Craig Stevens surprises people. We imagine a Classical Equitation master to be a svelte, well dressed European with a sophisticated foreign accent. Craig is a large, very american man in a blue plaid shirt and a baseball cap, and his accent is from New York, to make it just that much more of a challenge to our preconceptions.  

So...besides the fact he doesn't look the part...what makes him different? 

Quite simply, the work he does is outstanding, and it is very accessible and effective both with riders and with horses. Craig's an acknowledged master of the horse and an expert on equitation history. But ... anyone can say that, and we all know that New Yorkers talk a lot! So, what do others say? Professor Invgar Fredricson, head of Flyinge (the Swedish National Stud) from 1983 to 1998 appreciates his decades of study, and refers to Craig as an American scholar of the horse. Dag Nätterqvist  ("Dadde") the Swedish Olympic jumping star as well as a prominent teacher remembered for his years teaching at Strömsholm - the Swedish National Riding School, said " Craig Stevens is the first really good riding teacher to teach dressage in Sweden since the 1950´s." Craig's work is supported by Philippe Karl, the French classical master, and recommended by natural horsemanship clinician and trainer, Ed Dabney, who is gaining national prominance in the US.

The modern understanding of dressage is very limited. Very few riders know why they do what they do, and few trainers have a true grasp of how to bring out the best in their horses. Horses are sluggish or explosive, and riders keep "upgrading" their saddles, their bits and their mounts in an effort to make a difference in their riding experience.

Lots of modern riders feel a sense of something missing, but they don't know what it is. Many years ago, Craig Stevens was one of those riders who had a sense that there was something more that he wanted in relationship to horses and to equitation.

He took the time to find the best of the modern trainers to work with , and he learned to read French in order to research equitation history. He made it a point to separate out what is "right" because it's a current understanding, influenced by prevailing culture and unrecognized myth, and what is "right" from the point of view of what is most effective for the horse. Studying the historic texts helped him put modern ideas into perspective against a wider backdrop, and helped him develop the tools to test his results empirically. Is the horse balanced, or...does it only look balanced? Is the rider balanced, or just "assuming the position."

Although he has a successful show history, Craig is no longer interested in riding to please an observing judge. The opinion he values, the judgment that matters, comes from the horse he's riding. He truly rides as a partner to his horse, drawing out the best in each of the pair as they explore one another's conversation. It's a very different, very old, very horse-centered methodology. And this is what he teaches his students as well.

It's not unusual to hear Craig explain an equine movement in musical terms, or the horse-human relationship in romantic ones. It's a language of touch, he points out, where one animal desires to engage the mind of the other, and the closest metaphors are based in the sensual, tactile language that we use when we're flirting.

Craig is both educated and eclectic in his approach.  He is engaged in a relentlessly joyful pursuit of  an equestrian education. Craig started by reading everything written in English on riding, then learned to read French in order to study the classical masters in their  own words. Swedish students are now translating texts from that country as well-- texts on classical equitation that predate the French-German schism of the modern era.

Craig Stevens supplemented his classical education by studying with the best of the classical trainers of the modern age. He took lessons from such master horsemen as Joao Oliveira of Portugal, the French masters Michel Henriquet and François Lemaire de Ruffieu, members of the Cadre Noir, as well as with Katherine Durand.

In his younger days Craig toured performing exhibitions of High School dressage, including the airs above the ground and movements of fantasy equitation. Craig showed very successfully on the East coast for many years, but found the accolades of judges hollow compared to the pleasure of the relationship with the horse. Craig's students continue to show, taking regional and national awards as a matter of course in America, the UK, and Scandinavia. Craig himself prefers simply to train horses and their riders, and to continue his own education through reading, riding, and  reflecting on what the horses teach him.

While Craig is no longer involved in showing, he has judged shows and taught clinics to private groups and riding federations both in the states and abroad. Mr. Stevens has given clinics for both the Swedish National Equestrian Federation and the United States Dressage Foundation (USDF). He is one of very few Americans recognized as having the skill to offer clinics in Europe, he's a regular featured trainer in national magazines in Scandinavia and the UK. His clinics abroad are booked months in advance. Craig's students both in the Americas and Europe range from true beginners to instructors, trainers and judges.

Craig Stevens also has a deep commitment to bringing this work to the English speaking world. He has translated 33 books from French to English. Many of his translations, including "Equestrian Questions" by General L'Hotte, were previously unavailable to the English speaking audience.

Mr. Stevens is the director and founder of the Snohomish, Washington based National School of Academic Equitation where he trains riders and horses. The NSAE specializes in short term intensives and instructor training in classical horsemanship, as well as offering a traditional lesson program for local riders. Dividing his time between the school at home and clinic tours , Mr. Stevens is a much sought after international clinician with a regular touring schedule that includes sites throughout Europe, Canada and the United States. His own articles, and articles about him , have appeared in many national and international publications around the world. He is currently working on two books, one on the Theory of Classical Equitation, the other on Classical Work In Hand. His DVDs and videos on dressage and seat training are available through this site.