How do you find a trainer who follows classical principles in dressage?

Finding a trainer who genuinely follows classical dressage principles rather than simply claiming to do so requires specific knowledge of what classical training looks like, willingness to observe before committing, and the development of enough feel and eye to distinguish genuine classical work from its imitation. The most reliable approach is to watch a prospective trainer work with their horses over several sessions — not a single demonstration ride — observing whether the horses they train show the specific qualities that classical training produces: genuine lightness in the contact, visible relaxation and willingness in the horses' expressions, throughness visible in the swinging topline and soft jaw, and the absence of training practices inconsistent with classical principles. A trainer who is genuinely classical will not use draw reins, side reins that restrict the horse's ability to seek the contact, or any form of hyperflexion in their regular training. Their horses should become progressively lighter and more expressive over time rather than heavier and more managed. References from students who have trained with the trainer for several years provide more reliable information than initial impressions, because the character of a trainer's program becomes more visible over extended training relationships than in initial lessons. Organizations associated with the classical tradition — including the International Baroque Horse Association, the Classical Dressage Association, and groups associated with specific classical lineages — can provide referrals to trainers in their networks. Reading widely in the classical literature — Oliveira's Reflections on Equestrian Art, Podhajsky's My Horses My Teachers, Steinbrecht's Gymnasium of the Horse, de la Guérinière's École de Cavalerie — develops the conceptual framework needed to recognize genuine classical principles in a trainer's teaching rather than accepting classical vocabulary without classical substance.