...where classical and modern dressage meet
Coming from Portugal, an environment where Classical Dressage takes such a big role in the Equestrian culture, Paulo started his riding education by learning the importance of lightness and relaxation of the horse while performing any exercise. When entering college, with an education directed to the equestrian sport, Paulo began adjusting his techniques in order to obtain good results in competitions (mostly dressage but also jumping and eventing and more recently Working Equitation). This mixture of experiences turned Paulo into one of the few competition riders that uses the Art of the Classical methods to improve the horses’ performance.
While watching one of his lessons we can see the evolution from the young horse learning to keep a steady rhythm while given the possibility to choose his own position to the more educated horse working on the last details before a competition. Also the rider takes a big part of Paulo’s attention as he believes that a correct position of the rider is essential to achieve independence from the reins and therefore a true collection and freedom of the body.
Paulo looks at each horse as an individual with his own qualities and difficulties and doesn’t believe in pre-determined programs. From the experience of hundreds of horses from different breeds ( Lusitano, PRE, KWPN, german breeds, SWB, Nordsvensk, Icelandic horses, Lippizaner, Camargue, etc) Paulo never forgets that what is easy for one horse can be difficult for another: “the rider must adjust his techniques to that horse in that moment and not expect the horse to adjust to him” is his motto and the way he understands the education of any horse.
Due to his unique way of interpreting the difficulties of each horse he is frequently asked to help with problematic horses, both mental and physically.