The Big Interview: Isaac Ares – A Slightly Different Dressage Trainer

Isaac Ares may be a dressage trainer, but his philosophy reaches far beyond the arena. For him, good training is never about producing an outline or collecting impressive movements. It is about helping a horse feel safe, balanced, understood and physically able to do the work asked of them.

In this absorbing Big Interview, Kelly Marks and Dr James Cooling talk to Isaac about his lifelong connection with animals, his four-part approach to training – biomechanics, ethology, gymnastic development and technique – and the careful observation that sits beneath it all. He explains why calm is essential for learning, why walk reveals so much about a horse, and why lateral work only has real value when the horse can organise their body from within.

Isaac also reflects honestly on his Asperger’s diagnosis, the importance of emotional regulation in riders, and the harm done when horses are rushed, pressured or trained for appearance rather than understanding. His message is both simple and profound: slow down, notice more, and listen before the horse has to shout.

A fascinating read for dressage riders, certainly, but equally valuable for anyone who wants to develop a more thoughtful, physically informed and genuinely kind partnership with their horse.