ImproveYourRiding
with The Dan Bizzarro Method
Become a confident, skilled rider and get better results!
"Dan transformed my riding — every session you genuinely progress."
— Sarah H.
"Rebuilt my confidence completely. His clinics are incredible value."
— Emma M.
"The audio course gave me a clear plan I could follow at home — real results in weeks."
— Laura T.
Upcoming Clinics
Join me at my next training sessions
Show Jumping and Cross Country at Lyneham Heath Equestrian Centre
XC at Lincomb Equestrian
Show Jumping and Cross Country at Wakes End Farm
Show Jumping and Cross Country at Boomerang Stables
Sound familiar?
Most Riders Work Hard…
But Still Feel Stuck
If you're dealing with a strong horse, a spooky horse, or one that rushes into fences — you're not alone. Without a clear method, progress feels unpredictable and frustrating.
Dan's Top Tip
Take your legs off, then give a quick tap tap with your legs. Make your horse react quickly (almost overreact), then take your legs off and reward. Repeat as many times as you need.
Dan's Top Tip
Do lots of canter to walk and canter to halt transitions (until they feel very easy), then trot slowly towards a small fence and halt just after (until you can soften your contact in the approach). Do the same in canter.
Dan's Top Tip
In a 20m circle halt every 5 seconds (directly from trot) until it feels very easy. Then ask your horse to make the circle 2m bigger using your inside leg near the girth and then 2m smaller using your outside leg near the girth. Make your horse react quickly!
Dan's Top Tip
Bombard your horse with lots of simple questions from the very beginning of the session. Transitions, small circles, halts, rein back, leg yield in, leg yield out. Do it in walk first, then introduce the trot. One new question every 5 seconds.
Dan's Top Tip
Trot for 5 seconds, walk for 5 seconds, trot for 5 seconds, halt. Do it staying a couple of yards away from the track. Then leg yield in a couple of feet, leg yield out a couple of feet. Keep doing it whilst you introduce transitions within the trot.
Dan's Top Tip
Trot for 5 seconds, walk for 5 seconds. Not 4, or 6! Make sure that the transitions are sharp. Only then ask for roundness during the transition.
Read our latest training articles for more practical tips you can try today.
"This isn't about being brave — it's about having clarity, so your horse becomes easier, softer,
and more confident every time you ride."
— Dan Bizzarro
You're Not Doing Anything Wrong — You Just Need a Clearer System
"You're not failing your horse — you're just missing a clear system."
I've coached thousands of riders who felt exactly like you do now. Horses that rush, drift, get tight, ignore the legs or lose focus. Riders who feel they're always correcting something but never getting ahead of the problem. I understand how frustrating that feels.
Coaching and competing at international level for over 20 years.
I've spent more than two decades coaching dressage, show jumping and event riders at every level — while competing internationally myself, representing Italy in Nations Cups and the 2025 European Championships, and being shortlisted for the 2024 Paris Olympics. That combination of coaching experience and competitive insight is what shaped the Dan Bizzarro Method.
One method. Every horse. Every level.
My approach focuses on the fundamentals: balance, rhythm, straightness and clear aids. When these are in place, everything becomes easier — from flatwork to jumping to competing under pressure. Explore our cross country and polework pages to see how we apply these principles.
A Simple Plan That Works for Everyone
Get Clarity
We look at your horse's balance, reactions, focus and way of going. You finally understand what's causing the problem — not just the symptoms.
Follow the Method
You use straightforward exercises that improve contact, rhythm, gears, lines and self-carriage. No overcomplication. No gimmicks.
Build Confidence
You and your horse develop habits that actually stick. Each week feels easier, clearer and more enjoyable.
The transformation
Imagine Riding a Horse Who Listens,
Stays Soft and Feels Easy to Train
"Imagine riding a horse that goes where you want him to go, at the pace you want him to go.
That's easy. The difficult part is training your horse to be that horse."
— Dan Bizzarro
Without a Clear Method, the Problems Don't Go Away
When riders guess their way through schooling, the same issues repeat themselves. Horses build bad habits, riders lose confidence, and training becomes a cycle of managing problems instead of improving them. Whether through private lessons, group clinics or virtual coaching, the right guidance makes all the difference.
It doesn't need to be like this.
Choose How You Want to Start
From Strong to Light & Soft
in 28 Days
Is your horse heavy in your hands, rushing, or pulling you out of the saddle? This listen-while-you-ride audio course gives you 6 structured lessons to transform your horse from strong and difficult to light, soft and responsive.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before getting started
Riders See Real Progress With the Dan Bizzarro Method
"Dan is a fantastic trainer and for anyone committed to improving their eventing partnership and performance, he is the man!"
Amanda
"Dan is a great coach who offers simple yet effective methods of training the horse and rider. I have found him especially helpful with young green horses. He is good at focusing the rider on the important principles of training. This has allowed me to keep calm under pressure."
Tiffany
"I have had lessons with Dan for a number of years and strongly recommend him. He does well with a range of horses and riders and really works hard on all combinations of horse and rider. He helped me with a horse with previous injuries and we improved substantially achieving very increased BD scores and he gave me the confidence to work through problems systematically. I thoroughly recommend him."
Judy Rorison
"Dan delivers superb clinics where everyone works with real intensity. He worked with my daughter with her first horse and instilled great discipline and she really enjoyed the sessions. We travelled to Lyneham for sessions and really made great progress every session. I highly recommend Dan."
Francesca
"Dan has been teaching me and my horse Primrose for a number of years now. Even though I don't compete anymore I still have a weekly lesson with him. My horse is now 22 yrs old and thanks to Dan is still fit and supple. He makes every lesson fun and is always thinking of new and interesting exercises to do."
Fiona McKenzie
"Dan is a great instructor, in lessons he always helps me work hard and have fun which has helped me improve so much. Thanks to Dan, I've become a better rider and have learned so many valuable skills."
Olivia
"I have been training with Dan for the last four and a half years and he's brought on my riding in countless ways and helped me achieve many of my goals. Each session is different and specific to what needs working on at that moment in time, he always has methods and exercises that tackle an issue head on to produce the best performance from not only me but also my horse."
Katie Ball
"Dan's tuition and detailed training has helped me improve my riding way more than I expected. He provides real encouragement and tailored individual coaching that allows both horse and rider to develop their potential."
Ben Atkinson
"Dan's experience with horses makes him an excellent instructor. I have found the exercises he provides are really helpful and have improved my riding a lot. If I am worried he breaks down the exercise into smaller steps which really boosts my confidence and helps me know how to deal with situations that make me nervous."
Hannah
"Dan's coaching is an absolute class apart from all the others. Every lesson throws up something to work on to improve plus it's progressive and logical always showing how the little things make such a difference. Coaching is an art and Dan inspires me always to improve. From sometimes stroppy and quirky I now have a calm happy focused girl wanting to please."
Sue Dear
"Dan has been coaching my daughter Grace for over two years, and has been absolutely inspirational. He has progressed Grace and Flicker from being a capable but unskilled team, to one that is regularly fighting for winning honours at 90 ODE's. His ability to communicate what he is teaching in a straightforward way no matter the level of rider is definitely his USP. I've gone from saying I'll never jump to pinging over XC fences at Lyneham this summer!"
Emma Chapple
"Dan is a fantastic trainer and for anyone committed to improving their eventing partnership and performance, he is the man!"
Amanda
"Dan is a great coach who offers simple yet effective methods of training the horse and rider. I have found him especially helpful with young green horses. He is good at focusing the rider on the important principles of training. This has allowed me to keep calm under pressure."
Tiffany
"I have had lessons with Dan for a number of years and strongly recommend him. He does well with a range of horses and riders and really works hard on all combinations of horse and rider. He helped me with a horse with previous injuries and we improved substantially achieving very increased BD scores and he gave me the confidence to work through problems systematically. I thoroughly recommend him."
Judy Rorison
"Dan delivers superb clinics where everyone works with real intensity. He worked with my daughter with her first horse and instilled great discipline and she really enjoyed the sessions. We travelled to Lyneham for sessions and really made great progress every session. I highly recommend Dan."
Francesca
"Dan has been teaching me and my horse Primrose for a number of years now. Even though I don't compete anymore I still have a weekly lesson with him. My horse is now 22 yrs old and thanks to Dan is still fit and supple. He makes every lesson fun and is always thinking of new and interesting exercises to do."
Fiona McKenzie
"Dan is a great instructor, in lessons he always helps me work hard and have fun which has helped me improve so much. Thanks to Dan, I've become a better rider and have learned so many valuable skills."
Olivia
"I have been training with Dan for the last four and a half years and he's brought on my riding in countless ways and helped me achieve many of my goals. Each session is different and specific to what needs working on at that moment in time, he always has methods and exercises that tackle an issue head on to produce the best performance from not only me but also my horse."
Katie Ball
"Dan's tuition and detailed training has helped me improve my riding way more than I expected. He provides real encouragement and tailored individual coaching that allows both horse and rider to develop their potential."
Ben Atkinson
"Dan's experience with horses makes him an excellent instructor. I have found the exercises he provides are really helpful and have improved my riding a lot. If I am worried he breaks down the exercise into smaller steps which really boosts my confidence and helps me know how to deal with situations that make me nervous."
Hannah
"Dan's coaching is an absolute class apart from all the others. Every lesson throws up something to work on to improve plus it's progressive and logical always showing how the little things make such a difference. Coaching is an art and Dan inspires me always to improve. From sometimes stroppy and quirky I now have a calm happy focused girl wanting to please."
Sue Dear
"Dan has been coaching my daughter Grace for over two years, and has been absolutely inspirational. He has progressed Grace and Flicker from being a capable but unskilled team, to one that is regularly fighting for winning honours at 90 ODE's. His ability to communicate what he is teaching in a straightforward way no matter the level of rider is definitely his USP. I've gone from saying I'll never jump to pinging over XC fences at Lyneham this summer!"
Emma Chapple
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