I often talk about setting small goals because we, as riders, tend to want to look at the big picture. That means thinking in terms of "I want to be a better rider" than narrowing our focus to something we can make progress on today. So I want to challenge everyone to narrow your focus to one small moment of challenge. No, it doesn't need to be hands-free riding as pictured in this GIF! Does your heart rate go up right before you mount? Does picking up the trot for the first time make you tighten up? Do you want to be a little more relaxed at the canter? Let me know what that first small moment is and let's talk about it! The journey to being a more confident rider starts with small steps, so lets find these and work on them! You're not the only one who has these moments and the idea behind this group is to share and work through them so we can all grow and support each other!

This is the Year of the Horse, and I can’t think of a better symbol for what we’re building here:forward momentum, quiet strength, trust, and confidence that grows one ride at a time. Whether you’re here to feel braver, ride more clearly, understand your horse better, or simply enjoy the process more — you’re in the right place. There is so much confidence-building, skill-building, and mindset-shifting content coming this year, and I’m really excited to share it with you. If you’re new here, I’d love to say hi — drop a comment and tell us:👉 What are you hoping to feel more of in your riding this year? (Confidence, calm, connection, consistency… something else?) I’m really glad you’re here. Let’s make this a year of steady growth — for both you and your horse.

Hello everyone. I took a little bit of a break from this group - not because I felt any less passionate about it, but because I had a lot of in-person work to do with riders and that divided my attention. One of my big goals for 2026 is to continue to grow this community. I feel strongly that a supportive community is such an important part of a rider's confidence journey. Please bring any and all of your questions to this group. The questions that you all raise are not questions that only you have - and sometimes other people will ask questions we didn't know we had either. If you're not already, follow me on IG @nwdressage and Tiktok @nwdressage2 where I already have some video content posted. But in the meantime, keep your ideas coming. Answer the following two questions: What was your toughest moment this year? What was your best moment?

One of the hardest things for riders to do when they face a challenge is to keep going. It's not because you don't want to keep going - it's because it's hard! Break things down into manageable pieces. You can't learn Chopin if you don't take the time to learn each note of the scale, so put in the time and keep going towards each SMALL step because they add up.