• Region 8 Championships were September 18-21 at Hits-on-Hudson in Saugerties, New York. Many of our members were in attendance and had fantastic rides. It was great to see everyone there.
• ESDCTA Horse Trials were September 27 & 28 at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown. We had fantastic attendance and heard many compliments. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year.
• Devon’s 50th anniversary celebration was September 24-28. It was a fantastic time with many great rides from both ESDCTA members and international superstars, with educational and fun supporting events and shopping experiences.
Things to look forward to:
• Region 1 Championships in Lexington Virginia is October 2-5. Best of luck to all of those competing.
• ESDCTA Championships are at the USET in Gladstone, NJ, on October 26. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone there. You can register by going to HorseShowOffice.com. If you are not competing at our Championship show, please consider volunteering. You can sign up to volunteer by emailing volunteer@esdcta.org.
Plans are underway for our Annual Awards banquet on February 22, 2026. Do you have all of your scores? Do you have your volunteer hours?
Show season isn’t over yet! Get those last scores. Come out and lend a hand. Cheer on your friends. Winter will be here soon enough.
grants@esdcta.org horselover8968@gmail com newsletter@esdcta.org nominations@esdcta.org nominations@esdcta.org
Ashley Mucha results@esdcta.org
CROSS COUNTRY...
News Across Our Region
COMMUNITY NEWS
If you’re reading this, you are probably a member of ESDCTA, but I’m sure you know of someone who rides dressage or events who is not a member. You know all about the wonderful things offered like educational programs, clinics with big name trainers, horse shows, year-end awards, and not least, that sense of being part of a community of likeminded people. The more members ESDCTA has, the better the programs we can offer. Our membership numbers are also important considerations when state and local governments decide on legislature that affects us (like open space), and we advocate for our sports (We helped get better footing at the HPNJ). Please reach out to your equestrian buddies and tell them about all of the benefits of membership and have them sign up. The more the merrier!
WHAT’S YOUR TALENT??
Let us know what you would like to help us with in 2025. All skills and interests wanted. Have an idea? We want to hear about it. Remember, this club is what YOU make it. Contact president@esdcta.org if you are interested.
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE
Have a great article that you would like to share?
Please send article to: Meredith Rogers: newsletter@esdcta.org All submissions are due by the 15th of the month. Due to space considerations, the editor reserves the right to edit submitted articles. If necessary, articles will be edited and returned for your review. AND YOU GET VOLUNTEER HOUR FOR EACH STORY!
Milestone
Please Contact this newsletter if you know any ESDCTA members who have achieved any Milestones. Success at a show, regional/national/international award, new horse, or anything else you want to celebrate.
e-mail: newsletter@esdcta.org
MEMBERSHIP QUESTIONS
For membership questions including updating physical or e-mail addresses please contact: Heidi Lemack membership@esdcta.org
Deadline: 15th of prior month Email: newsletter@esdcta.org
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Email: treasurer@esdcta.org
Amateur Dilemma
We are all familiar with some version of this figure to the right. Progress is never linear, and that’s especially true with horses because both we and our mounts are on our own paths to learning. We’re being instructed by our trainers, what we’re feeling in the moment, articles we’ve read online, things our friends have said, etc. Our horses are learning from us, and what they’re feeling in the moment, and that’s about it. You can see how we and our horses may not learn at the same pace, which complicates the journey.
I look at learning to ride as more of a series of upward and downward spirals. When things go well, progress seems to accelerate. Success builds on success. In contrast, when things go south, they seem to go south very quickly. It often seems like I’ll never advance when I’m struggling, but then, I figure something out and things seem to be on an upward swing again.
By Meredith Rogers
Regardless of how you look at it, this dressage thing is difficult and frustrating at times, but also enlightening and rewarding. We have to remember that we’re not solving world hunger. We’re enjoying a hobby (okay, an obsession). We just need to appreciate the journey even if we’re not always happy about it and remember that EVERYONE has bad days. This too shall pass. Here’s to more upward than downward spirals!
News from Outside the Ring
No More Horses in the City?
After being iconic fixtures in Central Park, New York City, for more than 150 years, the end of the horse-drawn carriage may be soon upon us. This has been a decadeslong fight, but now Mayor Eric Adams has publicly declared his support for a ban. He cites increasingly crowded green space and safety concerns as the reasons. While nothing is decided yet, Mayor Adams issued an executive order that mandates the police “prioritize enforcement” against horse-drawn carriages that operate outside their legally designated areas. The administration is also offering employment opportunities for carriage industry workers who voluntarily return their carriage license. It will be a very sad day when horses are no longer welcome in New York City.
Humans Love Horses
Attachment theory, which describes how people form and maintain emotional bonds with others, has been used to study adult/child relationships and human/companion animal connections, and now human/horse bonds. A group from the University of Turku and the University of Helsinki in Finland used an adapted version of the validated Pet Attachment Questionnaire to measure how people form emotional bonds with their horses. A total of 2287 horse owners were surveyed. The study found that people become attached to horses much like they do to other humans and companion animals. Interestingly, younger respondents worried more about losing closeness with their horse and needed extra reassurances that their horse liked or needed them. In contrast, male owners tended to keep emotional distance from their horses. Since the results were similar to those found with the original survey that assessed the human and companion animal bond, it validated the use of this tool with horses, which opens up whole areas of research related to the training and welfare of horses, as well as optimizing equine-assisted therapy. For the complete study see: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2025.2544420
Horse Treats
By Meredith Rogers
It’s ghost and goblin time. Happy Halloween! Hopefully neither your house nor barn are haunted, but some people aren’t so lucky. These stories should teach us to be extra nice to our equine partners or we may regret it.
Back in the 1700s pirates ruled the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts, and a group of boatless marauders set up camp on Monomoy Island, which was untamed back then and is now a wilderness refuge. Since they had no way to go out and capture ships they created a plan to lure them onto shore. The pirates’ clever plot was to tie lights to the necks of their horses and put them on the beach. Sailors out at sea mistook the bobbing lights for moored ships and would sail to the island to join them. But instead of finding safety, they ended up hitting land and becoming shipwrecked. That’s when the pirates swept in, slaughtered the crew, and stole their cargo. The story goes that one black stallion didn’t like being an accomplice to these crimes and has devoted his afterlife to swimming the waters around the island as a way to warn boats to keep away.
The Battle of Edgehill was the first major battle of the English Civil War that occurred in 1642 between King Charles I and Parliament. White Horse Road in Edgehill got its name from an equine specter that is said to run along it. The story is that during the particularly bloody battle, a soldier and his horse became separated and this white equine apparition is the horse looking for its rider.
Even celebrates aren’t immune from spooky happenings. Highwayman Dick Turpin and his faithful mare, Black Bess are said to not only haunt the forests and villages of Buckinghamshire, England, but also the singer, Harry Styles’ mansion in North London. Turpin astride Black Bess used to rob travelers on the coach roads out of London between 1735 to 1737, and a hangout of his and his mates was The Spaniard’s Inn, Hampstead, which is right near Styles’ home. Turpin was caught and hanged in April 1739. It is said that you can still hear Black Bess’ hooves trotting down the local lanes.
Exterminator was an exceptional racehorse, winning the Kentucky Derby in 1922. The story is that he tragically died after collapsing during what was supposed to be his final race and now haunts the track, with trainers and jockeys claiming to see his shadow and hear his hooves as he tries to finish his last race. However, that’s not true. “Old Bones” as he was affectionally called because he raced until he was 9 years old, which is quite old for a racehorse, actually retired to a big field where he lived happily with a series of ponies (all named Peanut) until the ripe old age of 30.
Don’t Rein It In
By Earlen Haven
I'm still trying to spread some educational info for those interested by giving examples of horses over the years that have gone slower and jumped more confidently with a snaffle and a very light contact.
Here’s one. This particular poor horse was about a 15.1 hh gray Warmblood who jumped pretty much anything, but at about 90 miles per hour, pulling the entire time. She was entered in a clinic taught by one of our Olympic riders. She flew around the course with the rider pulling on her unbelievably....... so much so that there were holes in the rider's gloves at the base of the fingers from the mare trying to get some freedom for her head and neck. The owner wanted to sell her so she spoke to the clinician who said leave her with them. We'll school her and sell her.
Very shortly after that, the owner received a phone call saying come get her, she was untrainable. A friend of the owner suggested that she send her to me. It was one of the hardest jobs that I ever had because I had to undo her fear of riders. It took me 5 days at about 45 minutes each day to get her to open her mind to the fact that I was not going to pull on her mouth, that she had to start listening to my seat, leg, and back aids to increase and decrease her walk, turn and halt. Finally, by day 5, she caught on. I actually expected the whole process to be very slow. but she proved me wrong. Once she started listening and was not worried about being yanked on, she moved right
Log pile w/brush jump is half Novice height & 1/2 Training height
along through trot, canter, halt, and some small jumps in 2 weeks on a very soft and loose rein.
She had 2 owners, so the one who was paying me said she wanted me to give the other owner (who rode her) a lesson on her. When the rider came, she wanted to get right on her and I said that I would like to ride her first to show them what she had learned. I rode her in a big pasture at all three gaits, we halted and turned, and popped over a couple of small jumps, all with quiet gaits and almost no rein.
Then I had her get on. She immediately shortened the reins up, took a strong hold on her and off the mare went with the rider pulling on her again. I tried to explain that she was just making the mare lose all confidence in riders again and would have to refrain from riding her like that.
I'm in NJ and unfortunately, they lived in VA. They took the mare home and thank goodness for the mare's sake, decided to breed her. Thus, she would not have to endure the harsh riding that she had endured for her entire career. I feel very sorry for horses who have to tolerate such riding. It's all about communicating with your horse, not commanding them to do something. Ninety-percent of the time, the horses have just not been exposed to light aids. If they could talk, I have the feeling that they would tell us to stop shouting our aids at them, just whisper the aids to them.
How did I do it? It all came back to the basics. To increase the walk, I alternated my leg aids, allowed my seat to follow the horse's back motion and my arms to follow his neck motion so that all the aids were creating harmony with the horse's movements. It is important to use simultaneous leg aids to trot, so they can distinguish between the walk and trot. When the horses' barrel swings into your leg, apply the leg aid. Repeat with the other leg. And as I stated, follow the horse's back motion with your seat and his neck motion with your arms to create harmony with his body movements.
When you want to decrease the pace or stop, close both legs, which tells the horse to step forward and reach into the bit (rather than the rider pulling the rein back). When the horse steps more underneath his body with his hind legs, it lowers his haunches, rounds his back and he reaches forward with his neck and accepts the feel of the bit. When HE applies the pressure on the bit from the stretch of his neck, he slows down or stops. All aids must agree with each other so as not to give a conflict of aids, the rider does not follow with his seat nor with the reins. Stretch your body very tall (holding your back very still and straight and sink your legs down his sides as an upside-down U on his ribcage, with some downward pressure. Doing this is no longer harmonious with his back movement, so he will decrease or stop to be more comfortable.
Allow the horse to carry his own head and neck. Do not shorten the neck with the rein so his neck is short and high. His neck should have a curve in it from using the top neck muscles, not the underneath neck muscles. Poll should be highest with the nose in front of the vertical.
Depending on how long (or how harsh) the horse has been ridden with a strong rein, will often decide how long it will take to get the new message across to him. Most respond in minutes, some longer. But be patient, they are creatures of habit, just as we are....and think how many times your instructor has to tell you something before your new aids become automatic.
For turns, weight your inside seat bone since horses move under your weight by the rider stretching down from the hip bone and sinking your knee over the stirrup. Roll your outside thigh toward the pommel which will raise you off of that seat bone slightly and automatically put your lower leg back a bit behind the girth. Close that outside leg through calf and thigh. Twist your inside shoulder back so your shoulders are in line with your horse's shoulders (outside one slightly ahead). That should put a slight twist in your upper body toward the direction of travel. Imagine you had headlights on your chest lighting the way for your horse. Use inside leg on the girth pushing toward horse's outside shoulder to ask the horse for a bend through his body. Outside leg stays ever so slightly behind the girth to hold the haunches in on the turn to complete the bend in the horse's body. Use only a ring finger to touch the horse's inside jaw to bend his neck. Ride from your inside leg to your outside "wall" (outside leg and rein.) Allow your outside rein to follow your horse's neck around the turn.
Trakehner w/ ditch underneath
Using these legs, weight, and seat aids stops the rider from changing the horse's balance by pulling him around the turns with the reins, allowing him freedom of movement and use of his neck at all times, and creating "self-carriage" and balance.
I will continue to let you know other success stories of a light rein allowing balance and allowing the horse be able to get himself out of trouble if need be, which develops confidence in your horse that he is able to complete any job asked of him. It does work! Give it a try! You will need to learn 1/2 halts but this will help both you and your horse enjoy the ride!
Fall is great riding weather! Hope you'll stop by Country Haven Cross Country Course, Woodstown NJ. We have a fun course of about 50 jumps from 1' to 3'3" and some to about 3' 9" with lots of schooling options. countryhavenfarms.com has lots of jump photos. Only $50.
Call Earlen Haven @ 856-769-1916 for questions or scheduling.
Black & white plank
Big Dreams…Accomplished!
By Paige Zimmerman
It’s been quite a busy few months! It’s hard to believe it’s already October, and the show season is winding down. After coming home from Aachen in July, Ducati and I hit the ground running to prepare for our end-of-season goals: the CBLM Championships at the end of August and Dressage at Devon at the end of September.
We first had the pleasure of participating in a clinic with Felicitas von Neumann-Cosel in mid-July, which really enhanced my feel and understanding of the seat, especially with the help of the Franklin Balls. If you’ve never tried them, I highly recommend them. They look like little yoga balls, and you place one under each seat bone while seated in the saddle. Even just walking with them is incredibly helpful: they help you feel each seatbone, let you relax and absorb the movement, and maintain positive tension in your core and position. If your seat isn’t positioned correctly or moving with the horse, the balls will either pop out the front or the back, making it very
obvious if you’re pitched too far back or forward, respectively. With Ducati, riding with them gave him much more freedom through his back, since he could move forward without my seat restricting him.
Working the flying changes with the balls was also very helpful and made them come through even cleaner. Then, when we took them away, my seat felt much more connected to the saddle. The Franklin Balls also showed me how much you really have to move with the horse. I often want to be too still and stabilized in the saddle, when in reality you need a lot of motion and absorption throughout your position in order to look stable. It’s counterintuitive and something I seem to re-learn again and again! Riding with the Franklin Balls gave a feel similar to riding without stirrups, which is something Olivia has also had me working on since I came home from Aachen. Taking away my stirrups was very telling. It showed me how much I was depending on them as a bit of a crutch to keep myself stabilized. We had to go back and fill this hole to make my seat more effective, especially for the canter and flying changes. We’ve been working hard to clean up our changes even more, really asking for more power and jump so they come through from behind. Taking away my stirrups while working on this was very helpful, since I couldn’t grip inadvertently and could focus more clearly on how my leg and seat aids were preparing Ducati for the changes and maintaining his straightness throughout the exercises.
I highly recommend dropping your stirrups every once in a while to check your seat aids and ensure you aren’t depending on them for stability. True stability has to come through motion and the natural pull of gravity. This is something I really want to continue working on throughout the winter: increasing Ducati’s power and push from behind while making sure my position enhances his ability to do so without restriction. It’ll be crucial for cleaning up our changes even more and for improving the quality of our work at the FEI levels.
Our lead-up to CBLMs was therefore, very focused on the basics, and I think it really paid off. I felt confident and prepared going into the show. However, my preparation on the riding side didn’t quite match my preparation on the ground… On the first day I was definitely a bit frazzled and rushed. I put a lot on my plate, and I wasn’t fully focused during our warmup. As a result, our 4th Level Freestyle Championship ride
didn’t quite go as planned. I lost Ducati’s attention halfway through, then managed to regain it at the end. I was sure our score would be low, but we still managed a 67% and Reserve Champion, which was super exciting! I was pleased, but Olivia and I knew we needed to make some adjustments. I needed to ride with more “gusto” and be clearer about what I wanted from the warmup so I could feel more prepared and focused in the ring.
The second day was our FEI PSG Championship. I was definitely a bit more nervous, since it’s our first year at PSG and I knew we were still a bit green. However, Olivia helped me make a new warmup plan: we first did about ten minutes of very stretchy, forward work with lots of transitions, then we took Ducati out of the warmup ring to stand by the show ring for a minute, and after that we went back into the warmup to finish our prep with more transitions: pirouette canter to medium canter, trot to walk to trot, and plenty of walk pirouettes (which are so helpful for us). Going out and then returning to the warmup ring was great for Ducati’s brain. He got to look around and lose a little focus, but then we brought him back to work and regained it. This also taught him that if the environment changes, he can easily regain comfort and confidence by listening to me and my aids.
As a result, our test was much more forward and confident than the day before. We had several mistakes due to me asking for more impulsion, such as breaking to canter in the trot work, but they were ‘good’ mistakes: he was really putting in effort to work with me, so I didn’t mind the bobbles. We ended up 10th with a 61% in a very large and competitive Senior PSG Championship!
The last day of CBLMs was our 4th Level Championship, and it turned out to be our best ride of the show (and the year!). Ducati stayed with me the entire test and we made no major mistakes. Our new warmup plan really paid off, and we finished on a 66% to win the class! I was shocked and thrilled. Our hard work had paid off, and I am still so proud of that ride, especially since I know we can do even better. There’s always room for improvement, and that excites me. Later that day, we also won our Adult Amateur Equitation Championship with an 80%! This was the first year CBLMs offered Equitation Championships, and it was fun to see a strong turnout. Ducati certainly enjoyed himself too. He got very excited and wanted to show off his fancy trot, thinking it was a victory lap. He’s such an interesting horse, as he can go from
relaxed to on-fire in seconds. He’s really taught me how to ride a horse with a double personality… Sometimes I have to really motivate him to move forward, and minutes later I’m working to contain an explosion.
All in all, CBLMs was a fantastic experience. My main takeaway was that preparation is key, and becomes more important with each level Ducati and I move up. I need a clear plan and enough time before each ride so I’m not wasting energy rushing. That gives me the focus to ride with confidence in the warmup and in the test itself. The warmup is not the place to be careful or avoid rocking the boat. Rather, it’s the time to go through my checklist and make sure Ducati and I are both focused and ready. That way, if there are distractions during the test, he’s more likely to stay with me.
One of my goals was to take what I learned at CBLMs to Dressage at Devon, and I believe that we accomplished that, even though our tests didn’t go exactly as I’d hoped. Just riding at Devon is a great opportunity! Even when riding in the national classes as opposed to the CDI, you still feel the electric “big ring” atmosphere. I always love Devon, and this year was especially meaningful since it was the 50th anniversary. It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago I was volunteering as a runner and dreaming of competing there… Now that dream is a reality! I’m so proud of Ducati for trying his heart out in such an exciting and prestigious environment.
Of course, tension and mistakes crept in. Ducati was spooking at the cameraman, and he had general tension due to the environment, but we showed steady improvement each day. On day one, I retired mid-test because Ducati was too overwhelmed; it was in his best interest to leave and do more schooling in the warmup. On day two, we had a much more confident ride, though mistakes kept the score low. By day three, our ride was even better. The score was still modest due to mistakes, but they were different mistakes than the previous day, and he barely lost focus. The spooking was minimal. I’m far from disappointed… Quite the opposite! Ducati and I worked hard to prepare for Devon, and we improved with each ride, building confidence day by day. We came home with a 4th and an 8th place ribbon, and the victory laps were a blast! Ducati was also quite relaxed on the ground, comfortable in his stall, and in good spirits even when he got scared. Devon is a huge environment, and so different
from our local shows, even regionals and CBLMs. He just happened to struggle with it this time, unfortunately. Still, I was proud of him for listening to me and regaining his confidence as the show went on. It was valuable mileage and taught me a lot about managing Ducati’s emotions and maintaining composure when things don’t go as planned. It also reinforced the importance of having a plan, being prepared, but also staying flexible enough to adapt to what the horse needs at the moment.
The best part of Devon, though, was the incredible community around us, offering support, encouragement, and wisdom. It was so much fun for Olivia Steidle Dressage to be part of our stabling group, “Les Pommes,” with Mindy Elgart, Eliza Banks, and Melissa Capozzoli. These amazing women are not only great friends but also an incredible support system. I’m so grateful for their help throughout the weekend. In a sport where we are often our own toughest critics, having a strong team makes all the difference. It’s also so valuable to hear others’ experiences and learn from them. Having great people around you is crucial! Additionally, I want to thank Lorinda Lende and Lannah Lende Smith for their hospitality in letting me stay with them at their farm close to the showgrounds. It was wonderful spending time with them both! Thank you as well to all the friends, family, and peers who stopped by to watch, help, and encourage us at both CBLMs and Devon, especially the entire Sara
Schmitt Dressage crew! Everyone’s support means the world. And thank you as always to Olivia Steidle for the training, coaching, photos, and constant encouragement throughout this season, especially at these big end-of-season shows. I’m endlessly thankful for everything you’ve done to bring Ducati and me to this point, and for continuing to guide us on our FEI journey. And of course, thank you to Brenda Curnin for the partnership with Ducati. I truly don’t know where I’d be without him. Having been with him since Training and First Level makes this journey very special. It’s been a long road, and the time and patience are paying off!
As the season winds down, I’m excited to head into winter with renewed confidence and fresh goals for next year.
Bridle
Class 312O, USEF First Level Test 2 - Open - Sun, Aug 31, 2025 - GP Ring 4 Bridle # Rider Name
Class 332, USEF Third Level Test 2 - Sun, Aug 31, 2025 - GP Ring 5
Class 312J, USEF First
801 Meagan Kelliher
807 Claire Pratt
- East Ring
Class 361, USDF Musical Freestyle TOC - Sun, Aug 31, 2025 - East Ring
Bridle # Rider Name
818 Emma Chin Malibu
518 Elizabeth Huxster
671 Megan Pifer
628 Jamie Leuenberger N'Chantress
551 Lauren Chumley Demona H20
Class 362,
Class 352, FEI Intermediate II - Sun, Aug 31, 2025 - East Ring
Bridle # Rider Name Horse
602 Angelia Bean Capitano
Class 350, FEI Prix St. Georges - Sun, Aug 31, 2025 - East Ring
Bridle # Rider Name Horse
Class 355, FEI Grand Prix - Sun, Aug 31, 2025 - East Ring Bridle
Class 360, Young Horse Test of Choice (exception of 7 yo) - Sun, Aug 31, 2025 - East Ring
Class 312CA, First Level (USEF 1-2) YR, Senior Division A - Sun, Aug 31, 2025 - West Ring
