NO MATTER WHAT...
Whether you’ve just discovered that your horse might be crooked, you’ve been battling the same patterns for years, or you know something is off but can’t quite put your finger on it... this is where it finally starts to make sense.
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Maybe you can relate?...
For many riders, straightness feels like a Quantum Mystery:
– What exactly is crookedness - and how do you spot it in real time? When you're actually on your horse (not 2 hours later when you bang your head against the wall because you realize you did it AGAIN).
– What about YOUR horse whose asymmetries and crookedness symptoms don't quite add up? (are you really riding a serpent???)
– Why does it always feel like you’re fixing the same thing over and over again -and it never really gets any better? (like the Groundhog Day movie)
– Why does your horse seat you off to one side? Why is he heavy on one rein? Why can he only pick up the canter on one lead? Why can't you ever quite ride down the centerline? (Why oh why oh why.)
– And is it really your all just your horse… or could some of it be coming from you?
Stop praying to the Straightness Gods for salvation.
Stop pointlessly riding in circles (literally and figuratively)...
And start ACTUALLY addressing your and your horse's crookedness...
(say Buh-Bye to chasing symptoms with empty-promise-solutions that not only don't fix the problem,
but sometimes even make it worse.)
At the end of this challenge, you’ll walk away with….
✔ A clear understanding of what crookedness and straightness actually mean — and how they show up in YOUR horse
✔ Not just one, but TWO riding exercises that helps you see, feel, assess, and ADDRESS your horse’s asymmetries with more accuracy
✔ Greater awareness of your own asymmetry, how it affects your horse and your riding, and what you can do about it.
✔ Video feedback, real-time support, an awesome community, and three FUN jam-packed days of learning — not just empty promises and vague theory
This 3-Day challenge is designed to give you clear, insightful solutions (rather than add to the overwhelm).
To help you recognize what’s REALLY going on - not just guess or hope for the best.
And most of all, to get you and your horse moving together better, with better balance, and more enjoyment for both you and your horse.
Through three focused trainings and guided exercises, you’ll explore:
✔ What crookedness really looks like in real time with real horses - whether your horse follows the typical rules and patterns or makes his own up as he goes along.
✔ How your horse’s patterns affect your body, and vice versa
✔ A riding and awareness-based approach that gives you real improvement that you will see and feel in just three days - not just conceptual ideas or bland advice that you could have read in an old Dressage magazine from 1990.
✔ The calm confidence and satisfaction that comes from finally getting it - understanding how YOUR horse's crookedness is affecting your training, and what you can do to change it for the better.
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Most importantly, you’ll stop thinking of "Straightness" as some theoretical ideal that only really lives on some Dressage Training Pyramid…
And start seeing it as the essential piece of the puzzle that is connected to everything else in your riding.
Together, let's build a practical, gymnastic foundation for a sounder, more balanced, more rideable, happier horse.
Starts July 15. Join us.
TRAIN DIRECTLY WITH THOMAS & SHANA RITTER
INTERNATIONAL DRESSAGE COACH AND CLINICIAN, AUTHOR, TRAINER
Thomas Ritter has impacted the lives of more than 75,000 riders around the globe through his books, eBooks, DVDs, videos, online courses, live events, and clinics. His attention to detail, ability to troubleshoot any problem, and ability to communicate complex concepts in understandable ways have helped riders all over North America, South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Asia. Thomas is the champion of the horse and the student, and you get the fortunate opportunity to learn directly from him in this special event.
SHANA RITTER
CO-OWNER RITTER DRESSAGE, ARTISTIC DRESSAGE PROGRAM DIRECTOR
USDF Silver Medalist and wife/partner to Thomas for nearly 25 years, Shana brings her enthusiasm and perspective (and sometimes silly sense of humor 🍌 ) to complement the teaching, sharing insights and experiences.
And get FREE Full Access to all three trainings with Thomas and Shana Ritter worth over €300
Why a CHALLENGE?
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Thomas & Shana have been teaching live challenges and workshops since 2017 — so many we’ve lost count! A Challenge is the perfect format to jumpstart your understanding, connect with other like-minded riders, and gain the perspective you need to make meaningful progress on your training goals.
This 3-Day Challenge will focus entirely on Straightness — what it is, why it matters, how it's counterpart (crookedness) shows up in your riding and affects everything you do, and how to train in a way that steadily improves Straightness, thereby improving your horse’s body, mind, and long-term soundness.
Why You?
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Maybe you "know" you are supposed to work on your Straightness... but you don't know how.
Maybe you’ve tried to figure out your horse's crookedness and maybe you just felt more confused and frustrated and given up.
Maybe the problems and issues you have been struggling with are actually straightness issues, and there are simple solutions when you address them from that standpoint... and you had no idea.
Or maybe you just care deeply about helping your horse feel better in his body - and you want a clearer, kinder, more gymnastic way to guide him toward better balance, soundness, and coordination.
This FREE challenge will give you the tools, clarity, and support to stop circling around the issue - and finally start understanding what straightness really is, why it matters, and how to improve it - for both you and your horse.
Why Free?
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Thomas and Shana believe in the principle of paying it forward. They want to help as many horses and riders as possible, all over the world. That’s why they regularly offer free workshops and challenges — to share their knowledge and approach with riders who care deeply about the art of Dressage, the well-being of the horse, and the joy of training in alignment with classical principles.
They also believe every rider deserves the chance to get to know their potential teachers. Before committing to a more in-depth program, it’s important to feel out whether a trainer’s philosophy and approach truly resonate with you. This Challenge gives you that opportunity - no strings attached. If you love it, you’ll have the option to accept our invitation to join us for the 2025 Straightness course. And if not, we hope you still walk away with tools and better understanding you can use right away.
"Everyone is happier AND we make better progress"
"Through their instruction and examples, I've transformed from a skilled but driven, frustrated, rider into one who is calm, happy, and analytical in my training. Despite having had decades of excellent instruction, it took the Ritters to teach me to be calmer, more analytical, and therefore much more effective in my riding. Everyone is happier AND we make better progress. My horses and I all thank Thomas Ritter and Shana Ritter."
- Anne Z.
"Learning and training doesn't take place in a linear form. It always involves ups and downs, detours and dead-ends. That's part of the learning and discovering what works and what doesn't work. The "bad" days, poor decisions, and "failures" are just as necessary and valuable as the good moments when we get it *right*." - Thomas Ritter
A STELLAR MINI-COURSE!
“I suspect that in hindsight this will be the most significant step forward in my riding. I need to know not just movements and exercises but their affect on each horse, especially as I seem to collect damaged discarded horses. Until now I have been quite tentative in applying the work because I lacked the wherewithal to analyze the details. This Challenge has given me confidence and the skills to choose exercises more intelligently - and even more importantly, sympathetically. It is a stellar mini-course! Thanks a million. ”
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Ruth U-G.
FINALLY CLICKING INTO PLACE
“My gratitude for you guys and this course is overwhelming. Nothing about riding has ever been explained to me like this before, and it seems that I have fallen even more in love with the concept of Dressage and may passion to learn and become better is overwhelming. Thank you guys so much for this knowledge, FREE KNOWLEDGE. It’s incredible that you are so willing to share this information and answer questions. I think things are finally clicking into place and I’m very excited to start thinking about my riding and Dressage exercises as diagnostics to improve my horse.”
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Sara C.
BEEN SUCH A HUGE HELP
“Loving it! I have to say I have gotten so much help with my horse with your detailed explanations of what to do when and possible reasons why he got resistant. Discovering the Ritters has been such a huge help in my riding and teaching. In many cases you have confirmed my basic thoughts of what to do (I lack confidence and think I may be making things up) and in other areas, you have given me insight into why things are happening and thus help me to work through it. So grateful for this work!”
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Ann L.
The Challenge Daily Schedule
Mark your calendar! This Challenge will run live on July 15-17, 2025. The trainings will include:
✔ Three LIVE trainings followed by a Q&A.
✔ Two Riding Exercises designed to help you assess, explore, and address your horse's crookedness symptoms.
✔ One Feldenkrais Lesson to improve your body awareness, coordination, and balance.
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⭐ Day 1 - LIVE Training #1 - The Gymnastic Approach to Straightness: The Problem with Crookedness.
⏰ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 7:00pm GMT+1
⭐ Day 2 - LIVE Training #2 - The interplay between rider’s crookedness and horse’s crookedness.
⏰ Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 7:00pm GMT+1
⭐ Day 3 - LIVE Training #3 - HOW to assess your horse’s crookedness. (incl. feedback on selected videos)
⏰ Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 7:00pm GMT+1
⭐ Scholarship Winner Announcement
⏰ Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Day 1 - LIVE Training #1 - The Gymnastic Approach to Straightness
Day 2 - LIVE Training #2 - The interplay between rider’s crookedness and horse’s crookedness
Day 3 - LIVE Training #3 - HOW to assess your horse’s crookedness
Scholarship Announcement Day
“Every interaction with the horse must serve its physical and psychological well-being. Every interaction with the horse, every aid we apply, every exercise or movement we ride is a learning experience and makes the horse either better or worse.”
- Thomas Ritter
When You Join The Straightness Challenge with Thomas and Shana Ritter, You’ll Get:
✔ Access to all 3 days of live training, where Thomas and Shana will walk you through the real causes of crookedness - and how to start addressing them with clarity, confidence, and compassion.
✔ Practical tools and a deeper understanding of straightness that will shift how you train - so you're not just reacting to problems, but building a stronger foundation for your horse’s soundness and balance.
✔ Support, feedback, and perspective - so you're not left guessing about whether you're on the right track.
✔ A chance to win a FREE spot in the upcoming 2025 Straightness Course - our full-length program for riders who want to take this work further.
