Restorative and Rehabilitative Dressage
Where has dressage gone wrong? Dressage in many cases no longer has the horse in mind--the horse's well-being, correct development, and training for preservation of soundness fall to the wayside because of human desire and ego. This mentality completely defeats the true purpose of dressage. Dressage should be aimed at continuously working to develop the horse gymnastically, strengthening and enhancing his abilities with a rider.
With Dressage for Prevention and Preservation, and with Restorative and Rehabilitative Dressage, a combination of over 30 years of classical dressage training with over 20 years of equine veterinary practice is unified to both scientifically and artistically develop horses and educate riders in dressage. Our mission is four-fold:
1. Dressage for Prevention of Unsoundness and Preservation of Soundness: This is Dressage training for development of the horse. The horse is brought along correctly in his work from the very beginning. The training process should not break down horses or cause unsoundness! Training is focused on prevention of unsoundness and preserving soundness from the very beginning.
2. Dressage for Restoration: Dressage exercises based on 4 main classical principles aids in restoring the horse's soundness through finding root causes of pain, addressing them directly both therapeutically if needed from a veterinary standpoint AND in combination with dressage exercises based on work in hand, long rein, and under saddle.
3. Dressage for Rehabilitation: Dressage can be focused on rehabilitating horses suffering from prior injury, weakness, and imbalance. We take a WHOLE HORSE approach to rehabilitation, focusingon the GI system, musculoskeletal system, and podiatry. We utilize an in-depth understanding of ANATOMY and BIOMECHANICS along with PHYSIOLOGY to design programs that utilize training in work in hand, long reins, and under saddle to HEAL HORSES. If you heal the physical body, you also heal the mentality of the horse, and vice versa. Muscular attachments, origins, insertions, and how each individual muscle/tendon/ligament unit functions individually and regionally for the horse is a focus in this work.
4. Dressage as Artistic Expression and Creation: When one culminates the above work restoring and rehabilitating the horse into his true and real potential, the result can be expression of lightness and artistic interpretation between horse and rider. Training should from the beginning be aimed at enhancing the horse's natural athletic abilities, not destroying them in the name of human egotistical pursuits!
So, how does this all work? How do we get started? SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS and enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way!
Preventative Dressage:
If you are wanting to develop your horse, whether starting a young horse or wanting to add dressage as an element to your riding and partnership with your horse (no matter the discipline you ride) to further enhance soundness, then Dr. Babits can customize a program for you. Often this entails lessons and a plan to reach those goals. It is an affordable and fun way to work towards achieving a lasting partnership with your horse. Additionally, Dr. Babits will take on horses to train in dressage, with empathic understanding based on classical principles to maintain and enhance soundness of the horse.
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Restorative and Rehabilitative Dressage:
As an equine veterinarian, Dr. Babits consults with you on the problems and resistances arising with your horse. Whether through already performed diagnostics, or further diagnostics, the root cause(s) of the resistances and problems are discovered, and addressed. We look at relieving the pain and discomfort, even through veterinary therapeutics if required, and then healing, maintaining, and preventing further injury through proper training protocols and exercises for each individual horse. This may be done through in-depth consultation and then lessons, either Virtually or at your farm (if in the local region), or here at The Academy of Equestrian Arts in Youngsville, New Mexico. If you bring a horse here, we can customize your stay: if you wish to leave the horse for restorative and rehabilitative training for a month or longer, or if you wish to come for a long weekend, or a few days to get the process started, we can customize helping you and your horse to fit your time and budget.
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Costs: Costs will vary depending on how we best help you and your horse, whether you come here to the Ranch, or whether Dr. Babits comes to you, or we work through consultations and Virtual lessons and sessions.
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Live for what you love, and love what you live for.
LONG REIN OPPORTUNITIES
THE LONG REIN IMMERSIVE:
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The Long Rein Immersive is a grand opportunity to experience and learn the feel of correct, classical work in the long reins performed in lightness.
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Learn the four main classical principles, and how to apply them for the development of the horse.
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Develop the knowledge of how various exercises help build the horse up physically and mentally, and their benefits for rehabilitation.
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Learn appropriate tack, fitting of tack, safety, and body positions. Long rein work is based off of communication through subtle body language and positions.
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Long rein work heightens the Horse-Human Bond and connection through trust.
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The Immersive is not about doing movements or saying I can piaffe or passage; The Immersive is about using the long reins to effectively and systematically develop each individual horse through the classical principles, and the exercises which are the summation of those principles.
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The Long Rein Immersive consists of 2 days of intense instruction in Riendas Largas.
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An Application Process will be used to select students for the Long Rein Immersive. The work consists of 2 days of instruction. A waiting list is available. There are only THREE Long Rein Immersives given per year.
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The incredible stallions of Willow Creek Stud are used for teaching the Immersive.
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Students are able to feel the correct work using advanced level horses, brilliantly schooled to teach the feel of lightness and work through the mind, thought, and heart.
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Two lessons per day, a morning session, and an afternoon session are given. Lessons are no more than 45 minutes per lesson, and sometimes less, but very intense. After lessons, students may watch quietly other work of horses, a grand learning opportunity.
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Participant will be paired with horses designed to teach specific lessons and principles. Safety is paramount.
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This is ART. If you want to learn to do movements, this is NOT for you. This is about teaching feel, teaching the ability to think and utilize the Classical Principles through the exercises to develop the horse.
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Any force or unjust treatment to a Schoolmaster horse will be grounds for immediate removal of the participant from the program without a refund.
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The horses are very well trained in all lateral work in walk, trot, canter; they perform piaffe, passage, Spanish Walk, Jambette, canter pirouettes, and flying changes.
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A degree of physical fitness is recommended. Additionally, the facility does sit at altitude, at approx. 6,700'.
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Cost: $1,800. A $500 non-refundable booking fee is required to secure your time and month, and this is part of the $1,800. Contact to set up a private Long Rein Immersion.
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Lodging and meals are not provided, but there are several nearby excellent options.
THE ECONOMY LONG REIN INTENSIVE:
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The Economy Long Rein Intensive is a wonderful opportunity to delve into the art of long reining using highly trained PRE School Masters.
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Experience and feel correct, classical work in long reins performed in lightness.
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Learn the four main classical principles, and how to apply them for the development of the horse.
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Develop the knowledge of how various exercises help build the horse up physically and mentally, and their benefits for rehabilitation.
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Learn appropriate tack, fitting of tack, safety, body language and body positions.
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Long rein work is based off of communication through subtle body language, positions, and energy.
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Long rein work heightens the Horse-Human Bond and connection through trust.
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The Intensive is not about doing movements for the sake of doing movements. It is about utilizing the long reins to effectively and systematically develop each individual horse through the classical principles, and the exercises which are a summation of those principles.
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The Economy Long Rein Intensive is ONE day of instruction in long reins.
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It consists of two lessons, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon, using the exceptional Master PRE horses of Willow Creek Stud, all in a stunning landscape.
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In between lessons, auditing of the work with other horses, ridden, in hand, or in long reins, will provide valuable education.
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Students are able to feel the correct work using advanced level horses, brilliantly schooled to teach the feel of lightness and work through the mind and thought.
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As described above in The Long Rein Immersive, all other points are valid.
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Contact to set up an Intensive.
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Cost: $1,000, $250 Non-Refundable Deposit required.
PRIVATE LONG REIN LESSONS:
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A private lesson may be scheduled for work in long reins with one of our Master horses of Willow Creek Stud. ​
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Private lessons will be no more than 45 minutes and may be less depending on the work achieved and what is best for the Horse.
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The above points discussed pertain to Private Lessons.
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Cost: $250/lesson