When Two Spines Align: Dressage Dynamics by Beth Baumert
Beth Baumert . Unknown Year . English
Within riding exists a fundamental conflict of interest: The rider needs to have control—her confidence depends on her ability to control the balance of her own body as well as that of her very powerful horse. The horse, by nature, needs to feel free—free in both mind and body to express himself through movement. In When Two Spines Align, author Beth Baumert, writer and editor at the equestrian magazine Dressage Today, resolves the freedom-control enigma by taking a close look at the individual components that make up riding and dressage and providing practical ways riders can learn to harness the balance, energies, and forces at play. Readers will discover how to use “positive tension” and their body’s “power lines” to become balanced and effective in the saddle. They will then find ways to understand and manage the horse's balance and “coordination challenges.” Ultimately, the rider learns to regulate and monitor the horse's rhythm, energy, flexion, alignment, bend, and line of travel by properly aligning her spine with his. When the center of gravity of a balanced rider is over the center of gravity of a balanced horse, that place where two spines align becomes the hub for rider and horse harmony.
Categories: Travel
About the Author
Beth Baumert is a Certified Trainer and Instructor with the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) and is an "L" graduate with distinction of the USDF judging program. Beth and her husband Alan have two sons who live in New York City and Colorado. Their daughter, Grand Prix dressage rider Jennifer Baumert, represented the US in the 2019 Pan American Games and trains in Wellington Florida. Beth was the initial editor for Dressage Today magazine beginning in 1994, and she later served as their technical editor for more than twenty years. In that capacity, she was in constant contact with the best dressage riders in the world as they wrote about the technical aspects of dressage. From this depth of knowledge, she wrote When Two Spines Align: Dressage Dynamics, which was released in 2014 by Trafalgar Square books and in 2020, the sequel, How Two Minds Meet, came out. Beth is on the Board of Directors of The Dressage Foundation (TDF) and has served as President and CEO since 2014. Based in Lincoln, Nebraska, TDF is on a mission to cultivate and provide financial support for the advancement of dressage. To that end, TDF awards grants, scholarships and prizes to promising riders, instructors, trainers, judges and breeders of dressage horses. Beth and her husband live in Columbia CT and Wellington FL.
