Biography of Stephanie Raffety-Wilson
Stephanie specializes in understanding the horse and what is needed most at that time. Whether it be relaxation, fitness, submission, or clarity of what is being asked, which enables the horse to become confident, enjoyable and trusting of the rider.
Starting her first horse in her early teens and training to Championship competitions, Stephanie has been sought after to train and teach riders of all ages and horses of diverse breeds for over 26 years.
She trained her first dressage horse, an Oldenburg warm-blood that started as an older out-to-pasture broodmare to competing at FEI and schooling Grand Prix, qualifying, competing and placing at championship shows right away.
Her experience includes training and competing at the prestigious shows,
"In our new facility we have been hosting Clinicians, such as Felicitas and Susanne.
We have full RV hook-up for riders coming in from out of state."
The Derby, in White Fences Florida as well as local and Regional Championships.
Stephanie realizes the importance of continuing her own training by riding with clinicians such as Felicitas Nuemann-Cosell, Albrecht Hinneman, Lena Vedenmark and
Suzanne Dutt-Roth.
Stephanie trains horses ranging from Introductory through Grand Prix, and is open to any breedStudents flourish by gaining confidence, a correct seat, clear aids, and understanding how to communicate with their horses, allowing them to move up the levels.
Dressage is meant to be an enjoyable experience for the horse and the rider, deepening the bond and relationship between the two, such that they then become as one - that is Stephanie's mission.
"Dressage"
(a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training")
Is a path and destination of competitive horse training, with competitions held at all levels from amateur to the Olympics.
Its fundamental purpose is to develop, through standardized progressive training methods, a horse's natural athletic ability and willingness to perform, thereby maximizing its potential as a riding horse. At the peak of a dressage horse's gymnastic development, it can smoothly respond to a skilled rider's minimal aids by performing the requested movement while remaining relaxed and appearing effortless. Dressage is occasionally referred to as "Horse Ballet" (cf. nl:Dressuur). Although the discipline has ancient roots, dressage was first recognized as an important equestrian pursuit in the West during the Renaissance. The great European riding masters of that period developed a sequential training system that has changed little since then. Classical dressage is still considered the basis of trained modern dressage.
Early European aristocrats displayed their horses' training in equestrian pageants, but in modern dressage competition, successful training at the various levels is demonstrated through the performance of "tests" of prescribed series of movements within a standard arena. Judges evaluate each movement on the basis of an objective standard appropriate to the level of the test and assign each movement a score from zero to ten - zero being "not executed" and 10 being "excellent".
A score of 9 is considered "very good" and is considered a particularly high mark, while a competitor achieving all 6s (or 60% overall) should be considering moving on to the next level.
(214) 729-7732
