Riding:
I have ridden with a small selection of the highest-regarded classical instructors of our time, including Karl Mikolka, Dorothee Faltejsek, Egon von Neindorff, Charles de Kunffy, Arthur Kottas, Herwig Radnetter, and my husband, Thomas Ritter. I owe immeasurable gratitude to each of these (and the four-legged) teachers for guiding me so supportively and carefully in my education. Of these, I owe Karl Mikolka the greatest credit for completely reshaping the way I view the training process and my understanding of how training shapes the body and mind of the horse. He is no less than a genius, and I come away from each and every lesson with him amazed, enthused, and embracing another piece of this intricate puzzle. I also owe my husband, Thomas Ritter, huge credit for longeing me ad naseum until I had attained a supple, elastic, and effective seat. He has been a formative influence on my own education and continues to be a huge source of support, feedback, and intellectual stimulation. Also a student of Karl Mikolka, we are able to work together on the methods and principles, sharing in the process of each others’ learning as well as our own.
Training:
Although I accept horses of all levels into training including some “correction” training horses, I especially enjoy training a horse from the beginning. I feel it is an honor to be the first person to sit on a horse and introduce to the horse the first concepts of dressage. Even more so, I feel it is especially rewarding to continue the training of the horses I’ve started. I feel it is just as important to develop a horse emotionally and psychologically as it is to develop the horse physically. You must teach the horse how to learn, how to understand, and how to think with the rider. We don’t want our horses to be robots and “order-takers” – this can only result in mechanized trick-riding. We want our horses to be active participants in their training. We develop the horses systematically, concentrating on correctness and basics. This is the foundation for all of the horse’s training, and continues to be our focus, whether the horse is just beginning its training under saddle or is competing through Grand Prix.
Lessons:
My teaching is well-rooted in classical tradition, with a special emphasis on a correct, supple, and effective seat – the cornerstone for fine riding. Longe-lessons are a strong focal point in our lesson program. We have a team of wonderful schoolhorses, each with their own invaluable talents for teaching the student how to ride with finesse, accuracy, and understanding.
Clinics:
I teach a small number of clinics each year, often in conjunction with my husband, Thomas Ritter. Our students are spread throughout the United States, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Florida, Texas, Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, and more. We’ve also taught clinics in Canada and Norway. We have students who come to ride with us from all over the United States and abroad, including Germany, the U.K., Sweden, Norway, Canada, and more.
Showing
Our showring successes, as a result of training based solidly in classical principles and methods, has been a delight. I always believed that good training is good training, regardless of whether it is labeled as “classical” or “competitive”. In the past, I typically shunned the showring, preferring the quiet, meditative training work at home. But in 2003, I attended a horse show as a spectator with a student. That day I decided to put my training “to the test” and conservatively entered a few shows and did admirably well with my young Oldernburg/Thoroughbred gelding, Andre. These good experiences provided the impetus for a number of very busy (and subsequently very successful) show seasons. We have been very well-received, regardless of whether we are showing baroque horses, warmbloods, or non-typical dressage breeds. Keeping true to our classical standards, we proved that classical training can still be successful in the showring. I have brought numerous horses along from start to FEI, and I am a U.S.D.F. Bronze and Silver Medalist.
Breeding
It all started with the idea to breed my beloved Arabian mare and a leased Lipizzan mare. It has grown steadily into an integral part of our program, breeding primarily Lipizzans. I have attended the OSU Winter Short-Course on Equine Reproduction twice to gain a complete education in equine reproduction. Today, between Ritter Dressage and White Horse Vale, our combined farm herd stands at approximately 70 head of Lipizzans, many of which are young or breeding animals. This makes the Riter Dressage/White Horse Vale cooperation one of the largest "private" breeders of Lipizzans in the world.
Last Update: December 26, 2007