Laura Goodenkauf Dressage

🌟Big IN/OUT Stall Available Nov 1🌟

Board includes:
✅ Alfalfa or Bermuda hay - we feed hay 3x a day!
✅ Your supplements fed daily
✅ Shavings added 2x weekly
✅ Beautiful arena with great footing
✅ Large round pen
✅ Wash stall with hot water
✅ Shared boarder only tackroom and space for personal tack trunks
✅ Clean lounge area plus covered outdoor deck
✅ Large turn out pens
✅ Close to Hansen Dam trails
✅ Fly spray system in the barn
✅ One lesson with award-winning trainer to grow your skills and relationship with your horse (optional)
✅ USDF Silver and Bronze Medalist trainer on site - dressage, western dressage, horsemanship

We are a very relaxed 🏖️ , private facility with private automatic gate. No fighting for turn out time, arena time, or dealing with a hectic lesson barn environment.

📍Located: Shadow Hills

🌟Call or text 402-560-3562

Laura Goodenkauf Dressage is looking for a working student at Fortissimo Farm in Shadow Hills.

Who would like to work in exchange for lessons on my fantastic school horse OR discounted board at our beautiful facility?

I need help with:
Grooming
Feeding
Turn outs
And someone to babysit me while I ride my many crazy young horses. 😆

No stall cleaning.

No crazy hours. I understand you have a life outside of horses. We'll figure out a reasonable schedule.

Yes, my program is dressage, but we have western riders and trail riders at the barn...

So if you're a handy horse person looking for reduced board but you're a western rider, don't let the "dressage" thing scare you off!

If this sounds interesting to you at all, please shoot me a message here.

Check out www.lauragdressage.com to learn more about our program and our gorgeous facility!

Shopping! I don't know many ladies who truly hate shopping...

And shopping for a new horse?! Does it get any better?!

But for a much fun as horse shopping can be, it can also be intimidating and frustrating... ask me how I know! (Worst shopping experience of my career just last week... ugh!)

As someone has looked at many, many sales horses and someone who has also sold quite a few horses, this is what is reasonable to expect when you go to try a sales horse:

https://www.lauragdressage.com/post/what-to-expect-when-you-re-horse-shopping

Tell me - did I leave anything out?

Share some of your good experiences!

Dare I say... share your horror stories!

(Absolutely NO bashing individuals, trainers, barns, horse owners, etc. Just don't do it).

What to Expect When You're Horse Shopping Shopping! I don't know many ladies who truly hate shopping... And shopping for a new horse?! Does it get any better?!But for a much fun as horse shopping can be, it can also be intimidating and frustrating.As someone has looked at many, many sales horses and someone who has also sold quite a few hor...

New on the blog - we're talking footing!

What makes good footing? My answer might surprise you!

Alright... before my babes at high performance facilities come at me for where this post is going, please know - this post is not for you. If you're boarding at a top tier training facility, I expect that facility to have the latest and greatest arena footing and to maintain it with the utmost care. That is part of why you're paying an arm and a leg for board every month, no?

This post is for the woman who juggles working full time alongside being a mom and/or wife. She doesn't have the money (or time!) to dedicate to a fancy trainer's big full training program at an equally fancy facility like the one mentioned above.

She's doing this horse thing mostly on her own and works with a trainer as it fits into her busy schedule and frugal budget. But she knows her stuff and still wants the very best she can get for her horse so he can thrive. She may not be at the fanciest facility but she still expects quality.

When it comes to footing, what does "quality" mean?

Let's discuss!

Tell me in the comments what YOU look for when it comes to arena footing!

https://www.lauragdressage.com/post/what-makes-good-footing-my-answer-may-surprise-you

For those of us following along at home, here are the results from the Grand Prix at Hagen CDI in Germany.

All of the US Olympic shortlist competed. This was the first competition in the final team selection process for the shortlist riders.

Take a look!

Did the final scores and placings shake out like you thought they might?

Scores: 2024 CDI Hagen scores results 2024 CDI Hagen (GER) - 6 - 9 June 2024

It's officially summer! And you know what that means - Yes, longer days and warmer weather... but with that we also have flies! All the flies! Yuck!!!

On the latest blog post, we're talking fly sprays... what goes into them? How well do they work?

What do you think? Do you have a favorite fly spray? Share it!

What else does your barn do for fly control? Let's discuss in the comments!

https://www.lauragdressage.com/post/let-s-learn-all-about-fly-spray

Earlier this spring, we had a discussion on my blog about what makes a dressage horse...

And yes, ANY horse can be a dressage horse!

Today on the blog, we're looking at one of my favorite breeds -
Thoroughbreds

In this post we look at what can make this breed just as competitive as a "fancy" warmblood.

Take a read and tell me what you think!

Who are my Thoroughbred riders out there? Show me a picture of your horse in the comments!

Can My Thoroughbred Do Dressage? Can I do dressage with my Thoroughbred horse?Well, of course you can!Yes, Laura... I've read your blog posts and heard everyone else's generic thoughts on the subject - "Yes, every horse can do dressage!" Blah, blah, blah...But can my Thoroughbred really do dressage? Like for real? And be competitiv...

Did you catch my video a few days ago working my horse Steve-O over ground poles?

Ask my clients... it's safe to say we've been on a "cavaletti kick" over at our barn!

Working with cavaletti or ground poles will help improve your horse's balance and will help strengthen his topline and hind end. And it's fun! The horse is encouraged to think for itself and face new challenges. Most horses are happy about these tasks and begin to step off more actively. Variety is the spice of life, after all!

Check out my latest blog post to learn about some of my favorite exercises with cavaletti!

https://www.lauragdressage.com/post/cavaletti-exercises-to-improve-your-horse-s-balance-and-strength

Do you like riding with cavaletti? Or ground poles? Does your horse enjoy it? Tell me about it in the comments!

Cavaletti Exercises to Improve Your Horse's Balance and Strength Cavaletti - 8-10 foot long poles that are (usually) attached to cross-shaped stands on both sides. This cross shape allows the height of the bars to vary depending on the rotation. At their lowest point, the cavaletti will rest on or just barely above the ground. At the highest point, most cavaletti...

Alright folks, it's getting to be that time of year again - horse show season!!!

Who's planning on going down centerline this year?

Are you practicing your tests?

This is a controversial topic. People tend to have strong feelings about whether or not riders should practice their tests with their horses... and how often you should ride through your test before the show.

I ride through my tests... A LOT! Let me tell you why!

Check out my newest blog post...

https://www.lauragdressage.com/post/should-i-practice-my-dressage-test-before-a-show

What do you think? Are you showing this year? Do you practice your tests before the show?

Tell me in the comments!

Should I Practice My Dressage Test Before a Show? Ask any dressage person if you should practice your test before the horse show and you'll get a mixed bag of answers. Many folks, trainers and amateur riders alike, will argue you absolutely shouldn't practice your tests too often."Your horse will start to anticipate everything!""Your horse will lea...

5 Reasons You Would NOT Want to Board at Fortissimo Farm in Shadow Hills

1. Your horse HATES oversized stalls with attached large outdoor runs. He loves his itty bitty 12x12. Horses don't really need space anyway, right?

2. Your horse HATES real hay and LOVES his hay cubes. And he really likes only being those tasty cubes two times per day. Real hay, three times a day? Ewww... no thanks!

And even if you're horse is one of those odd balls that does better with real hay, it's totally OK! Because you're independently wealthy, duh! Buying you're own hay on top of paying for board? No problem! Paying for all those extra little services? Easy! What, isn't everyone made of money?

4. You LOVE fighting for turn out space in an itty bitty "sun pen." Or fighting with all the hundred other boarders at your barn for ten minutes of turnout in the arena. Horses hate being out of their teeny tiny stalls anyway, right?

5. You HATE great footing in your riding arena. Footing is soooo overrated. So is riding, really. After a weekend of heavy rain, you really don't care that your arenas are closed for a week afterwards because they've turned into a swamp. When you do decide to ride, you really love sharing the arena with 50 other horses and 10 other trainers yelling at their students.

And speaking of all those other people, you love being surrounded by a million other boarders. You love the gossipy, clique-y nature that happens at so many facilities. You hate having supportive horsey friends and a quiet, patient trainer available just in case you need an extra set of eyes.

APRIL FOOLS!!!

But seriously, happy first day of April! Fortissimo Farm in Shadow Hills is a beautiful, private facility and we have space available! We'd love to give you a tour of this gorgeous barn our horses get to call home!

Shoot me a message to schedule your tour!

Today is the first day of spring! Yay! I'm so excited for longer days and warmer weather. You know what that means? Let's ride!

When we talk tack, we know about saddles, bridles, and bits, but what about your horse's legs? If you've been a horse owner or rider for any length of time, you may have heard you need to protect your horse's legs... but then you walk into your local tack store and see that HUGE wall of choices! If you go down the Google rabbit hole, it's even worse! Where to begin?

New on the blog, we're talking all things legs and boots! Check it out!

Are you team boots or team no boots? Why or why not?

Let's Learn! Protecting Your Horse's Legs During Exercise Today is the first day of spring! Yay! I'm so excited for longer days and warmer weather. You know what that means? Let's ride!When we talk tack, we know about saddles, bridles, and bits, but what about your horse's legs? If you've been a horse owner or rider for any length of time, you may have hea...

I came across a recent article in Horse Illustrated Magazine featuring 5-time Olympian Steffen Peters. In the interview, Steffen is asked about what qualities he looks for in a dressage horse. His response might surprise you! Take a look!

Can my horse do dressage? As a trainer and coach, I am surprised by how often prospective clients ask, "Dressage is so beautiful. I'd love to try it one day, but I don't think I can. My horse isn't a dressage horse." What exactly is a "dressage" horse? What makes a horse a dressage horse? What makes a horse NOT a dressage ho...

With all this rain and no saddle time, I don't know about you all, but I'm going a little stir crazy!

While we may not be able to ride as much as we'd like, there's still plenty we can do on the ground! Take a look at a few of my favorite exercises.

What are your go-to groundwork exercises? What else do you like to do with your horse when the weather makes it impossible to ride?

Groundwork Exercises to Improve Your Riding Groundwork! We've all heard about it. We probably even know it's a good thing to do with our horse... but where do you start? Here are three exercises you can do with your horse that will translate directly to riding. Lunging I know what you're thinking... Really? Just lunging? Hear me out... Lungin...

Well, we've had a little bit of rain, haven't we? 😂

In all this gnarly weather, have you thought about your horse's feet?

With wet weather comes more hoof problems... and we all know, NO HOOF, NO HORSE!

I'm sharing a few of my favorite tricks for managing my horse's hooves during extreme weather on the blog.

Take a read! What do you do to help your horse's feet stay healthy in yucky weather?

Managing Your Horse's Hooves in Wet Winter Weather To say we've had a little bit of rain here in Southern California recently would probably be the biggest understatement of the year! I'm seeing some areas reporting almost 12 inches just in the past three days - yikes! Anyone who's owned horses for any length of time knows excess moisture and horse....

Continuing with our new "Let's Learn!" series on the LauraGDressage blog...

After our last conversation about hay, so many of you asked, "But what about cubes?"

And for many Los Angeles boarding facilities, hay cubes are a reality.

Let's talk about the whys, hows, and other nitty gritty details!

Take a read! What do YOU think?

Are hay cubes a HEY or NAY (neigh, lol) for you?

What has your experience been?

Tell me in the comments!

https://www.lauragdressage.com/post/let-s-learn-what-s-the-scoop-with-hay-cubes

Wow, It's been a year... oh, wait...

Be kind to your boarding facility. No one is in the horse industry to "get rich."

And if your board rate is being increased beyond your means and you do need to look into other boarding options, I encourage you to check out Fortissimo Farm in Shadow Hills.

Big in/out stalls available
Hay fed 3x per day
Shavings 2x per week
Arena, round pen, turn out
Private and quiet - no drama

Boarding starting at only $749 per month

I'm so proud of this facility and would love to give you a tour! Send me a message!

New series on my blog: Let's Learn!
This week, it's all about hay! Take a look - let me know what you think!
What kind of hay do you feed your horse? What do you like about it? Tell me in the comments!

Let's Learn! All About Hay Happy January everyone! We're starting a new series here on the Team LGD blog this year: Let's Learn! In this series we're going to explore horse care, management, and general horsemanship topics. We'll discuss all things horse care and give you an easy place to refer back to when you "Need to Know"...

If you follow along on Instagram, you may have seen Steve-O schooling his walk pirouettes.

Is your horse ready to start learning this movement? Check out the blog to find out how to get started with your horse!

How to: Walk Pirouettes Did you know... the walk pirouette is just haunches in? On a circle! The walk pirouette first makes an appearance in Third Level but also shows up in Second Level as "Turn on the Haunches." We'll discuss the small differences in a little bit. Ready to teach your horse the walk pirouette? First, make...

Wow, guys! Can you believe we're into 2024 next week? Yeah, neither can I!

If you're anything like me, you've been thinking and planning goals for next year for a while but somehow the new year still snuck up on us!

And now you're here thinking, "oh sh*t... now what?"

Well, I have an answer.

I can help you and your horse get to where you want to go an achieve your goals.

The easiest solution?

Online Riding Accelerator

Online Riding Accelerator is an online coaching program custom-tailored to YOU!

Not a cookie-cutter email course. Not a group coaching program. Not generic YouTube videos.

ONLINE RIDING ACCELERATOR is:
Custom lessons, exercises, and videos for YOU.
Weekly Check-Ins - 1 on 1
A custom-tailored program for you! Your horse. Your goals.
Direct access to your coach at your fingertips - 7 days a week!

Send me a message to book your FREE Discovery Call!

Are you a Los Angeles resident? Would an in-person coaching session help you better?

I am available for in person coaching in Los Angeles.

I offer individual sessions and goal-oriented programs!

What goals do you have for 2024?

Get your right lead canter?
Learn to nail that shoulder in? Half pass?
Move up to second level?
Improve your confidence in the saddle?

I know I can help.

Message me to book your FREE Discovery Call!

Cheers to a big 2024!

Are you ready to LEVEL UP in 2024?

Let Laura Help!

Are you ready to improve your riding, your horsemanship, and your overall relationship with your horse?

Do you have big goals for 2024?

Are you looking to move up a level?

Are you looking to earn scores towards your medals?

But you're not sure where to start!

Maybe...

You're busy! You can't commit to regular in-person lessons.

You live in an area where there just isn't a dressage trainer.

You're a very capable horsewoman with big goals but "Training Barns" are NOT your thing!

NO WORRIES!

I've got you.

We all need eyes on the ground. Let me be yours.

In the ONLINE RIDING ACCELERATOR you'll receive:

Personalized Training Plans

Weekly Check-Ins

Private Direct Messaging with Me at Your Fingertips

Mindset Coaching

And More!

Ready to learn more?

DM me to book your FREE Discovery Call!

Tell me about your horse, your riding, and your goals. Let's see if we're a good fit for each other!

Beginning and intermediate Dressage lessons

My amazing schoolmaster's workload has recently lightened - his graduates got their own horses! So now Buddy needs new folks to teach!

If you're looking to learn dressage fundamentals and some of the "fun tricks" on a safe, steady horse then Buddy is your guy! A Saint of a horse that can still easily clock out a solid 3rd level test.

We're in Shadow Hills, right off the 5 and 210 freeways. Evening lesson times available.

www.lauragdressage.com
www.fortissimofarm.com

Come ride with us!

Times are tough for many people right now... what's a horse gal to do? Horses are expen$ive!

At Fortissimo Farm, we're trying to help. Beginning September 1, we're offering partial/self care board.

Are you a writer or actor in the industry who has been out of work for months? You have time, but financial resources are limited? We see you. We hear you.

These self care spaces are limited.

Visit our website and reach out if you need another solution for your equine partner.

www.fortissimofarm.com
402-560-3562