Lessons are available from Steuart Pittman at Dodon Farm for riders who bring their own horses. Steuart enjoys teaching all ages in all disciplines, but especially lower level dressage and eventing. In both private lessons and groups Steuart utlizes a variety of cross country jumps including banks, ditches, and a water complex adjacent to the sand jumping arena. A number of Steuart's students also compete in the hunter and equitation divisions.
Lessons are $45 for 45 minute private. Group jumping lessons are also available. Most of Steuart's teaching is done weekday afternoons and weekends when he is not competing.
Steuart has become a very popular clinician, both locally and nationally, at small barns and at large venues such as the Maryland Horse World Expo where he draws a huge crowd every year and gets rave reviews His rates are reasonable, and his style is both effective and entertaining.
directly for clinic fees and formats.
Click here for testimonials from current and past students.
Steuart began riding as a child in the hunt field, in pony races and at local shows. He was introduced to eventing through Pony Club and learned the fundamentals of dressage as a teenager from his inspiration and mentor, Ellen Shepherd. In high school Steuart evented through Preliminary on his Thoroughbred mare Hurricane Hannah. After a ten-year absence from horses Steuart returned full force in 1990. Since then he has derived most of his income from training and selling horses for eventing, dressage, and jumpers. Steuart can be seen each year with a new crop of horses who usually compete to the preliminary level and are sold. Some he has shown in the preliminary jumper circuit, and one he has shown fourth level dressage. In Salute The Truth Steuart finally has a horse that is not for sale and is now competing at the Advanced level.
Steuart's instruction has come from a variety of trainers, including Bruce Davidson to whom he goes regularly with his stallion Salute The Truth, Jim Wofford, Gunnar Ostergaard, Hans Jurgen, Stuart Black, Becky Langwost, and most recently Linda Zang for dressage. He credits most of what he knows to the horses that he has worked with. He believes that all of us learn mostly from our horses, and in his teaching he attempts to speak from the viewpoint of the horse. The other major influence on Steuart's riding has been 20 years of daily practice in Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese practice of meditative movements designed to open up the free flow of energy through the body. Steuart often describes the interaction between horse and rider in terms of energy and encourages riders to think and feel in these terms.
In 2003, Steuart participated in the first training program and assessment of the US Eventing Association's Instructor Certification Program. After intensive coaching and practice teaching before Karen O'Connor, Eric Horgan, Don Sachey and others, Steuart went to Texas to be evaluated in the areas of dressage instruction, cross-country instruction, show jumping instruction, horse management, and safety. He passed in all areas and is now a part of the small group of trainers in the country certified to teach through the preliminary level. The program includes continuing education with the top trainers in the sport.
A variety of essays written by Steuart Pittman on training issues can be accessed by clicking Steuart Says on the dodonfarm.com menu. We encourage you to send comments back to Steuart via e-mail at
Upcoming Clinics with Steuart
March 30, 2008 - Libertyview Farm, Finksburg, MD Includes Cross Country, weather permitting
Contact Margot Wolman for more information -
April 12-13 , 2008 - Tulip Springs, Kennewick, WA Includes Cross Country, weather permitting
