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Get all the training courses from Rien van der Schaft

with a huge discount!

If you want to reach your full potential, and that of your horse, in a friendly and logical way.

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Or find out more about the training program!

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Get all the training courses from Rien van der Schaft

with a huge discount!

If you want to reach your full potential, and that of your horse, in a friendly and logical way.

Yes, I want direct access!

Or find out more about the training program!

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Get all the training courses from Rien van der Schaft

with a huge discount!

Yes, I want direct access!

Or find out more about the training program!

5000+ Members Worldwide

35+ Countries Represented

#1 Course for Dressage Riders

This is for you if...

  • your horse is unstable in the connection
  • your horse isn't forward enough
  • your horse becomes tight when you ask for more collection
  • your horse is very heavy in your hand
  • your horse hollows his back
  • your horse comes against your hand
  • your horse responds slowly to your aids
  • your horse moves on the forehand
  • your horse is tense or stiff when you ask for more collection
  • your horse have problems with straightness
  • you have to drive constantly to avoid a lack of impulsion
  • your horse is stronger on one rein
  • your horse falls flat when you ask for a difficult exercise
  • your horse doesn't engage his haunches

This is for you if...

  • your horse is unstable in the connection
  • your horse isn't forward enough
  • your horse becomes tight when you ask for more collection
  • your horse is very heavy in your hand
  • your horse hollows his back
  • your horse comes against your hand
  • your horse responds slowly to your aids
  • your horse moves on the forehand
  • your horse is tense or stiff when you ask for more collection
  • your horse have problems with straightness
  • you have to drive constantly to avoid a lack of impulsion
  • your horse is stronger on one rein
  • your horse falls flat when you ask for a difficult exercise
  • your horse doesn't engage his haunches

To solve these problems, you get the following courses:

Course #1

The Solid Foundation Course

This course will help you get a nice and solid connection, more forwardness and how you can keep the energy within your horse.

JOIN NOW

This is how the Solid Foundation Course will help you:

Step #01 The Phases of Balance

First we are going to help you to understand what the different phases of balance are, and to determine at what phase of balance your horse is currently in. This will allow you to discover which steps to need to take in order to reach a higher level with your horse.

  • Why balance is the key to success in riding dressage
  • Train your eye and discover what the signs are of a correct moving horse
  • What phase is my horse in currently and what happens in my horse’s body?

Step #02 The Three Basic Principles

In this part, ‘The Three Basic Principles’, we continue to focus on the foundation that every horse and rider need it they aim to train in a logical and friendly way. Those three principles are: relaxation, forwardness, and trust in the hand of the rider.

  • Find out what the Three Basic Principles are and how to get them
  • Why the Three Basic Principles are crucial for every horse
  • How to avoid the #1 mistake is that riders make

Step #03 Get the right Forwardness

Without drive forward you have nothing to “work” with. Having a good amount of forwardness is crucial when you aim to establish a nice connection with and improve your level. There are several exercises that you can use to improve your forwardness that Rien will explain in this step.

  • 7 causes why your horse is lacking forwardness and how to avoid them
  • How to get more impulsion instead of only going faster
  • How you can get your horse more forward without driving all the time

Step #04 Ride with the Contact Rein

In step 4, Rien will tell you everything you need to know about riding with the contact rein. The contact rein hill allow your horse to gain trust in your hand and it will prevent you from working backwards with you hand. When your horse is willing to accept your hand and experiences your hand as pleasurable, riding becomes a lot more fun for both of you!

  • Why you should ride with the Contact Rein and how to do it
  • How the Contact Rein will help connection problems
  • Practical examples of riding with the Contact Rein at various levels

Step #05 Get the Circle of Energy

After establishing the Three Basic Principles, Rien continues with the Circle of Energy, which togethers forms the solid foundation that you can fall back on at any time. The circle of energy means that you’ll have a closed circuit: that the energy keeps circulating through your horses body from back to front.

  • How you can get the Circle of Energy and what the benefits are for you and your horse
  • Effects of varying in head-neck positions
  • Train your eye: practical examples of riding with the Circle of Energy
5/5
“Rien makes everything very simple and divides the training into small steps.”
Francesca Newman
Francesca NewmanUnited Kingdom
5/5
“This way of training is so important if you want to keep your horse fit and healthy.”
Mirjam Riet
Mirjam RietThe Netherlands

Course #2

The Perfect Balance Course

In this course you will work to improve the balance of your horse. First of all, the left-right balance, which we call straightening. And secondly, you’ll improve the horizontal balance: the collection.

JOIN NOW

This is how the Perfect Balance Course will help you:

Step #01 Improve the Left-Right Balance

First we are going to help you to improve the left-right balance (‘straightness’) of the horse, with the consequence that the horse gets equal in the hand. This means that the horse is also more willing to accept the softer rein. This is very important, because when your horse distributes his weight over his four legs, the risk of getting injuries will be lower.

  • Establish an equal connection on two reins
  • Prevent injury by resolving the asymmetry
  • Get exercises to straighten your horse

Step #02 Influencing the Front - Hind Balance

In this part, ‘First Movements for Collection’, we continue with influencing the front – hind balance of your horse. In other words, making sure the hindquarters start carrying more weight and getting the weight off the front legs. We give you exercises to help your horse towards the optimal balance and let you focus on influencing balance rather than influencing the posture.

  • Improve your horse’s balance with exercises in walk
  • Learn how your horse can carry itself more from the back, without shorten the neck
  • Find out how to start collecting without tension

Step #03 Introduce Lateral Movements

There are several exercises that you can use to improve the balance of your horse. Rien explains which exercises these are and when to use them. As a result, the haunches will get a carrying function instead of pushing. It’s very important that you get a good idea of which aids you need to give for which exercise, so we give you a system of aids.

  • How to ride lateral movements for even more collection
  • Different ways to use lateral movements
  • Make you horse lighter on forehand and shifting more weight towards his haunches

Step #04 Use Transitions (within the gait)

Then Rien will tell you everything you need to know about tranisitions and changes of speed. You can adjust the transitions to the level of the horse that you’re riding. It’s important that you ride them in the correct manner, because if you don’t… the exercise has no purpose and won’t benefit your horse. In other words, you have to do it right for a positive influence on the balance of your horse.

  • How you can use transitions to collect your horse
  • Prevent your horse from pushing of his hind legs when you’re going forward with extended gaits
  • Discover everything about the half halts

Step #05 Invite your horse to the half steps

The result of step #01 till #04 is that your horse will have more collection, more freedom in the shoulder and the hindquarters will be able to carry more weight. To train your horse even further in this you can use the halbe tritte. Rien explains step by step how you can start with this exercise and what you should pay attention to.

  • Why halbe trite will improve the balance of your horse
  • How to ride the halbe tritte
  • This exercise is a great preparation for Piaffe and Passage
''The result of these exercises is that your horse will have more collection, more freedom in the shoulder and the hindquarters will be able to carry more weight.''
Rien van der Schaft
Rien van der Schaft

EXTRA🎁 | Workbook

Yup, that’s right! you'll get a huge digital workbook with many summaries and exercises.

What's in the workbook:

  • Handy summaries of the theory
  • Challenges to turn the theory into practice with your own horse
  • Explanations of which aids to use for which exercises
  • Tips and advice to reach the optimal result
JOIN NOW

Meet your trainer: Rien van der Schaft

He has over 45 years of experience and produced many horses to Grand Prix level.

Based on classical principles, his method is known all over the world for being very logical and friendly towards the horse.

Rien is currently the National Team Coach of Finland and has been the team coach for two other countries in the past.

5/5
The really good trainers only have a limited time, so it's great that their knowledge is shared online. As a rider and trainer I try to continuously improve myself and this online training fits very well with that.
Sarah Daisy Kosa (CA)
Sarah Daisy Kosa (CA)
5/5
“I didn’t expect that my riding would improve with an online course, but it definitely has!”
Ans Sauberbreij
Ans SauberbreijThe Netherlands

They can do it, and so can you !

"Rien explains how to ride the whole horse and not only the neck, in a very simple way, because he divides everything into small steps..."*

Fransesca Newman

"Incredible depth of knowledge and understanding of the horses psychological and emotional world and great respect for the rider..."*

Jane Karol

"It's really great for people to have the ability to see and experience what it should be like. Developing your eye for what is good and what is not..."*

Kristen Schwaegerle

Easy to follow videos &
suitable for all horses

The training consists of a logical, step-by-step, approach. The video’s are short and easy to follow. This method is suitable for all horses and all breeds and also for riders of all levels.
“It’s very nice to review all the videos. My trainer has also noticed that my way of riding has positively changed.”
Christel DeugdThe Netherlands
Christel Deugd

More than 5,000 riders from over 35 countries went before you.

Share your photos, thoughts and experiences on your own profile in our supportive community.

 Your fellow equestrians will be there for you. It’s like Facebook for horse people!

But that's not all...
You'll get 3 bonus courses for free!

BONUS #01 Grand Prix Course
Value €99,-

Teach your horse the Grand Prix movements without compromising the health of their horse.

  • Learn everything about Piaffe and Passage
  • Teach your horse the Flying Changes
  • How to ride and introduce the Pirouettes

BONUS #02 Warm-up Mini Course
Value €19,-

In this mini course, Rien van der Schaft explains per level how to warm up your horse in the right way.

  • How to warm-up your horse?
  • Warming up from Novice to Grand Prix Level
  • Practical examples of riders like you and me

BONUS #03 Connection Mini Course
Value €99,-

Get many videos, exercises and pieces of advice to improve the connection with your horse in just 7 steps.

  • Improve the connection in just 7 steps
  • Examples of riders with variety of connection problems
  • Many exercises and tips

Combined value of the FREE bonus courses is €217,-

Frequently Asked Questions

Here you'll find the most frequent questions and answers. Do you have another question? Let us know in the chat below!

We’ve got riders and horses of all levels.

However, to get the most out of this training, it will be useful if you have experience with the basic principles. As the fundamentals are crucial if you aim to increase your horse’s level in the correct way.

Big chance it does. Rien’s method respects the way in which horses learn and it’s developed in a way that your horse’s body will become stronger over time. He has been training horses for over 45 years and he’s never encountered a horse on which his method didn’t work.

However, not all horses have the same level of talent, so sometimes it can take longer for one horse than for the other to improve his level. But Rien says that every horse can give you a good feeling and it doesn’t matter how much talent he has.

Rather, the training method will not suit every rider. If you especially want to ride your horse low, deep and round or with a draw rein and you are looking for a ‘quick trick’ to solve a problem, then this online training and training method is not for you.

Nope, you can pay in 1 installment or in 12 installments. You’ll get unlimited access once you’ve completed your payment! 

Any doubts? We’re always more then happy to help you out! You can either join the Live Q&A’s with Rien or email us at info@dressagepro.com

Get a huge discount with the Autumn Offer! 🍂

Get The Solid Foundation Course + Perfect Balance Course + 3 FREE BONUS Courses

Don't miss out! The entry for all Rien's training courses closes in...

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LIFETIME ACCESS

€99
€ 39 6 monthly payments
  • Lifetime access to many clear step-by-step videos for all levels
  • Free access to the Live Q&A’s with Rien van der Schaft
  • An extensive digital workbook for FREE 🎁​
  • FREE access to 3 bonus courses, valued at €217,-
Get lifetime access for 6 monthly payments of €39

LIFETIME ACCESS

€595
€ 199 One payments
  • Lifetime access to many clear step-by-step videos for all levels
  • Free access to the Live Q&A’s with Rien van der Schaft
  • An extensive digital workbook for FREE 🎁​
  • FREE access to 3 bonus courses, valued at €217,-
  • Safe Choice: 90-day money back warranty
Get lifetime access for one payment of €199
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The price will be exchanged for your currency during the check-out process. 

Already member from one of Rien's training courses? Send us an email at info@dressagepro.com and we'll make you a special offer 😉

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