When six of the country’s most successful young equestrians entered the arena for the first mounted day of the 2025 USEF Horsemastership Training Series, held Jan. 2-5 at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival show grounds in Wellington, Florida, five-time Olympian Anne Kursinski began by emphasizing the importance of understanding their horses’ mechanics.

“Many of the top five-star riders have trained with dressage trainers and other international top riders, not just the U.S. riders, to understand the mechanics of their horses,” Kursinski said. “How they move, how to influence them, how to improve their balance, their lightness, strengthening the hind end, and how your position influences the horse.”

As the riders began warming up their horses, a mix of their own mounts and borrowed ones provided for the clinic, Kursinski directed them to work on 10-meter circles and half turns, simple but effective exercises designed to get the horses moving off the riders’ legs and into a steady rhythm. Throughout the warm-up, Kursinski stressed the importance of a “give and take” approach.

“It’s OK to glance down at their head and neck to see what they’re doing but don’t stare at their head and neck,” Kursinski said. “When you do a circle, keep the same rhythm with a little [inside] bend and [inside] leg at the girth as your seat touches the saddle. Close that inside leg, put those hands together and then back out on the track.”

Kursinski then introduced a turn on the forehand, a key exercise to deepen the riders’ understanding of lateral movement and engage the horse’s hindquarters. The riders were instructed to drop their stirrups, which required them to focus more on their seat and core to maintain control.

“We want the horse thinking forward and stepping into your hand in the turn,” Kursinski said.

When one rider’s horse began backing up with her head raised, resisting the movement and losing the connection, Kursinski stepped in with a solution.

“Walk to the fence line and put her up against the gate a little bit,” Kursinski said. “The first thing I’d do if I had a stick in my hand is put it in my [outside] hand because the question is from your [outside] leg, and if anything, you’re going to think about keeping her head on the fence while deepening your seat. Think forward from your [outside] leg with your body back.”

Kursinski moved on to the next exercise: a shoulder-in. She instructed the riders to keep their horses’ hind feet close to the rail, using the fence line or another marker as a reference point. Each rider took turns demonstrating the shoulder-in at both trot and canter, focusing on maintaining the proper alignment and lightness in their aids. Kursinski moved between them, offering corrections and praise as she emphasized the importance of a steady, forward connection.

Once everyone had gone through the exercise, Kursinski called riders to the center of the ring to tie a knot in the reins. This was meant to encourage the riders to keep their hands together, improving stability and control.

“Give and take. Invite the horse to relax a bit,” Kursinski said. “There’s a rhythm, there’s a tempo, there’s a heartbeat, there’s an elasticity.” 

When Taylor Cawley began giving and taking, her horse gave her a softer feel.

“When you gave, he gave. He softened his topline,” Kursinski said. “Pressure creates pressure. There’s timing, there’s rhythm, there’s giving and taking.”

Kursinski also took a moment to discuss her approach to training, particularly when it comes to the use of draw reins. She made it clear that she doesn’t use them in their own riding and doesn’t believe they’re necessary to develop a horse’s true connection.

“I never had a trainer that wanted me to ride in draw reins. None of my mentors ever rode with draw reins,” Kursinski said. “I know loads of people use them today, but I could get a horse round, get his head up, get his head down, but without draw reins, leg to hands. Maybe a stronger bit occasionally but just getting a connection.”

As the clinic continued, Avery Griffin’s horse began to show resistance to her aids, particularly with responding to her leg and getting round. Despite Griffin’s best efforts, the horse wasn’t fully engaging and was losing the desired connection.

Kursinski mounted Griffin’s borrowed horse, immediately noticing the lack of response to her leg. She applied a firm yet gentle aid with her leg to ask for forward movement, starting with stepping off the leg and using a shoulder-in to help him engage his hindquarters and shift his weight. 

Once the horse began to understand the cue, she allowed him a moment of release. As he began to raise his head and resist slightly, Kursinski added pressure and release, guiding the horse into the correct frame without forcing the movement.

The rider tells the horse what they do or don’t want by adding or removing pressure, Kursinski said. “If they’re not doing it correctly, then add a bit more pressure. I get stronger in my leg if they don’t answer the leg, or my seat is a little deeper. The reins are a little stronger, so you’ve got to feel that when you’re riding, you’re telling the horses through increasing your aids and decreasing your aids what you’d like them to do.”

Kursinski then asked Griffin, “What did you see?”

“He comes into the bit more and uses his hind end because you’re moving him off the leg,” Griffin responded.

At the close of Day 1, Kursinski asked the riders to share what they had learned. 

“I think a lot of the exercises we did highlight a lot of mistakes that can come out because you have to put everything together,” Clara Propp said. “Like [Kursinski] said, he’s not a young horse, and he’s pretty well-rounded on the flat, so the mistakes that were made come from my miscommunication. I think with the knot in my rein, it really helped block the sides, but I think that’s something I’m going to carry on at home because I think it’s a good tool to get your hands together.”

The riders recognized that making small adjustments to their posture, aids and connection with their horses could have a profound impact on their performance.

“The top riders are so invisible that you can’t see what they’re doing,” Kursinski said. “That’s what you’re looking for.”

ClipMyHorse.TV premium members can watch all the USEF Horsemastership sessions via USEF Network.

Check back tomorrow to read coverage of Day 2’s gymnastics session with Beezie Madden.