2008 Beijing Olympic Games (Dressage) 2002 WEG Jerez, 2009 World Cup, Las Vegas, NV.  Heath's experience is vast and extremely well rounded as a horseman. His experience includes a successful record with the Australian Event team, winning team gold at Barcelona '92, Atlanta '96, and making Olympic Equestrian history winning the team gold for the third consecutive time at Sydney 2000. In addition to his long and successful coaching career, Mr. Ryan has been Australia's 3-Day champion three times. He coached the Thai Eventing team and led them to achieve team gold and individual gold at the 1998 Asian Games.

New Video-Heath schooling Regardez Moi, Grand Prix

Heath emphasizes that you need to stay out of the horses way, being intellectual about your riding, listening to your horse. He demonstrates and explains how to get the perfect walk pirouettes, beginning with shoulder in, forward into it, catch the outside hind which does a tiny bit of travere, moving the forehand around inside leg. Steady march rythem. Heath works on the trot, to piaffe, emphasizing the need to keep them quick, quick, quick.
He then explains that the trot basically is piaffe. He points out that his horses basic trot is actually close to the ground which promotes the collected work, then once you get collection you can start getting suspension. Another important factor he disscusses is the use of passage, and that you must be careful for it can begin to infiltrate other movements when you do not want it to. When he trains piaffe in the beginning he always purposely leaves it a little bit moving forward. Lastly, Heath discusses the road to Grand Prix, saying that it is all about coordination and balance, absolutely not strength, to ride your horse brilliantly. He ends with the flying change and gives his exact formula for how he trains them.

New Video-Heath working with student at 3rd Level

Schooling the walk pirouettes, you can see correctness though the turn is large and you can see some of the problems the rider encounters. Heath emphasizes that for this pair she needs to keep him especially round and very active. This horse has big movement and gaits, but has the potential to slow in some of its movements which has to be watched. Shoulder in work and half pass is shown. Schooling moves to large canter pirouettes. Quickness and keeping the jump is all important for this duo. Work on the flying changes comes next and again, the jump in the change is a bit slow which Keith points out could become an issue later.

New Video-Heath working with student on a Thoroughbred at I2/S level

Walk pirouettes are demonstrated and Heath emphasizes the need to keep the march rythm. Moving into half steps, the importance is in keeping the activity. They show you their half passes and piaffe and passage. Heath has Emma working on two time changes, super video to watch if your working on single time changes, you can see how they work through any issues. Shows the working piaffe and moves to canter pirouettes.



Rafael Soto-ESP

Rafael Soto Andrade is the head trainer of the Spanish Riding School in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Aboard Invasor he participated in three Olympic Games: Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. They were also the second best performing Spanish pair at the World Equestrian Games in Rome (1998), Jerez de la Frontera (2002) and Aachen (2006).

New Video-An interview with Rafael

Who is Rafael, what is his background and how did he get to where he is today!


New Video-working with student at 2nd/E Level

Rafael emphasizes the importance of balance and getting to know the horse! The warm up is done in trot working on shoulder in and gaining control. The horse wants to change leads and Rafael explains that the rider needs to get true bend toward true lead and half halt on the outside rein, to keep the horse from changing leads when not asked. The downward transition to walk is worked a bit before moving on.  He has the pair do many short sets of walk trot transitions, reiterating the need to gain control over the smallest things before we go on to the bigger ones.



Debbie McDonald-USA

Two time Olympian and numerous medals in other international competitions, such as the World Equestrian Games, World Cup, she and the now retired, Brentina,  have had a long and outstanding career together. Currently Debbie is the USEF Developing Dressage Coach. Her role is to identify and cultivate future US Dressage stars.

New Video-4th/S Level