"Success will only come to the dressage rider who wins the friendship of his/her four-legged partner and turns him into a ally"~Alois Podhajsky

Dressage. I love the very sound of the name. To me it means more than training, but realizing a complete connection with my horse. Bodies and minds focused on our movements together.

Bella, my beautiful Morgan mare and I have been training for two years. For the last two summers we have been riding hunt seat while I try to get my 50+ year old body to respond anything like I remember long years ago when I first started riding.

We had the privilege of training at Trinity Farm in Broadalbin, NY. Suzanne Haberek and her team are amazing and wonderful to work with. Suzanne introduced me to Bella and arranged for me to make her my own, long dreamed of, Morgan friend. Then Sue and her team trained Bella and I, first separately, then together. For two years I rode nearly every week, sometimes twice per week lessons, especially in show season.

The first summer Bella and I went with the Trinity team to two local shows. We competed in the Walk-trot 18 and over. We were shaky but came home with blues one time and reds another. The classes that year had one other competitor! Even so it was good experience for us both. Last summer we went only once. Our first class, WT equitation, Bella would not trot, no matter what. In the second class, WT pleasure, I rode with a crop but used it only lightly as a guide. She trotted smartly, we were in Sync and we rode away with the blue. I was ecstatic and so proud of us.

During that last year with Trinity, Suzanne pulled me in to her office and told me I had achieved my dream, Bella and I were communicating, we are a team! We went home to our new paddock to ride all fall and keep working together.

For now Bella and I have moved on. Trinity is not focused on Morgans as Sport horses or dressage so we part sadly to see what more we can accomplish.