December 2019 - In This Issue:
UPCOMING EVENTS
December 14-15, 2019 
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
With Ali Brock
Hampton Green Farm
Wellington, Florida

January 25-26, 2020
D4K Weekend Equestrian Program
Nonnewaug High School
Woodbury, Connecticut

April 4-5, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Rouxtano Farm
Hillsborough, North Carolina

April 25-26, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Blue Ribbon Farm
Clinton Corners, New York

May 16-17, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Rocking M Stables
Dallas, Texas

May 23-24, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Flagstaff Equestrian Center
Flagstaff, Arizona

June 6-7, 2020 
WindReach
Warwick, Bermuda

June 18-19, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
With Ali Brock
Prince George's Equestrian Center
Upper Marlboro, Maryland

June 26-27, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Hampton Green Farm
Fruitport, Michigan

June 28, 2020
Youth Dressage Festival Midwest
Hampton Green Farm
Fruitport, Michigan 

July 1-2, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Dream Acres
Arundel, Maine

July 19-20, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
During USPC Festival
Kentucky Horse Park
Lexington, Kentucky

July 25-26, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Riding Right Farm
Buskirk, New York

August 21-23, 2020
Lendon's Youth Dressage Festival
HITS on the Hudson
Saugerties, New York

September 4-5, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Georgia Int'l Horse Park
Conyers, Georgia

September 6, 2020
Atlanta Youth Festival
Georgia Int'l Horse Park
Conyers, Georgia

September 12-13, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Southlands Riding Club
Vancouver, Canada

September 19-20, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Elevation Equestrian
Saskatoon, Canada

September 22-27, 2020
Dressage at Devon
Devon, Pennsylvania

October 3-4, 2020
D4K TEAM Program Clinic
Avant-Garde Equestrian
Luskville, Quebec


Website:
www.dressage4kids.org
Thank You
Thank you for another great year!

Thank you to our riders, our horses, our friends, our families, our volunteers, our sponsors, and to all of our supporters! 

Thank you to the following facilities, all of whom opened their doors to D4K for TEAM Clinics in 2019:

Avant-Garde Equestrian in Quebec
Chagrin Valley Farms in Ohio
DQ Performance Horses in New Jersey
Dream Acres in Maine
Elevation Equestrian in Saskatchewan 
Flyaway Stables in Michigan 
Georgia International Horse Park in Georgia
Hampton Green Farm in Florida
Hampton Green Farm in Michigan
Heritage Equestrian Farm in Rhode Island
Hilltop Farm in Maryland
Peridot Equestrian Center in California
Prince George's Equestrian Center in Maryland 
Rein Dance Equestrian in Minnesota
RER Ponies in Massachusetts
Rhythm & Blues Equestrian in Pennsylvania
Riding Right Farm in New York
Rocking M Stables in Texas
Rouxtano Farm in North Carolina
Scarlet Day Farm in Maine
Southlands Riding Club in Vancouver
Tempel Farms in Illinois
Tex-Over Farms in Texas
WillsWay Equestrian Center in New York
WindReach in Bermuda
Weekend Equestrian Program January 25-26, 2020
Evaluating Hay Quality
For equestrians of all ages, levels, and disciplines; parents; instructors; and judges.

The event will be held at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury, Connecticut.

Over 30 speakers will present on topics ranging from Musical Freestyles to The Pyramid of Training to Diagnostic Imaging to Grooming at CDIs and everything in-between.

For more information, including how to register, go to: 

Training4Teaching
In an effort to continue to support our successful young riders who move on to become professionals (and even our experienced pros), Dressage4Kids is offering a program this winter in Wellington, FL. with discussions on how to teach.  Through their riding education we expect that teachers have the knowledge of what to teach, but very few teachers/instructors/trainers have had any education about HOW to teach.
 
Lendon Gray and Ali Brock are working together to develop this program and will be assisted by invited professionals, dressage instructors, psychologists, etc. to cover such topics as teaching skills, special considerations for teaching non - competitive amateurs and very young riders, ethics and professionalism, teaching vs. coaching, dealing with fear or overconfidence, etc. It is expected that many of the sessions will be very interactive.
 
Tentatively sessions will be held Sunday evening January 12, February 2, February 16, March 1, March 8, and March 22 and will include supper. There is no fee for the program or the suppers.  Please contact Lendon Gray at lendongray@gmail.com if you would like to join us.
Lendon's Youth Dressage Festival 2020 Required Reading

Please keep in mind that the FEI age rule applies, which means that as of 1st January, the rider is considered whatever age he/she will reach during that calendar year. For example, if the rider turns 14 anytime during the year 2020, the rider is considered to be 14 for the competition and should read the required reading materials for age 14.

DISCOUNT CODE
 
Many thanks to Trafalgar Square for offering a discount to Dressage4Kids!  

Place your order at  https://www.horseandriderbooks.com and use the code D4K2020 at checkout.

ALL AGES
 
2020 Lendon's Youth Dressage Festival Prize List
Rules of Riding with Others in the Ring (see  www.youthdressagefestival.com)
And see below for additional requirements

AGES 11 AND UNDER
The United States Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship: Basics for Beginners / D Level, 2nd Edition
Section 2
Chapter 5-9
pages 145-235
 
AGES 12-15
Know Better to Do Better: Mistakes I Made with Horses (So You Don't Have To)  by Denny Emerson
and
The Essential Hoof Book: The Complete Modern Guide to Horses Feet - Anatomy, Care and Health, Disease Diagnosis and Treatment by Susan Kauffmann and Christina Cline, pages 5-38
 
AGES 16-21
Know Better to Do Better: Mistakes I Made with Horses (So You Don't Have To) by Denny Emerson
and
The Essential Hoof Book: The Complete Modern Guide to Horses Feet - Anatomy, Care and Health, Disease Diagnosis and Treatment by Susan Kauffmann and Christina Cline, pages 5-60

WIT FAQs
Ever wonder what the D4K Winter Intensive Training Program is like?  Check out the FAQs now posted on the website, and if you'll be in Florida at all between January and March, come visit!

Sample FAQ:

What is a typical day like?

The program starts at 6:30 a.m. with basic stable chores. Each rider must take care of his or her own horse as well as help with maintaining the facility where the program is held. Group fitness is scheduled immediately following A.M. chores and then lessons begin. 

Lendon encourages and will answer questions from the spectators during lessons. Participants will have a full schedule of learning that includes fitness, theory, written and verbal tests, riding lessons, field trips and lectures on many pertinent subjects. 

Competitor Tent Is Making a Positive Impact on My Riding
This year's individual gold medal winner at the 2019 North American Youth Championships in North Salem, NY explains how the Competitor Tent app was a huge part of her success this year.
photo credit: Lily Forado
For as long as I can remember at a horse show, my trainer and parents would encourage me to look at my score sheets from previous shows so I could pinpoint specific movements where I was throwing away points, or find a movement where my horse and I scored really well, but could improve it to get a half of a point or even one point more the next time. It wasn't until I started showing in CDI's that I took performance analytics more seriously and started doing it religiously. It became an important step for me in preparing for shows and even for my lessons with my trainer, Angela Jackson. I was so excited about the launch of Competitor Tent because this app consolidates performance analytics for me - it allows me to continue looking at my tests, but it also shows me my average and best scores in a certain test and even scores from specific judges. 

Another awesome feature that this app has is the "Activity Feed." I will be honest and say that I have never been good about documenting my rides or making notes, but Competitor Tent has made this easy and fun! I love documenting my lessons, shows and clinics through the Activity Feed. I always write notes on what we worked on, what went well, or what didn't go well and my overall feeling of the ride. Having this feature has encouraged me to go back and look at the notes that I have made so I can make changes in my next ride. When I was in Europe for the European Young Rider Tour, I documented all of my lessons with George Williams in Competitor Tent and made a note of things I needed to do as a rider. For example, in the canter pirouettes, I had the tendency to get tight and lock my hips. George would remind me to relax, so I would make note that I needed to relax and be proactive not reactive. Then I would read my notes before my lesson the next day. I continued to do this after we returned back to the U.S. and especially before the North American Youth Championships.
Another thing Competitor Tent allowed me to do was visualize my test. For example, at NAYC before I rode the Young Rider Team test, I looked at my best score for that test in the app, then analyzed my movement scores - all in the app. After that, I would visualize what that test felt like; how did my pirouettes feel? How can I make that trot half pass even better to get an 8? 
I feel that Competitor Tent has made a positive impact on my riding and was a huge part in my success this year.  I am really looking forward to continuing using Competitor Tent and my hopes for the future are to connect with more people through the app and increase the interaction in the Activity Feed. So, find me there! Download Competitor Tent for free on the App Store and follow me. 
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About Dressage4Kids Inc

Dressage4Kids, Inc. is a non-profit organization incorporated for the express purpose of providing educational and competitive opportunities for youth riders and the adults who support them.