Dave Thind riding a grey Grand Prix horse outdoors in Wellington

A Different Way to Ride

Begins with Curiosity...

THE DAVE THIND METHOD • LEARN & DISCOVER

Classical dressage, movement education, and a deeper partnership with the horse. A welcoming place to discover what becomes possible through awareness and ease.

— Dave

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLORE?

Dave Thind sharing a quiet moment of connection with a grey horse

A PERSONAL WELCOME

Welcome. I'm Glad You're Here!

Whether you're discovering DTM for the first time or returning to explore something new, this is a place to learn with curiosity, celebrate discoveries, and find more joy in riding.

Riding should be a pleasure—for both horse and rider.

— Dave

LATEST FROM DAVE

The Horse Feels What the Judges Don't Always See

Beyond the picture of a rider's position lies something the horse experiences in every stride: the quality of our balance, ease and feel. My latest Eurodressage reflection explores why that matters.

The Horse Feels What the Judges Don't Always See

Published by Eurodressage • October 2026

“To make the impossible possible, the possible easy, and the easy beautiful.”

— DR. MOSHE FELDENKRAIS

Elegant dressage horse and rider illustration published with a Dressage Today article
Dressage Today article illustration

Articles & Reflections

Discover practical perspectives on the rider's seat, classical harmony, awareness, movement and the partnership we create with our horses.

Feel, Harmony & Partnership

The Seat, Balance & Biomechanics

Feldenkrais, Awareness & Learning

Beyond Dressage: Hunter/Jumper Riders

COMPLIMENTARY READING · AS PUBLISHED IN USDF CONNECTION

Your Pelvic Floor — The Key to Better Riding

By Dave Thind & Charlotte Jorst · Featuring medical insight from Dr. Hollis Day

Explore the connection between pelvic-floor awareness, balance, coordination and an independent, harmonious seat. Originally published in the March/April 2021 issue of USDF Connection. The five-page article includes guided Awareness Through Movement lessons readers can explore at home.

A deeper understanding of the rider's seat begins with awareness.

FEATURED IN USDF CONNECTION

LISTEN & DISCOVER

Conversations Worth Listening To

Join me in conversations about rider awareness, the Feldenkrais® Method, classical training and the partnership between horse and rider. Listen freely on the original podcast platforms.

wehorse • The Equestrian Connection

Improving Your Seat & Aids with Dave Thind

Listen to episode →

Dressage Life • Episode 097

Dave Thind on Dressage Life with JJ Tate

Listen to episode →

Hestenes Klan • Episode 35

Feldenkrais with Dave Thind

Listen to episode →

Live Bonnevie • Short recording

Clan of the Horses — Dave Thind audio

Listen to episode →

Horse Radio Network • Episode 566

Trainer Tips from Dave Thind

Listen to episode →

Axell Johan • Podbean

Dave Thind — Podcast Conversation

Listen to episode →

Spotify • Episode link

Dave Thind — Spotify Interview

Listen to episode →

Want to experience the method yourself? A complimentary guided audio lesson will be offered through the DTM newsletter, with practical insights and learning invitations.

THE ART OF LEARNING

Discover Movement Together

From the arena to a shared Feldenkrais class, we explore movement with curiosity instead of criticism. Learning is something we experience—not something we have to get right.

Group Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lesson during the Quebec DTM clinic
Quebec clinic · Photo: Mathilde Vincent

COMFORT • MOVEMENT • POSSIBILITY

When Riding Hurts, There May Be Another Way.

For some riders, stiffness, old injuries or persistent discomfort can make riding less enjoyable. Through Feldenkrais®, we explore movement with less unnecessary effort and discover possibilities for greater ease and comfort—in and out of the saddle.

Explore Movement & Pain Relief

START HERE • COMPLIMENTARY SEATED LESSON

You Don’t Have to Get on a Horse to Begin Improving How You Sit on One.

Join me for a complete, complimentary seated Feldenkrais® lesson from a live class I taught in 2020. No mat, no horse and no special equipment required—just a stable chair, a little curiosity, and the chance to explore how your sitting, balance and movement can feel different. Participate rather than simply watch.

Set aside uninterrupted time, find a stable chair, and follow the guidance at your own pace.

Watch the full lesson on YouTube →

What Did You Discover?

If this lesson has opened a new possibility for you, imagine what can happen through a structured series of discoveries—each building on the last.

Explore DTM Courses   Discover Fall Wheel Alignment

WATCH & DISCOVER

A Closer Look at Riding

Explore another video from Dave: a review of riding. Watch with curiosity, and notice which ideas invite you to reconsider your own experience in the saddle.

Watch the video on YouTube →

The Rider's Back: Understanding the Extensors

Explore the back muscles involved in stabilizing the spine, including the extensors, and the riding expression “using Kreuz.”

Watch on YouTube →

From the Clinic: Discovering a Correct Canter Seat

See how a few carefully chosen verbal cues can help the rider explore balance and coordination in canter. Watch the changes in horse and rider together.

Watch on YouTube →

Improve Contact — A Short Riding Insight

A short video exploring contact in riding. An invitation to notice the quality of communication between rider and horse.

Watch on YouTube →

More from Dave — Video

Another video from Dave Thind, presented here for you to explore.

Watch on YouTube →

Advanced Dressage Training

Teaching one-tempi changes: a glimpse into the progression toward Grand Prix.

Dave Thind offering hands-on guidance to a mounted rider during a clinic
From the Clinics · Teaching in action

FROM THE CLINIC • RIDER STORY

Yngva & Macho: A Remarkable Clinic Experience

At age 27, Yngva arrived at a clinic with significant back pain and concerns about whether she could ride her Intermediaire I horse, Macho. She had recently received a diagnosis involving a herniated disc and her family was understandably worried.

After participating in group and individual Feldenkrais® sessions and exploring how to apply those discoveries in the saddle, Yngva reported being able to ride without pain that day. The video captures her riding with greater freedom and confidence, including advanced work and piaffe with Macho.

Watch Yngva and Macho on YouTube →

This is one rider’s reported experience, not evidence that Feldenkrais treats a disc injury or a prediction of others’ results. Riding with an acute spinal condition requires individualized medical guidance.

FROM THE CLINIC • CLASSICAL TRAINING

Sophia & Wibke: Developing Through the Classical Training Scale

In this earlier clinic video, 13-year-old Sophia, Dave's niece, rides 17-year-old Wibke at FEI Children's level (Second Level / L), working through the classical training scale. Sophia subsequently represented the United States in Nations Cup competition in Germany, won the international Young Rider division at Devon, and took second and third at the U.S. Festival of Champions at Young Rider level. Those later results reflect her continuing development, not a claim about the effect of one clinic.

Watch Sophia and Wibke on YouTube →

FROM THE CLINIC • BEFORE & AFTER

A Remarkable Change in Horse and Rider

A striking before-and-after clinic video. Watch for changes in both partners: the rider's organization and influence, and the horse's way of going. Rather than focusing on labels like “problem horse,” the invitation is to see what may become possible when horse and rider find new options together.

Watch the before-and-after video on YouTube →

Explore More in the DTM Journal

Shorter practical pieces from the DTM journal—including awareness exercises, rider balance, the canter seat and finding freedom through less unnecessary effort.

Visit the DTM Journal →

Selected series: Awakening the Toes, Part I · Part II · Part III · Let Go and Find Control.