✨ "Your horse does not anticipate. He simply reads your mind." – Dominique Barbier✨ "I want people to smile when they ride, because if they don't smile, why are you riding?" – Dominique BarbierDominique Barbier grew up in France with no horsey family background, but an early and almost uncanny sensitivity to horses that set him apart from the biomechanical training he encountered in England and France. After training and competing across multiple disciplines, he made his way to Portugal to study for two years with th...
✨ "Your horse does not anticipate. He simply reads your mind." – Dominique Barbier
✨ "I want people to smile when they ride, because if they don't smile, why are you riding?" – Dominique Barbier
Dominique Barbier grew up in France with no horsey family background, but an early and almost uncanny sensitivity to horses that set him apart from the biomechanical training he encountered in England and France. After training and competing across multiple disciplines, he made his way to Portugal to study for two years with the legendary Nuno Oliveira, absorbing lessons that would go on to shape the French-Portuguese school of dressage he now teaches worldwide from his base in California.
This conversation centers on Don Giovanni, the volatile, nearly-destroyed stallion who became Dominique's greatest teacher, and the three-step process of "getting out of the way" that Dominique developed to earn his trust. Dominique and Rupert also dig into descente de main and descente de jambe, the difference between riding physically and riding mentally, and Dominique's blunt take on spurs, competition, and the pursuit of joy over technique.
A candid, wide-ranging two-hour conversation from one of dressage's most original voices.
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What You'll Learn in This Episode
00:03:00 – Dominique's unusual early sensitivity to horses and how his father let him follow his passion
00:12:00 – Why Dominique says a horse doesn't anticipate — he reads your mind
00:16:00 – The nine months Dominique couldn't ride, and what he discovered about the intellectual mind blocking connection
00:20:00 – Dominique's 90/10 philosophy: staying out of the horse's way
00:39:00 – How Dominique met and nearly lost the chance to save Don Giovanni, the horse who taught him the most
00:48:00 – The three-step process Dominique used to earn Don Giovanni's trust
00:52:00 – Reading a horse's true preferences through nature, play, and "crazy time"
01:04:00 – The story behind descente de main, descente de jambe from Dominique's time with Nuno Oliveira
01:13:00 – Why Dominique now teaches people to smile when they ride
01:50:00 – Fear as simply "what you don't know," and how Dominique helps students move through it
Memorable Moments from the Episode
00:42:00 – The dramatic story of winning the right to bring Don Giovanni home — a horse marked for destruction
01:26:00 – Dominique's candid reflection on Nuno Oliveira's complicated inner life, and why he never wanted to "be" his master
01:42:00 – Dominique's confession about once owning 300 spurs, and why he regrets it
02:00:00 – Dominique reveals his upcoming book, simply titled Consciousness
02:16:00 – Dominique's parting invitation to share a glass of Merlot with Rupert in California
Guest Contact & Links
Dominique Barbier Website: https://dominiquebarbier.com
About Dominique Barbier
Dominique Barbier is one of the leading figures in classical dressage, known as an exponent of the French-Portuguese school. Raised in France with no equestrian family background, he trained across multiple disciplines before spending two formative years studying under the legendary Nuno Oliveira in Portugal. He has authored numerous books, including Dressage for the New Age, with a new book titled Consciousness forthcoming, and continues to teach and train worldwide from his base in California. His approach emphasizes visualization, presence, and reading what a horse genuinely enjoys over rigid technique.
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