Cob Jockey

Although I've stopped accepting free things to review on the blog, it felt different when a fellow blogger asked if she could give me a copy of her trainer's new Dressage training journal, and also give me a copy to giveaway on the blog.  So I said yes!  Thanks, Emilie!


(She actually didn't ask me to review it, but of course, I'm going to anyway.)

First, a perhaps surprising thought: I actually think this journal is even better for those of us going up the levels for the first time or those who have never taken Dressage seriously than it is for serious Dressage riders.  And that's not to say this isn't for serious Dressage riders, because it totally is, everyone could benefit from this journal.


But this is a journal that will ask you to sit down and apply some structure to your riding life.  It will gently ask you to think about what you're doing, why you're doing it, and how your every day activities are helping you reach your goals.  These are things that people showing Grand Prix likely have a better concept of than those of us stumbling through Second for the first time, because it does take that level of drive, structure and goal-setting to get that far.

It's HUGE!  More of a book than a journal.  10" iPad for scale

It spends just a few pages in the beginning asking you to think about high-level things - for example, you and your horse's strengths and weaknesses (side note: coming up with my weaknesses and Connor's strengths was way easier than the inverse.  Riding self-esteem may need work).


It also asks you to set goals.  And not just 2019 goals, but a series of goals.  My advice to you is not to skip the self-assessment, goals, and action plan sections, as much as I wanted to, because everything else in the journal should logically lead back toward what you write in these sections.  As someone who has almost superstitiously not set goals to this point, this is something I don't want to do, but should do.

The first 5 sections only amount to 14 pages out of a 187 page book, but they're very important to making the rest of the book effective.

Once you're done with the self-introspection part, the rest of the journal is set up in such a way to help you achieve those goals.  There's a box for each day where you can write what you did in your ride and lesson notes, there are arena diagrams (tons!) on which to write exercises or notes, and there are places to record test scores.


So far, there are just two things I wish it had: a place to write down all scores received on a particular movement through the season, and more than six slots for "Show Schedule". 

I'd like to be able to use the Show Schedule pages for both planning and organization.  I'd like to write down every show I could possibly attend in 2019, so that I can at a glance see them all together, and then cross off the ones I won't be attending as I go.  There's a strong possibility I'll attend more than 6 shows in 2019 too, so it really doesn't even have enough space just to catalog the ones I'm attending.



Bottom line: Everyone who sets foot in the sandbox could benefit from the level of structure and planning this journal gently eases you into, but especially those new to moving up the levels in eventing or Dressage stand to benefit the most from this journal.  A great concept!

What: The Dressage Rider's Journal - 2019 Planner & Calendar, Dressage Rider Organizer
Price: $29.95 on Amazon

I was given a copy of this book for free by a fellow blogger but all opinions in this review are my own.

Now for the giveaway!  Leave a comment on this post telling me about one horse-related goal you have for 2019 and then enter the Rafflecopter giveaway in the box below (RSS reader folks may need to click through to see it).  Your goal doesn't have to be competition or Dressage-oriented!

Giveaway runs from 12:00am EDT on Monday 12/10 through 12am EDT on Monday 12/17.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway