Bozeman Dressage Clinic with Ellen Eckstein

Ellen Eckstein, an international level dressage trainer and rider, was in Bozeman last weekend to conduct a four-day clinic. About 12 riders and horses participated in the clinic, which was held at Jess and Meggan Holloway’s “Pretty Good Horse Barn” in Gallatin Gateway. The event was a tremendous success, with horses and riders making profound changes, resulting in lighter, more balanced and relaxed horses that are truly working from their hindquarters through their toplines.

What is extraordinary about Ellen’s approach to dressage is the freedom it brings to each horse. Done wrong, dressage can compress the horse, restraining him and keeping him from moving freely. The result can be a very tight and uptight animal. Ellen’s approach gives the horse a place to go by allowing him to step sideways with his hindquarters, rearrange himself and push off with his inside hind leg into a more engaged, forward and round frame that starts from behind, where horses naturally initiate movement when left to their own devices. The horses in this clinic demonstrated that freedom of expression and movement that comes from feeling truly balanced.

Ellen has been teaching and training extensively for 35 years. She holds USDF Gold and Silver Medals earned at the FEI (International) levels. Her professional life has been dedicated to successfully integrating the simple, yet profound, concepts she learned from her 30-year mentor/student relationship with the legendary horseman Tom Dorrance, and from her European classical and competitive dressage training. Ellen’s approach to each horse and rider reflects her belief in the innate goodness in each person, and in the intrinsic willingness in the horse. Her goal is to enhance the relationship between horse and rider by fostering understanding, and to give the rider the tools and techniques to safely and successfully ride and train his or her own horse.

Ellen is the co-author of the groundbreaking new book and DVD, Bringing it Together, which explains the philosophy and methodology she has developed over her 35 years of training and teaching. For more information visit www.ellenecksteindressage.com/.