The ultimate R&R
“I don’t think you can have too much relaxation in a dressage test,” says multiple Paralympic gold medallist Natasha Baker. “Relaxation and harmony – that’s what gets the marks. But what we’re aiming for is relaxed power, which can be hard to achieve.”
Natasha refers to that tricky balance where the horse is calm but ready to respond and working with activity and purpose. While this happy state may be reachable at home, when the pressure’s off, relaxation can be elusive when movements increase in difficulty and the training is taken into the arena.
