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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THE WHOLE HORSE CLASSICAL IMMERSIVE
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The horse worked well is a well horse...
Classical dressage principles for preservation of soundness and prevention of unsoundness.
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Since a young age, it has long been the mission of Dr. Babits to combine classical dressage principles, work, and practice with veterinary knowledge, examination, diagnosis, and prevention to better the lives of horses. Too much of the modern sport horse world is based on diagnosis and maintenance after the fact, after a diagnosis, instead of working the horse in a manner of preservation and prevention. We need to look at working the horse from a point of development, a perspective of enhancing strength and suppleness to ease stress on joints, tendons, ligaments. We need to have the perception of our work with the horse as being rehabilitative to the natural movement of the horse, but with the addition of the rider. With that perception, we need to consider that working the horse should have therapeutic benefits, and in so doing, we break the cycle of chronic, repetitive wear and tear to the horse's physique as well as mental and emotional state.
We need to look at working horses as treatment. We need to look at working horses as prevention.
Behaviors and patterns of habituation in the movement and mental state of the horse are most of the time rooted in physical difficulty, discomfort, or outright pain, in addition to a lack of communication or well-understood "thought-to-action" processes.
One cannot address symptoms. One must address causes, root causes, and causes to the root causes, often on multiple planes, multiple facets of the horse's being, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
One must address that working the horse is a CONNECTION of human and horse, and TOGETHER they can only both be elevated if there is freedom of mind and movement.
Classical dressage principles--straightness, strength in suppleness, sending forward in rhythm, and stabilization of the equilibrium--are the tenants for preventative strategies for improving and preserving the horse's soundness.
Classical work for Prevention.
Classical work for Therapy.
Classical work for Rehabilitation.
Classical work for Connection. The Equine Performance Health Pyramid
2025 DATES
June 19-22, 2025
September 18-21, 2025
CELEBRATING THE HORSE-HUMAN BOND
In The Whole Horse Classical Immersive, considerations are given to the Musculoskeletal System (any lameness or neurologic deficits), podiatry (hoof balance), dentistry, GI system (EGUS, colitis, inflammatory processes, allergies), as well as other biological systems as the need arises. Communication with the horse is paramount in that we LISTEN to what the horse is communicating to us through behaviors. In this light, we learn to observe, to listen, to respond appropriately and in an understood manner, and nurture the horse's mind. The Whole Horse Classical Immersive considers the entire horse's state of being, and lessons and homework are derived based on WHAT THE HORSE NEEDS, not what the human ego wants.
We must work the horse based on what he needs, not we want. The work must all be based in a continuum of equilibrium, a state of balance, the dichotomies of which base their essence in the ever-changing state of the horse's desire to be in equilibrium in himself and his world.
Such Equilibrium is dependent upon HUMILITY.
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Modalities Used in The Whole Horse Classical Immersive
1. Examination
2. Work in Hand
3. Work in Long Reins
4. Work Under Saddle
The Whole Horse Classical Immersive is an exclusive and intensive 4-Day workshop focused on using classical dressage principles integrated with equine veterinary knowledge to establish patterns of positive development physically and mentally for the horse and the rider. The day after the final day of the Immersive is reserved for those wanting Private Lessons who have attended the Immersive. It is not required, or part of the 4-day Immersive, but is available should those desire it. The Immersive is designed for the serious rider looking to truly understand the language of the horse, how to better communicate and understand each other, and how to develop the physical and mental aspects of the horse in accordance with classical principles to preserve soundness and prevent unsoundness all while focusing on a deeper level of connection and based in the theories and practice of classical lightness. A focus of this study in lightness is based on determining the base of resistances, decontraction of them, and solutions for maintaining freedom in lightness.
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Your Instructor: Dr. Elizabeth (Bessie) Babits, BVSc, DVM, a practicing equine veterinarian with 20 years of clinical practice, and over 30 years of work in classical riding, starting of young horses, work in hand, and long rein development.
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The workshop is 4 days of intense instruction and examination, using work in hand, long reins, and work under saddle. The Instructor may opt to ride your horse to help cement certain concepts and to appropriate the necessary feel of lightness for the horse.
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Participation is limited to a maximum of 3 participants.
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The Whole Horse Classical Immersive will be given twice a year. The facility is located in a palette for the soul, a land so stunningly beautiful, it literally is breath taking. The area is intensely spiritual, and the sacred Cerro Pedernal keeps watch over the horses and riders.
DAILY SCHEDULE:
Day 1:
Morning:
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8am Lecture on Principle 1, Straightness
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9-12:00, three lessons, each participant receiving a lesson 45 minutes in length
Afternoon:
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Noon-1pm, break for lunch
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1pm Lecture Equine Performance Health Pyramid on Alimentary System (Gut): ulcers, dentistry, colic, diet, etc.
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2pm-5pm, three lessons, each participant receiving a lesson 45 minutes in length.
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Lessons for the day will focus primarily on the concept of Straightness, and its feel, relation to lightness.
Day 2:
Morning:
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8am Lecture on Principle 2, Strength in Suppleness
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9-12:00, three lessons, each participant receiving a lesson 45 minutes in length
Afternoon:
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Noon-1pm, break for lunch
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1pm Lecture Equine Performance Health Pyramid on Musculoskeletal System/Lameness
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2pm-5pm, three lessons, each participant receiving a lesson 45 minutes in length
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Lessons for the day will focus on Strength in Suppleness.
Day 3:
Morning:
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8am Lecture on Principle 3, Send Forward in Rhythm
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9-12:00, three lessons, each participant receiving a lesson 45 minutes in length
Afternoon:
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Noon-1pm, break for lunch
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1pm Lecture Equine Performance Health Pyramid on Podiatry (Hoof) Matters
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2pm-5pm, three lessons, each participant receiving a lesson 45 minutes in length
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Lessons for the day will focus on Sending Forward in Rhythm.
Day 4:
Morning:
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8am Lecture on Principle 4, Stabilizatin of the Equilibrium
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9-12:00, three lessons, each participant receiving a lesson 45 minutes in length
Afternoon:
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Noon-1pm, break for lunch
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1pm Lecture Equine Performance Health Pyramid--Open for Questions
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2pm-5pm, three lessons, each participant receiving a lesson 45 minutes in length
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Lessons for the day will focus on Stabilization of the Equilibrium (Balance).
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Cost: $2,000 USD, which includes 6 nights of board for your horse at our facility. Feed and feeding, cleaning of stall is provided by and performed by owner of horse.
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A $500.00 non-refundable reservation is required to book and hold your slot.
Stabling $25/night; LQ trailers $25/night
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Auditors are welcome; $55.00/day.
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Contact: Dr. Elizabeth Babits
575-779-2466