
Nov 10, 2024•8 min•Season 5Ep. 25
Welcome to the Training Buzz sponsored by Cosequin . Hear a bit from FEI dressage rider and trainer Ashley Donadt as she shares strategies for dealing with competition nerves. She discusses acknowledging the source of your nerves to help take away their power, looking at the physical effects nerves have on your body and thinking about how your nerves are affecting your horse. Members of Equestrian+ can watch the full video with Donadt here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial with subscripti...
Oct 28, 2024•8 min•Season 5Ep. 24
REVISIT (Originally released as Season 3, Episode 31 on December 27, 2022) Welcome to the Dressage Today podcast sponsored by Purina. In the last episode of 2022, Stephanie and Aviva reflect on the year, and Aviva answers a tough question about keeping older horses supple. Then together they interview Stephany Fish Crossman, an accredited biomechanics trainer based in Brooksville, Florida who also has a popular series of videos that covers a wide range of riders and breeders our subscription vid...
Oct 25, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 23
Welcome to the Training Buzz sponsored by Purina . Hear a bit from dressage and horsemanship trainer Monique Potts as she works with a rider on a horse that gets easily distracted by new objects. She has the rider pay attention to the horse’s ears. When they fixate on something, then the rider needs to do an exercise like a small circle or transition to get the ears to switch back to the rider. Members of Equestrian+ can watch the full video on riding a distracted horse with Potts here . Not a m...
Oct 13, 2024•9 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Welcome to the Training Buzz sponsored by Horse Week . hear a bit from dressage and event rider Chelsea Canedy as she leads a short, guided meditation to realign yourself before interacting with your horse. She helps get you to a place where you can find stillness and internal quiet and locate that gratitude for your horse and your time with him. Members of Equestrian+ can watch the full video with Canedy here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial with subscription. Enter DTPODCAST at checkou...
Sep 29, 2024•9 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Aviva and Stephany discuss the latest L question from Nancy regarding the judge's comments about her pony’s poll being too low. We go to commercial from our sponsor, Purina, on Empowering Excellence in Every Horse. Aviva and Stephany interview Amy Bradley Swerdlin, the 2024 Grand Prix Champion at U.S. Equestrian’s Dressage Festival of Champions in August at Lamplight Equestrian Facility in Illinois. We talk about her journey with her partner Quiliuete from birth to Grand Prix excellence and all ...
Sep 24, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Welcome to the Training Buzz sponsored by Cosequin . Hear a bit from Olympic dressage rider Adrienne Lyle as she works with an adult amateur rider to get the horse forward off the leg. Tempo is the top priority for this pair before they work on things like straightness and bend. Lyle also stresses to keep the hands as quiet as possible when adding energy to avoid giving the horse mixed signals. Members of Equestrian+ can watch the full video with Lyle here . Not a member? Sign up for a free tria...
Sep 01, 2024•7 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Welcome to the Dressage Today podcast sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim . Coming back after missing a new show in July, Aviva and Stephanie jump right into the Ask the L question of how to know when it is appropriate to move up to the next level. Then together they talk to Stephany Fish Crossman, who they first interviewed in December 2022. They find out what she has been up to since they first talked and share a special announcement to make. Listen in! As the global leader in equine health, Boe...
Aug 27, 2024•22 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Welcome to the Training Buzz sponsored by Purina . Hear a bit from Grand Prix rider Laura Ashley Killian on riding the centerline. She explains and has her student demonstrate how to ride straight down the centerline as well as halt at X. They also go over common rider mistakes and how to fix them. Members of Equestrian+ can watch the full video with Killian here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial with subscription. Enter DTPODCAST at checkout to save 15% on your first month. There’s more ...
Jul 30, 2024•9 min•Season 5Ep. 17
REVISIT: Welcome to the Dressage Today Podcast. In this episode, we talk to none other than dressage legend Steffen Peters who just finished fourth, and was the highest placing American, at the FEI Dressage World Cup Final. Then Aviva addresses the question of whether it is better to do a “poorer” transition at the letter or a “better” transition a stride (or two) later. Born in Wesel, Germany, Steffen Peters is one of the most recognizable names in American dressage. He met the U.S. trainer Lau...
Jul 23, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Welcome to the Dressage Today podcast sponsored by Sentinel . Aviva and Stephanie talk about how lucky they are to have had the opportunity to talk to so many of the riders on the dressage Olympic short list, and then Aviva answers the question about how the counter canter in First Level Test 3 should be ridden and how it is scored. Together they interview up-and-coming international rider Endel Ots. A native of Wisconsin, Ots grew up on a farm and began riding at age 8. While he started in jump...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Welcome to the Training Buzz sponsored by Purina . Hear just a little bit of Olympic Team silver medalist Sabine Schut-Kery’s training philosophy in this clip from a ride at the 2024 Adequan/USDF Trainers Conference. She talks about how to ride a horse that is a little stiff, and, as a result, not as forward and engaged as he should be. Members of Equestrian+ can watch all the rides from the 2024 USDF Trainers Conference here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial with subscription. Enter DTPO...
Jun 23, 2024•6 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Welcome to the Dressage Today podcast sponsored by Purina . Aviva and Stephanie talk about the not-so-easy journey horses can travel with their owners, and then Aviva answers the question “When you are halting/making any change in gait on any letter- do you want your leg and/or the center of the horse to cross the letter when the change is being made?” Together they interview up-and-coming international rider Anna Marek. Marek began showing and training dressage horses in 2001, and she is curren...
May 28, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Welcome to the Training Buzz sponsored by Purina . Today we hear from accomplished Grand Prix rider and trainer Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel . At a clinic, before taking to the saddle, she talks about the importance of systematic training and understanding the horse’s body parts before you can get the horse to stretch and use his back properly. Members of Equestrian+ can watch more videos with Felicitas von Neuman Cose here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial with subscription. Enter DTPODCA...
Apr 28, 2024•9 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Welcome to the Dressage Today podcast sponsored by Equithrive . In this episode, Aviva talks about the newest addition to her herd – Ralphie the Dutch Harness Horse. She also explains the difference between the submission score and the effectiveness of the aids score on the collective marks of a dressage test in the “Ask the L” segment. Together they have an engaging conversation with dressage TD Robyn Nunnally. Nunnally, who currently lives in Suffock, Virginia, grew up riding hunters and Arabi...
Apr 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Today Grand Prix trainers and competitors Todd Flettrich and Ruth Hogan-Poulsen discuss riding haunches-in. It is ridden on four tracks, and the bend comes primarily from behind the saddle, and the neck and shoulders stay straight on the direction of travel. They cover the proper aids for riding it as well as common mistakes and how to address them. Members of Equestrian+ can watch more videos with Todd Flettrich and Ruth Hogen-Paulsen here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial with subscript...
Mar 31, 2024•7 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Welcome to the Dressage Today podcast sponsored by Equithrive . In this episode, Aviva and Stephanie talk about the mental health aspect of the horse industry and how their interviews with Nancy Lavoie and Dr. Jenny Susser can help start a conversation. Then Aviva talks about how a canter transition is scored when it happens early or late. Together they interview Dr. Jenny Susser who did a series of articles with Dressage Today in the past. Dr. Susser has a PhD in Clinical Health Psychology, spe...
Mar 26, 2024•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 9
Head: Rider Warm-up Stretches Dek: Try some exercises in the saddle with Laura Ashley Killian This Training Buzz episode is sponsored by Purina . Today hear from USDF gold, silver and bronze medalist Laura Ashely Killian. She goes over mounted rider stretches that she does at the beginning of her ride and focus on loosening the hip, seat and leg. If you are on an appropriate horse, you can do them while your horse relaxes in a free walk. Try listening to her before you get on or even while you a...
Mar 17, 2024•6 min•Season 5Ep. 8
In today’s Buzz, bit and bridle expert and USDF gold medalist Stephanie Brown-Beamer gives an overview of bitting basics for your dressage horse. She shares what she has learned, what she often sees, trends she has observed and what you should keep in mind when bitting your own horse. She discusses her process for assessing a horse and his mouth to select the most appropriate bit. Members of Equestrian+ can watch videos with Stephanie Brown-Beamer here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial wi...
Mar 03, 2024•11 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Welcome to the Dressage Today podcast sponsored by Equithrive . In this episode, Stephanie gives an update on her horse Nadia, and Aviva answers an Ask the L question about the correct amount of angle in shoulder in. Together they have an excellent conversation with Nancy Lavoie about her history in teaching dressage and how changing the conversation (both internally and externally) can help improve riding and the sport of dressage. Nancy Later Lavoie is a lifelong equestrian with a special love...
Feb 27, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Welcome to Dressage Today’s Training Buzz sponsored by Purina . Today we hear from USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist Michele Wellman. She practices what she preaches when she says to advocate for the horse. In this clip, Michele tells the story about one of her horses who encountered various physical issues and the long road to determine the cause. Members of Equestrian+ can watch Michele Wellman’s cavalletti series here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial with subscription. Enter DTPODCAST a...
Feb 18, 2024•10 min•Season 5Ep. 5
In today’s Buzz, horsemanship expert Chelsea Canedy explains how meditation can help work with clients and horses. It makes her more comfortable with a sense of stillness, allowing her to take moments of silence both externally and internally and locating a warmth of presence and gratitude. Members of Equestrian+ can watch many videos with Chelsea Canedy here . Not a member? Sign up for a free trial with subscription. Enter DTPODCAST at checkout to save 15% on your first month. Website: https://...
Feb 04, 2024•10 min•Season 5Ep. 4
