Alexandra Sternhagen
Dressage Trainer
“Dressage,” according to Alexandra Sternhagen, a lifelong devotee of horsemanship, is an art and a science. You work one step at a time, and after a lot of labor, have something (hopefully) gorgeous.”
Alex trained with dressage legends Harry Boldt and Willie Schulteis in Germany. “Having the opportunity to ride their personal horses was the ultimate dressage lesson. I learned what ‘forward,’ ‘through’ and ‘soft’ really mean. When I returned to the United States, I strove to make my horses and clients’ horses feel and ride the same way those horses felt and rode.”
"My philosophy is that dressage is for anyone and any horse with three pure gaits. Anyone can improve. Working with horses requires a sense of humor, dedication, trust, and most of all, flexibility. I try to have fun with my horses and my students. There is no room in dressage for tension or negativity. Major Anders Lindgren (Swedish Olympic Team 1972) taught me the importance of humor and laughter. Both horses and students have to be willing and happy in their work. Of course, we all must ‘gut it out’ and work very hard in the classic sense, but the horses know that a job well done and a pat is its own best reward. My students know that also."
Alex studied at the USDF Violet Hopkins National Seminars. She has worked with Thomas Ritter, Cathy Connolly, Neil Ishoy, Inez Profe-Credo, and Karl Mikolka. She earned her Region Five USDF “L” Judge certification “with Distinction.” Alex is available to work with you and your horse at Taos Equestrian Center as an independent contractor. She can be contacted at 575-770-6507 and by email.
