Straightness Training

Transforms Your Difficult Horse Into a Dedicated Partner

STart with the Free Guide »

End Your Struggles - Once and For All

Straightness Training

Transforms Your Difficult Horse Into a Dedicated Partner

STart with Free Guide »

End Your Struggles—Once and For All

Why so many riders struggle with their horse

Many riders experience challenges that seem difficult to solve:

Horses that feel stiff or resistant
Uneven gaits or difficulty bending
Falling in on circles or leaning on the rider
Tension, stress, or lack of motivation

Often these problems are treated as separate issues.

But in reality, they usually share the same underlying cause.

Discover the hidden force that holds horses back

It's not you.

It's not your horse.

It's a hidden force almost nobody talks about...

Chances are, no one has ever taught you how to recognize and handle it...

Until now...

Natural Asymmetry

We are all born as asymmetrical beings. All creatures are left or right handed.

In the hands, feet, paws, claws or hooves. And this of great help for survival.

But the moment you start riding, all kinds of undesired things can happen:

rearing
resisting the reins
bucking
swishing the tail
developing an underneck
leaning in on the circle
hollowing the top line
not obeying

The Root Cause

My name is Marijke de Jong, and when I met my horse Maestro, he was a spooky horse, difficult to turn, rearing, running, and resisiting, and impossible to ride.

I tried everything to solve these issues, but nothing really helped.

Until one day, I discovered the root cause:

Natural Asymmetry.

And thanks to Maestro, I developed the solution.

The Solution: Straightness Training

Straightness Training (ST) helps you end unnecessary suffering caused by your horse's natural asymmetry.
It's a logical system of progressive exercises that helps horses develop balance, coordination, and healthy movement.
By combining classical dressage principles with modern insights into biomechanics and behavior, ST helps riders train their horse STep by STep.

The Five Training Pillars of Straightness Training

Groundwork

Longeing

Work in Hand

Riding

Liberty

Each training pillar adds a different dimension to an exercise, and all pillars strengthen each other.

Together they form a complete training system, where the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.

Straightness Training consists of groundwork, longeing, work in hand, riding and ST at liberty.

Each training pillar adds a different dimension to an exercise, and all training components strengthen each other.

Together they form a complete training system, where the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.

Explore the Straightness Training Knowledge Base

STudy Vault

contains articles, explanations, and training insights covering every aspect of Straightness Training.

Whether you are just starting or already experienced, you can explore the pillars, exercises, and areas of the system and deepen your understanding STep by STep.

STudy Vault »

Created by Marijke de Jong

Over the last 20+ years, I've been sharing all of my Straightness Training secrets in front of thousands of riders from all backgrounds at my in-person and online events.

I helped my horse Maestro go from "Impossible" to "I'm possible", and since then, I've been on a mission to help riders just like you do the same.

Each of these journeys has proven that with the right guidance, every horse and rider can achieve balance and true harmony.

And if they could do it, so can you.

You're only one STep away.