England ....

with

• John Lassetter

I have been meeting John in Canada with my own horses semi-annually for many years now but this was my first visit to his home in southern England at Goodwood House and my first opportunity to ride his horses. The property is sublime and the boxes for the horses are the biggest I have ever seen. The Lassetter's staff and boarders are all extremely warm, friendly and helpful.

John is a student of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna and the Cadre Noir in France. He also has full credentials as an instructor from the British Horse Society (BHSI, FABRS). John's wife Charlotte is currently competing at advanced levels in England as are many of his students. John has developed a program of specific exercises and figures that he uses to supple horses and riders at home and abroad. His exercises (and cones) also promote accuracy.

This horse is currently competing at the Prix St. George and Intermediaire level. I considered it a great honour to be offered a ride on him. By the end of our session together I was even riding flying changes and the beginnings of passage. Riding John's very large warmblood horse after the very much smaller Lipizzaner horses I was assigned at von Neindorff's in Germany made me very aware of the need to collect horses in order to sit on them comfortably, especially horses with really big movement. Unfortunately, I didn't figure this out until after my lesson was all but over! Oh well, something for next time.

Return to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna
(virtually, anyway)

or

Return to Reitinstitut E. von Neindorff in Karlsruhe, Germany

or


Return to the Lipizzaner Stud Farm in Piber, Austria

or

Return to my homepage

revised September 28, 2000 by Barbara Dodington-Huis