#ProkoniBestExercises: top dressage exercises from Margaritta Sergeeva and Natalia Martyanova

Prokoni.ru continues the column #ProkoniBestExercises: top dressage exercises from dressage riders. We hope you will be able to find answers to your questions and find out what exercises are present in the daily work of the leading riders in Russia and beyond.

Master of Sport, Margarita Sergeeva, is a member of the junior team of the Nizhny Novgorod region in dressage. Since 2018, she has been successfully paired with a stud stallion Sandro-Marinero (PKH “Elitar”), previously the rider was a member of the youth team on a horse named Rhine. Margarita also took part in our rubric: “One of my favorite exercises is all possible transitions. During training I try to do them as much as possible. Most importantly, when transitioning, the horse should bring the inside hind leg under him, this helps to raise the back and improve the transmission.

Photo: from the personal archive of Margarita.

I don’t have any special life hacks, before the start I always collect the horse on my own, talk to it, it helps a lot.”

Master of Sports, Natalya Martyanova, competes among Paralympic riders in dressage. In addition, she actively maintains an equestrian blog on Instagram, where she shares useful tips, analyzes her own training and the training of subscribers. Natalia told us what her secret is in working with horses: «My favorite exercises are those that are effective. Some of the most effective exercises are Transitions. After transitions within the gait and between gaits, the horse becomes more guided and attentive to the commands of the rider.

Photo: from the personal archive of Natalia.

I don’t have any special button for using it in working with horses. Everyone is different and everyone needs their own approach. I teach all horses to drop their neck down: some more, deeper down, and some not so much. It all depends on their temperament and structure. I share my tips on my Instagram: @nat_martyanova».