Dominique Tardin- Equestrian Athlete

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🏡 Landskroon Equestrian Centre 🥕 5 time SA Dressage champion 2023, 1 time SA reserve champ 2023 EM to FEI Small Tour🍎 2 time SA FEI small tour reseve champion 2025 & 2 time bronze in the SA FEI Inter 1 2025 🦄 Saddle fitter ❤️ Rider of shiny horses ❤️

🌾 Let's talk about feeding your dressage horse — because what goes in the feed bucket absolutely shows up in the arena.I...
20/06/2026

🌾 Let's talk about feeding your dressage horse — because what goes in the feed bucket absolutely shows up in the arena.

I've seen horses transform when their nutrition was addressed. Horses that were labelled "difficult" became willing. Horses with poor toplines developed strength. Anxious horses found calm.

A few things I always consider:

🟢 Forage first — always. Hay or pasture is the foundation, full stop.
🟢 Topline and muscle need quality protein, particularly lysine — don't underestimate this
🟢 Magnesium has made a genuine difference to some of my more tense horses — worth exploring
🟢 Omega-3s support joints and coat from the inside out
🟢 I'm cautious about high-sugar feeds, especially for sensitive or excitable horses

I always recommend working with an equine nutritionist — every horse is different, and what works for one won't work for all.

But if your horse is tense, resistant, or lacking impulsion, please look at their diet before you look at their training. It might surprise you. 🐎💚

Tracy Robertson Photography

🌅 I want to talk about something we don't say enough in the equestrian world:It's okay to have a bad day in the saddle.N...
16/06/2026

🌅 I want to talk about something we don't say enough in the equestrian world:

It's okay to have a bad day in the saddle.

Not every session will be harmonious. Not every ride will feel connected. Some days you'll dismount feeling like you've undone months of progress — and that feeling is lying to you.

What actually happened? You showed up. You tried. You stayed in the conversation with your horse even when it was hard.

That is not failure. That is the work.

I've had sessions where I've had to stop, get off, breathe, and start again from the ground. I've had competitions where everything fell apart. I've questioned whether I was good enough more times than I can count.

And I'm still here. Still learning. Still completely in love with this sport and these animals. 🐴❤️

If today was a hard day — I see you. Come back tomorrow. The horse will be waiting.

💬 What keeps you going on the tough days? I'd genuinely love to know.

🌿 Something I feel really strongly about — our horses' backs deserve far more attention than they usually get.In my expe...
12/06/2026

🌿 Something I feel really strongly about — our horses' backs deserve far more attention than they usually get.

In my experience, a sore back is one of the most common reasons for resistance, tension, and what we often label as a "behavioural problem." Before I ever look at training for an answer, I look at the horse's body.

Here's what I check and prioritise regularly:

🔸 Saddle fit — at minimum twice a year, and any time my horse's shape or topline changes
🔸 Regular bodywork — physio, chiro, or massage depending on the horse's needs
🔸 A proper warm-up every single session, no exceptions
🔸 Watching for the quiet signals — a flick of the tail, a dip away from my leg, a tightening behind the saddle

Our horses are athletes. They can't tell us in words when something hurts. But they tell us — if we're willing to listen.

I'd rather spend time preventing an issue than retraining around one. 🐎💚

How do you care for your horse's back? I'm always curious to hear what works for others!

Tracy Robertson Photography

Let's talk about the rider's body — because your horse can only be as supple as you are.Dressage demands so much of our ...
29/05/2026

Let's talk about the rider's body — because your horse can only be as supple as you are.

Dressage demands so much of our horses. But are we holding up our end of the partnership?

A tense rider creates a tense horse. A stiff hip blocks engagement. A braced lower back limits the swing of the trot. An uneven seat creates unevenness in every movement.

The good news? This is trainable. You can become more supple, more balanced, more effective — at any age, at any level.

Try adding this to your week:
🧘 Pilates for core stability and postural awareness
🏊 Swimming for cardiovascular fitness and shoulder release
🔄 Hip flexor stretches — tight hip flexors are a rider's silent enemy
⚖️ Balance work to develop an independent, still leg

Invest in your body the way you invest in your horse's training.

When you move better, they move better. Every time. 🐎✨

📸 Tracy Robertson Photography

🌅 Some days the arena is your classroom. Some days it's your sanctuary.Both are valid. Both are necessary.Dressage will ...
26/05/2026

🌅 Some days the arena is your classroom. Some days it's your sanctuary.

Both are valid. Both are necessary.

Dressage will ask things of you that go far beyond riding. It will ask you to be patient when you want to rush. To be soft when you want to push. To listen when you want to speak.

It will challenge your ego, your expectations, and your idea of progress.

And in doing so — quietly, steadily — it will make you a better human.

If you're going through a tough patch with your training, know this: every single rider you admire has stood where you are standing. Doubting. Struggling. Wondering if it's worth it.

It is. It always is. 🐎❤️

Keep showing up. The horse, the arena, and the journey — they're all waiting for you.

📸 Tracy Robertson Photography
LeMieux

📖 Let's talk about "throughness" — because once you feel it, everything changes.Throughness (Durchlässigkeit in German) ...
22/05/2026

📖 Let's talk about "throughness" — because once you feel it, everything changes.

Throughness (Durchlässigkeit in German) is the unrestricted flow of energy from your horse's hindquarters, through a swinging, supple back, over a soft and relaxed topline, into a willing, light contact.

A through horse is not blocked anywhere. They are open — physically and mentally — to receive your aids and respond with ease.

And here's the inspiring part: throughness cannot be forced. It can only be invited.

It comes through patient, consistent work. Through building trust. Through learning to soften rather than hold, to allow rather than demand.

When your horse is truly through, riding feels effortless — like the most beautiful conversation. 🐴✨

Chase that feeling. It's worth every hour in the saddle.

📸 Denton Studios

🏆 Competition day truth: the judge is not your enemy — they are your mirror.The score sheet reflects not just the moveme...
20/05/2026

🏆 Competition day truth: the judge is not your enemy — they are your mirror.

The score sheet reflects not just the movement, but the story of your partnership. The rhythm, the softness, the willingness, the harmony.

Here's what I want you to remember as you enter that arena:

You have prepared. You have shown up. That already takes courage.

Now ride for your horse — not for the number. Keep your geometry accurate, your breath steady, and your aids clear. Reward every good try with softness.

And when it's over — whether the score delights you or disappoints — find the one thing that went well. Build from there.

Every test is information. Every test is a step forward, if you choose to see it that way. 💪🐎

Compete with joy. That's what this is all for.

📸

🔄 Want to unlock your horse's potential? Ride more transitions.Not fancier movements. Not longer sessions. Just transiti...
15/05/2026

🔄 Want to unlock your horse's potential? Ride more transitions.

Not fancier movements. Not longer sessions. Just transitions — simple, rhythmic, intentional transitions.

Walk to trot. Trot to walk. Collected to medium and back again. These moments are where the magic happens.

Every transition:
→ Asks the hindquarters to engage and carry
→ Tests the softness and responsiveness of your aids
→ Builds strength quietly and naturally
→ Reveals exactly where your horse (and you) need more work

The most advanced riders in the world spend enormous amounts of time on transitions. Because they know: collection is not forced — it's developed, one transition at a time.

Start simple. Stay consistent. Watch your horse transform. ✨

📸 Denton Studios

🌿 Your horse is an athlete. One of the most incredible athletes on the planet.They carry us. They trust us. They try for...
12/05/2026

🌿 Your horse is an athlete. One of the most incredible athletes on the planet.

They carry us. They trust us. They try for us — day after day, season after season.

So let's honour that.

Today, ask yourself:
🔸 Is my horse's back checked and cared for regularly?
🔸 Is my saddle truly fitted for where they are right now?
🔸 Are they getting a proper warm-up and cool-down, every session?
🔸 Do I notice the subtle signs — the tail swish, the shortened stride?

Caring for your horse is not a task on a checklist. It's a language of love and respect.

When we look after them completely, they give us everything. 🐴💚

💭 The ride that didn't go to plan? That's the one that teaches you the most.Dressage is not about perfection. It never w...
09/05/2026

💭 The ride that didn't go to plan? That's the one that teaches you the most.

Dressage is not about perfection. It never was. It's about the pursuit — the patient, daily commitment to understanding your horse a little more deeply than yesterday.

When the trot falls apart, when the transition is late, when tension creeps in uninvited — don't judge it. Ask why.

Your horse is always giving you honest feedback. The question is whether we're ready to listen.

Breathe. Soften. Try again.

The riders who go the furthest are not the most talented — they are the most persistent and the most humble. 🐎

Keep going. You're doing better than you think.

📸 .media

Address

Landskroon Farm
Paarl
7646

Opening Hours

Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27628581649

Website

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