In this episode of “In Stride,” Sinead is joined by Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer Barend Heilbron.

Barend Heilbron graduated from the Dutch Equestrian Center NHC, where he learned about different disciplines, horse care, barn management, psychology, and more. It is one of the world’s most recognized colleges specializing in equestrian education. This school is similar to the Warendorf School in Germany. In 1987, he moved to the U.S. and worked for Marty Simonson before starting a training business in New Hampshire. In 2015, he moved to Ocala, FL, where he currently runs Islands Farms with his wife, Anne-Marie Heilbron.

In this episode, Barend discusses various topics related to training and riding, including:

• Common misunderstanding of the aids in dressage and eventing.

• Teaching in a way that allows the student to recreate the ride on their own.

• The difference in equestrian studies in Holland vs. the U.S.

• Integrating horse psychology into the world of competitive sport horses.

• His explanation and approach to collection, half-halting, and connection.

Join Barend and Sinead in this exciting conversation on training dressage horses.