Restorative and Rehabilitative Dressage
Where has dressage gone wrong? Dressage in many cases no longer has the horse in mind--the horse's well-being, correct development, and training for preservation of soundness fall to the wayside because of human desire and ego. This mentality completely defeats the true purpose of dressage. Dressage should be aimed at continuously working to develop the horse gymnastically, strengthening and enhancing his abilities with a rider.
With Dressage for Prevention and Preservation, and with Restorative and Rehabilitative Dressage, a combination of over 30 years of classical dressage training with over 20 years of equine veterinary practice is unified to both scientifically and artistically develop horses and educate riders in dressage. Our mission is four-fold:
1. Dressage for Prevention of Unsoundness and Preservation of Soundness: This is Dressage training for development of the horse. The horse is brought along correctly in his work from the very beginning. The training process should not break down horses or cause unsoundness! Training is focused on prevention of unsoundness and preserving soundness from the very beginning.
2. Dressage for Restoration: Dressage exercises based on 4 main classical principles aids in restoring the horse's soundness through finding root causes of pain, addressing them directly both therapeutically if needed from a veterinary standpoint AND in combination with dressage exercises based on work in hand, long rein, and under saddle.
3. Dressage for Rehabilitation: Dressage can be focused on rehabilitating horses suffering from prior injury, weakness, and imbalance. We take a WHOLE HORSE approach to rehabilitation, focusingon the GI system, musculoskeletal system, and podiatry. We utilize an in-depth understanding of ANATOMY and BIOMECHANICS along with PHYSIOLOGY to design programs that utilize training in work in hand, long reins, and under saddle to HEAL HORSES. If you heal the physical body, you also heal the mentality of the horse, and vice versa. Muscular attachments, origins, insertions, and how each individual muscle/tendon/ligament unit functions individually and regionally for the horse is a focus in this work.
4. Dressage as Artistic Expression and Creation: When one culminates the above work restoring and rehabilitating the horse into his true and real potential, the result can be expression of lightness and artistic interpretation between horse and rider. Training should from the beginning be aimed at enhancing the horse's natural athletic abilities, not destroying them in the name of human egotistical pursuits!
So, how does this all work? How do we get started? SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS and enjoy the beautiful scenery on the way!
Preventative Dressage:
If you are wanting to develop your horse, whether starting a young horse or wanting to add dressage as an element to your riding and partnership with your horse (no matter the discipline you ride) to further enhance soundness, then Dr. Babits can customize a program for you. Often this entails lessons and a plan to reach those goals. It is an affordable and fun way to work towards achieving a lasting partnership with your horse. Additionally, Dr. Babits will take on horses to train in dressage, with empathic understanding based on classical principles to maintain and enhance soundness of the horse.
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Restorative and Rehabilitative Dressage:
As an equine veterinarian, Dr. Babits consults with you on the problems and resistances arising with your horse. Whether through already performed diagnostics, or further diagnostics, the root cause(s) of the resistances and problems are discovered, and addressed. We look at relieving the pain and discomfort, even through veterinary therapeutics if required, and then healing, maintaining, and preventing further injury through proper training protocols and exercises for each individual horse. This may be done through in-depth consultation and then lessons, either Virtually or at your farm (if in the local region), or here at The Academy of Equestrian Arts in Youngsville, New Mexico. If you bring a horse here, we can customize your stay: if you wish to leave the horse for restorative and rehabilitative training for a month or longer, or if you wish to come for a long weekend, or a few days to get the process started, we can customize helping you and your horse to fit your time and budget.
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Costs: Costs will vary depending on how we best help you and your horse, whether you come here to the Ranch, or whether Dr. Babits comes to you, or we work through consultations and Virtual lessons and sessions.
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STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE CLINIC SERIES
LISTENING TO HORSES
The STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE CLINIC SERIES is a 2-day clinic where the entire focus is based on LISTENING TO WHAT HORSES ARE TELLING US. In order to train and work horses in a resistance-free state, we have to first become aware, we have to listen and feel what the horse is conversing to us, and then we have to find the reasons why in order to arise at solutions to decontract the resistance, or to prevent it altogether. The four main classical principles aid in this endeavor, but we have to first become trained to what the horse's language means, what their actions and behaviors when we work with them indicate in our connected relationship. In many instances, what the horse is telling us we may not want to believe, or we may deny. But this is a lack of understanding coming from a position of ego. We have to first become humbly aware, then open-minded to listening, perceiving, understanding, reasoning, and responding. This is real. This is raw. This is Straight from the Horse.
In this clinic series, every tail swish, facial expression, movement pattern, or response to our work and communication will be considered and dissected. We will work with the horse solely on finding an understanding and reason for behaviors, and then find ways to work with the horse in a resistance-free dimension. Lightness, self-carriage, horse comfort, and effective, clear communication based on understanding will build trust in the horse and in the aids. This clinic is for any discipline, all horses, all riders. We may use work in hand, long reins, and under saddle work to develop the horse in this Space of Kinship.
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The clinic will focus on a lecture daily discussing health topics, such as the facial and body expressions of pain, EGUS, lameness, podiatry, and the 4 main classical principles. We will look at normal and abnormal behaviors. The entire focus will be listening to horses and what they are telling us.
The best training takes place within the space of a deep conversation. A good conversation can only be held if you listen. The horse is always listening, is always responding with feedback. It is our responsibility to be an aware listener, and in this manner we can converse in response, not reaction, to the horse.​
The two day clinic is a deep discussion with your horse, learning the language, and ways to respond in understanding.
Cost for the 2-Day Clinic: $350, Non-Refundable $100 Deposit required to hold your slot.
Overnight Stabling (you provide full care and clean pen) is $25/night
Auditors Welcome: $55 for one day; $100 both days
Clinic Dates: See Clinic Schedule
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