Heather Bender, USDF bronze, silver and gold medalist and a Certified Instructor through Fourth Level, worked with Chef d’Equipe of the U.S. Dressage Team Christine Traurig earlier this year at the 2025 Adequan®/USDF FEI-Level Trainers’ Conference, to improve her 9-year-old KWPN mare Keisha B’s suppleness through transitions and gymnasticizing exercises.

Here, Bender talks about her key takeaways from this year’s conference, her partnership with the young and sassy “Keisha” and her personal insights on the sport of dressage after more than four decades in the saddle. (You can watch our full interview with her from the conference below.)

Appreciation for the Basics

Bender was excited to work with Traurig and Monica Theodorescu, who also served as a clinician at the conference, because of their emphasis on the foundation and basic principles of dressage.“I’ve been doing this long enough to know it all comes down to basics—your bending, suppleness and the ability to go forward and back,” she noted. “‘Keish’ tries so hard, but she lacks the suppleness we need, so it’s something we’re constantly trying to improve.”

Traurig explained that the horse’s hind legs cannot develop more pushing power if suppleness isn’t cultivated first and transitions can help improve relaxation and suppleness and ultimately allow the horse to release his back and engage his hind end.

“Once you’ve completed the process of gymnasticizing the horse to get him supple, you can then start influencing the placement of the horse’s hind legs. Like it says in all the smart books, you have to be able to place the shoulders in front of the hind legs,” she said. “And once you get that alignment you can influence the placement and effort of the hind legs—how they’re coming to the party and contributing in a quality way for forward propulsion and engagement. This is logical for the horse and evolves nicely.”

Bender said the transition and gymnastic exercises Traurig provided helped emphasize achieving the right amount of flexion with the right amount of tempo. “That’s really what we needed—just that degree of refinement. Keish is more of a rectangle right now, and I’m trying to teach her how to become a box as she moves up the levels,” she explained. “So, I’ve been using a lot of exercises to help control the outside shoulder. Christine really pushed me back into doing shoulder-in and bending and reminded me to be relentless about the better bend.”

Enjoy the Moment and Trusting in Her Experience

Like Traurig, Bender is a firm believer in taking her time with her young mare, and at this stage in her long and storied career, the lifelong dressage rider says she’s focused on enjoying the moment with her talented mount.

“We’re just going to see where we go. I’m not trying to win the world, but I continue to be out there for everyone who has dreams. I want people to recognize that even as we get older, we can still do this. We can stay fit. We can ride,” she said. “And with the amount of education and experience I’ve gained over the years, I understand that my self-worth isn’t the centerline. And that gives me more room to breathe and make better decisions in that moment with my horses and my riding.”

For More:

• To watch Heather Bender and Keisha B’s first training session with Christine Traurig at the 2025 USDF Trainers’ Conference on EQUESTRIAN+, click here.
• You can watch other training sessions from this year’s conference here.

About Heather Bender

Heather Bender of Palm City, Florida, is a USDF bronze, silver and gold medalist with distinction and a Certified Instructor through Fourth Level. She pursued dressage in Europe from a young age, training with notable coaches such as George Theodorescu and Sandy Pfleuger-Phillip.

About Christine Traurig

Christine Traurig is the current Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor and Development Coach of the U.S. Dressage Team and has been a part of the U.S. Dressage Pathway programs for more than a decade. She was named Chef d’Equipe in late 2023 and helped the U.S. Dressage Team earn team gold at the 2023 Pan American Games in her championship debut with the team, before leading her first Olympic team at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Traurig also had a successful career as a dressage athlete, representing the U.S. at the 2000 Olympic Games aboard Etienne, where they helped the team earn bronze.