First Week With My KWPN 4-Year-Old Horse | Green Dressage Horse, First Rides, and Honest Progress

Meet Ricco, my new 4-year-old KWPN dressage gelding — a total sweetheart with a golden disposition, but definitely green and learning what life under saddle really means. In this video I share our first week together, the good, the bad, and the honest moments that come with starting a young dressage horse.

Ricco is super forward — a little too "hair on fire" for my amateur taste - and does not have a lot of directional control lol. In an open space, he wants to drift out instead of turning when I ask, so riding in a contained (fenced) arena is helping him learn balance and boundaries.

He can be strong in the contact, pulling me forward and out of position. My old-school saddle has zero support and isn’t helping matters, so we have a saddle fitter coming to help us get something that fits both of us better. And yes — my hands are all over the place. I’m not proud of it, but it’s part of the journey. I need to work on getting stronger and more steady, and taking it slow as Ricco and I develop a better connection.

If you’re training a young horse or starting a dressage journey, I hope this gives you a real look at what the early days with a KWPN youngster can look like. ❤️🐴 Please leave your comments. I'm happy to hear constructive feedback and tips!