Dressage Life with JJ Tate

Meet JJ's fabulous sports psychologist, Annette Paterakis! In this podcast, JJ and Annette give us a look into her Master Your Mind program and how the ongoing process of self-development is just as important as training and caring for yourself physically. Improve your riding AND your life! If you are interested in learning more from Annette, please go to her website and check out her online c...

This week JJ recaps her rides with Denali and Romeo at the FEI Trainer's Conference with Sabine Schut-Kery and Sven Rothenberger. JJ shares what they worked on and gives us an idea of what training at the top of the sport looks on a day-to-day basis. This episode was originally featured on January 17, 2024, in JJ’s online community, Team Tate TV a private Facebook group of inspired & suppo...

An essential aspect of effective communication, an educated rider's leg is a skill to be cultivated. More than just on or off, or a kick, the leg can be used in different ways to achieve different outcomes. In this podcast, JJ gives an overview of a great leg position, the subtle and not-so-subtle uses of the leg, and how to develop an educated leg. Kick your riding up a notch when your effect...

A treat for the philosophical dressage riders out there! Learn why you shouldn't believe everything you think, and how Hegel's Dialectics can help you ride like Charlotte Dujardin.   This episode has been digitally remastered and edited from the original version that was published on July 26, 2022. --------  Want more JJ? Check out her online community, Team Tate TV, a private Facebook gro...

In this podcast, JJ talks about how the 3 stages of training actually show up in every exercise we do, every time we ride. Being able to adjust the dials and correctly gymnastize your horse while keeping these 3 stages in mind not only helps your horse gain the strength and skill to go up the levels, it also stops what we often call "training holes" from ever becoming a deep-rooted probl...

A common problem, JJ offers some new insights on why it happens, and how to fix it. Drop your whip and spurs and take a closer look at why your horse may be "lazy" and how you can make some changes that will make "behind the leg" a problem you used to have! Want more JJ? Check out her online community, Team Tate TV, a private Facebook group of inspired & supportive dressage...

Dave Thind is a German classically trained dressage rider who has developed a deep passion for the Feldenkrais method after discovering for himself how effective it can be. Dave has developed a rider-specific Feldenkrais method that helps you learn that ever-elusive 'feel' as a rider, but it also can help with pain and dysfunction caused by injury and past movement patterns. A fascinating...

In this podcast, JJ interviews Brandi Roenick, the American rider who is now the head Young Horse Rider at Schoeckemöhle Stallion Station in Germany. You might have heard about her incredible win at the German Young Horse Championships in August 2023, aboard the 4-year-old stallion, Escanto PS, but you may have not heard her inspiring story of finding her way back to horses after difficulties with...

This week, JJ helps us expand our understanding of the horse's ever-changing balance; in her unique JJ style, she also gives us a new label to help us easily incorporate it into our own rides. JJ shares an interesting observation about the German approach to riding with discipline and how not to be a reactive rider, but a disciplined, thoughtful trainer of our horse. This episode was originall...

This week, JJ brings to the podcast her dear friend and creator of what she calls her "soulmate of saddles," Debbie Witty. Debbie has an extensive background in driving and riding and also spent 10 years as a research assistant evaluating equine biomechanics at Cornell Veterinary College. A certified saddle fitter with the Society of Master Saddlers, Debbie generously shares her expertis...

In this podcast, JJ fills us in on what she's focusing on with the help of her new sports psychologist, Annette Paterakis. She introduces us to Sally and Vicky, the names she's given to the parts of the brain (that we all have!) who can sometimes take over the driving duties and steer us away from our true selves. Sally and Vicky often show up when we're riding, and being able to recog...

Today, JJ brings us 2 very interesting and inspiring people: Jan Byyny and Laura Crump Anderson. Jan is well-known in the eventing world and her story of returning to top-level sport after what could have been a catastrophic fall is incredibly inspiring. Jan is joined by Laura Crump Anderson, a fitness trainer and author of the Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders: Fitness that Fits a Horse-Crazy...

We all have struggles. With our horses, with our riding skills, with our jobs, family, and just in life. Totally normal. But how we respond is up to us. This week JJ reminds us that we have the power to change things, and it usually means we need to just start shoveling! JJ also gives us an update on what's going on in Germany with her horses, including the return of one of her top horses, and...

This week, JJ shares a lecture she did recently while teaching a clinic at Daisy Lane Farm in Maryland. The concept of taming, teaching and training, is just as much about the rider as it is the horse. As usual, JJ gives us a lot to think about and reminds us that if you follow the science of riding and keep chopping the wood, you never know where ANY horse will top out - it might just be the Gran...

She's BAAACK! JJ returns to Germany with a few horses in tow, and takes her up-and-coming superstar, Denali, to his first show in Germany. With Olympians in the warmup and well-known riders in her class, JJ fills us in on how it went (spoiler alert, she got a ribbon!) and reflects on just how far Denali has come, reminding us that even when it feels like you'll never get there, just keep c...

In this podcast, JJ does a quick check-in with Jillian Kreinbring, equine functional anatomist, who is currently hosting Manolo Mendez at her Se Raeda Ranch in Boerne, Texas, for an entire month. Jillian and JJ discuss how Jillian's work with functional anatomy proves that classical masters Manolo Mendez and Charles de Kunffy, truly serve the horse with training principles and techniques that...

This week, JJ sits down with Suzanne Galdun of Positively Dressage. Suzanne is 1 of only 9 Mary Wanless certified biomechanics coaches the US. Along with her considerable knowledge and good humor, Suzanne strives to teach the rider how they learn best, so they can find a new level of awareness and can positively influence the horse, no matter what discipline they ride, or what "baggage"...

Getting your horse "on the aids" is one of the most important aspects of riding. Not only do we want them "with us" when we're schooling or showing, we really need them when we have a potentially scary situation such as a show or clinic, or even out on the trails! In this week's podcast, JJ shares with us her methods for keeping everyone safe and how using the right exe...

In this encore episode from July 2022, JJ interviews one of the USA's FEI Dressage World Cup riders, Anna Buffini. Get to know Anna as she chats with JJ about her recent successes, the tough road to get there, how she balances life, and her take on coping with the pressures of top-level competition. From an early start in gymnastics to the ride of her life in Hagen, Anna shares her struggles,...

In this episode, JJ sits down with Susanne von Dietze for a fascinating glimpse into Susanne’s early life: Her father spent 4 years in a wheelchair after being injured in the cavalry during World War II. After being lifted by 6 adults onto a horse and riding for a special holiday, he regained most of the mobility in his spine. He was able to continue to ride until he was 91. Susanne’s mother was a...

It would be fair to say that the majority of dressage horses at the top of the sport have European bloodlines. This is not an accident and did not happen overnight. In this episode, JJ talks with Wilken Treu, General Manager of the Hanoverian Verband in Hanover, Germany. You’ll learn about the 100-plus-year history of the Hanoverian horse and the rigorous testing that stallions AND mares must go t...

Every day we have the opportunity to make choices for ourselves and our horses.  We need to always honor our horses for who they are and how they are made. While there is no such thing as perfect, we must always strive to become the next best version of ourselves, and the same goes for our horses. Water doesn’t make a hole in a stone by power, but by persistence.  The perception of perfection is a...

In this episode, JJ integrates what she has learned about influencing the horse more effectively by doing less, which is possible with a more correct and balanced body position while in motion.  --------  This episode was originally featured on January 19, 2023 in JJ’s online community, Team Tate TV a private Facebook group of inspired & supportive dressage lovers just like you. If y...

JJ isn't afraid to say it: "Rehab Sucks!" Anyone who has been through a long agonizing process of diagnosing and rehabbing their beloved horse knows the process is fraught with challenges, heartache, and second-guessing every decision. In this episode, JJ shares some of her experience, advice, and stories about rehabilitating horse injuries.    --------  This episode was origin...

The goal of perfect balance in motion is unattainable... but the study of balance can offer you as a rider so many deep and profound lessons. In this episode, JJ integrates for us fifteen thoughts about balance from many of her trainers and mentors.    --------  This episode was originally featured on December 12, 2022 in JJ’s online community, Team Tate TV a private Facebook group...