Riding Beyond the Clinic: Highlights from Our Fall Weekend with Roberta Byng-Morris
Nanci Lines and Titania
On Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, Huntleigh Equestrian Centre in Carp was home to the OADG Fall Dressage Clinic with Roberta Byng-Morris. Over the two days, Roberta taught 16 lessons to horse and rider combinations from Introductory Level all the way to FEI Junior, including a Third Level FEI Para pair.
We were also proud to support two junior riders. Beatrice Wright and Olivera Donskov each rode a lesson at an OADG-sponsored junior rate, part of OADG's commitment to developing junior dressage riders.
Roberta Byng-Morris and Beatrice Wright and Windigo Montcalm Arramys, Olivera Donskov on Contessa the Red
Every lesson was a chance to watch a problem get named, explained and solved in real time, and riders and auditors went home with plenty to think about. If you couldn't make it, here's a look at what you missed.
Training riders to train themselves
Roberta's goal goes beyond a good ride on clinic day. Her approach is to set riders up to train independently, developing their own feel and eye so they can keep working on each concept long after the clinic ends.
That showed in how she taught. Rather than simply telling riders what to do, she explained why a horse was responding the way it was, showed the fix, and gave riders exercises they could repeat on their own.
One auditor summed it up:
"I haven't seen a clinician provide such clearly explained and demonstrated instructions on cause, effect and solutions to beginners and advanced riders in decades."
Another auditor noted how Roberta tailored her guidance to every combination in the ring, from young horses early in their development to competition horses from Training Level up to FEI. She built her lessons around the training scale and how it applies to each horse and rider, and adjusted riders' positions in the saddle to encourage happy, forward-moving horses. Her enthusiasm for dressage and for developing both horse and rider came through to riders and auditors alike, making it, in this auditor's words, "an engaging and enjoyable weekend of dressage for all!"
From the arena: lesson highlights
Michelle Beard and Glasgow, Training/First Level
Glasgow ("George") is a brave and sensible 4-year-old grey Westphalian gelding by Gatsby. He has been brought along slowly as he is still growing, and Michelle hopes to show him at First Level next year. She came home from the clinic with a renewed focus on the basics:
"I had a great time at the clinic. I am so glad that I brought my young horse, as it was such a positive, low-stress, off-property experience. I am working on always ensuring my horse steps under with the inside hind at every corner by using the tips that Roberta was able to effectively communicate: using my inside seat bone and thinking about riding a mini turn on the forehand. Something I took away was that we need to be obsessive over the basics so that one day we will be able to train more advanced movements without tension."
Olivera Donskov and Contessa the Red, FEI Junior; and Milani DR, First Level
Olivera rode two very different horses, and Roberta tailored each lesson to match. Contessa the Red ("Tess") is an 11-year-old Dutch Harness mare who competed at FEI Juniors this summer, was National Champion at Second Level Junior last year, and is aiming to qualify for the North American Youth Championships in 2027. With Tess, the focus was Olivera's own position: making her hips move freely and dynamically, like dancing, so that Tess has more freedom of movement in lateral work such as shoulder-in and half-pass.
Milani DR is a 5-year-old mare who made her show debut this summer, earning many 70%+ results at Training Level and scores in the high 60s at First Level. With Milani DR, they worked on keeping a shoulder-in or shoulder-fore feeling through the leg yield. One exercise had Olivera ride a leg yield and then transition into canter while holding the shoulder-fore position.
Erin Beatty and Miss Mary, Third Level
Miss Mary is an 18-year-old Trakehner mare going Third Level. Erin worked on helping her accept the contact and then work more from behind. They warmed up with walk-trot transitions that gradually brought Miss Mary more onto her hind end, then used that power to activate the trot. From that adjustable trot, they worked on getting the canter forward and through.
Meghan Laidlaw and Windigo Montcalm Arramys, Introductory Level
Arramys is a 13-year-old Canadian gelding with a big heart, plenty of patience, and opinions. Meghan focused on straightness and contact, and came away with a breakthrough moment:
"I learned how riding in a slight shoulder-in can help improve straightness by getting the hind legs underneath the horse and bringing the shoulders off the wall. I also learned to give with my hands in rhythm with the trot while still asking for contact, and when I tried it afterward, I got suspension for the first time!"
Jess Moulton and Lestat, First Level
Lestat is a 7-year-old Gypsy Vanner competing at First Level. He and Jess just completed their third season together, and he continues to impress. Jess came away inspired by Roberta's teaching style and has been putting shoulder-fore to work at home:
"Lestat and I loved our clinic! I was so impressed with how thoroughly Roberta broke concepts down. She made it easy to understand and apply, and her corrections were done so positively! Since the clinic, I've really been focusing on ensuring we are shoulder-fore and have already seen improvement in Lestat's willingness to carry himself. We would absolutely participate in the future should Roberta come back!"
Isabelle Blondeau and Habanero, Introductory Level
Isabelle is earlier in her riding journey and partners with Habanero, an experienced 16-year-old Trakehner mare who is sensitive and forward. Her lesson centred on developing a feel for contact, which Roberta described as pressure, not pulling. The key exercise was a square ridden off the track with a turn on the forehand in each corner, asking Habanero to listen to the rein aid while activating the hind end, and leaving Isabelle to create the straightness herself rather than relying on the wall. Roberta's tip for a forward horse: when she gets quick, stabilize your knee, bring your shoulders slightly forward, and post as if you want to walk.
Kiki Webster and Blazen Glory, Training/First Level
Blaze came from a managed, unhandled herd in Alberta four years ago, when she was only halter broke. Today she is riding confidently under saddle and ready to progress through Training and First Level. In the clinic, Kiki focused on getting Blaze's trot and canter forward and round. Asking the mare to chew the bit helped her accept the rein aids, and the work built to some fabulous canter by the end of the session.
Beatrice Wright and Windigo Montcalm Arramys, Introductory Level
Beatrice also rode Arramys and worked on how to move her hips to better support the sitting trot. As Roberta explained, the motion you learn in the trot helps you sustain and improve your canter. Her advice for practising at home: work in short bursts of sitting trot that you can sustain, and keep your horse's stride a little smaller so you can find the rhythm.
Lynne McHale and Rowan, Third Level
Lynne has brought her former hunter Rowan, a 19-year-old Connemara cross Thoroughbred, up to Third Level, and their main challenge is getting him to carry his head up rather than low and behind the vertical. Roberta started by having Lynne ride Rowan in more of a hunter frame, nose in front of the vertical, so that he carries himself rather than relying on Lynne to hold him up.
From there, they adjusted the trot's activity from the seat, using shoulder-fore to lift the shoulders and build the power to go forward out of the collection. The aim was to build from the collection to keep the suspension, rather than letting the legs get quick.
Also in the arena
Rounding out the weekend's lineup:
Brittany Fex and CrescentMoon Lolly Pop, Third Level (FEI Para); and LLRedsKeenLady, Introductory/Training Level. Lolly is an 11-year-old Morgan mare who has competed up to Third Level in Ontario. She's sassy and more GO than WHOA, so watch for her in the FEI para-dressage ring during the 2027 show season! Sierra, an 8-year-old AQHA mare Brittany has owned since she was a foal, is just starting her dressage career and has tons of personality. Watch for her (and her shenanigans) as she debuts in the dressage ring in 2027.
Nanci Lines and Titania, Training Level (both days). Titania is a 4-year-old Friesian who has just completed two years of Green Horse at the ESD level and is preparing to compete at Training Level on the Silver circuit next season.
Julia Dings and Dividende, Training/First Level. Dividende is a 10-year-old Hanoverian mare who has shown up to Fourth Level with her owner. Julia has shown her up to Training Level and is working toward First.
On the ground: freedom through the shoulders
Roberta also took time to show why groundwork matters. With CrescentMoon Lolly Pop as her demo horse, she showed how a horse can learn on the ground to accept flexion and move their shoulders in the opposite direction.
As Roberta explained, this is a critical understanding for a horse: they can move through their shoulders while in flexion, and they are not trapped. Horses who don't understand this can feel trapped, and in their confusion they are more likely to develop a rearing problem.
The good news is that it's easily taught on the ground, in a halter or a bridle, and it greatly improves safety in the long term.
Take it home: six ideas for your next ride
In the spirit of Roberta's teaching, here are a few ideas from the weekend you can work on in your own arena.
Contact is pressure, not pulling. Steady, elastic contact gives your horse something to listen to.
Get off the track. Ride your figures away from the wall to find out whether your aids, not the fence, are keeping your horse straight.
Sit in short bursts. Practise sitting trot for stretches you can sustain, on a slightly smaller stride, so you can find the rhythm.
Use shoulder-fore. A slight shoulder-fore helps bring the hind legs under and lift the shoulders off the wall.
Build from collection. Keep the suspension by building power from the collection, rather than letting the legs get quick.
Be obsessive about the basics. Solid basics today are what let you train more advanced movements without tension tomorrow.
Photo gallery
Photos by Isabelle Blondeau and David Pettersson. Thank you both for capturing the weekend!
Thank you
A huge thank you to Roberta for two days of thoughtful, generous teaching.
We're especially grateful to Carole Jenkins for donating the use of Huntleigh Equestrian Centre. Without her generosity, we simply wouldn't be able to offer an event like this.
Thank you to Anne Galt, our Education Director, for organizing the clinic, and to Isabelle Blondeau and David Pettersson for the photos. Thank you as well to our volunteers and to every rider and auditor who came out.
Don't miss the next one
OADG clinics welcome riders at every level, from Introductory through FEI, and auditors are always welcome. If this recap has you wishing you'd been in the gallery, or in the saddle, here's your next chance.
Our next clinic is with Justin Ridgewell, in partnership with EMS Dressage. Check out all the details on our events page.
Membership for 2027 opens January 1, and we hope you'll join us for the 2027 season. Follow
OADG on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to hear about new events.
We hope to see you there!
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