Anne Gribbons, (‘O’ Dressage Judge, International trainer, competitor) writes in her foreword in the Dressage Naturally Book:
“Karen is a great educator who has always kept her own counsel and used her knowledge and exceptional intelligence in unorthodox ways....I particularly admire the way Karen has managed to... emphasize the positive in combining her two systems to perhaps make an even better whole....Since her information comes from thorough immersion in her subject and active participation in both forms of horsemanship, it will be worth your while to go on this journey and widen your horizons.”

Linda Parelli (of Parelli Natural Horsemanship) writes in her foreword in the Dressage Naturally Book:
“As I read page after page of Karen’s book I marveled at her ability to write so well, with such feeling and insight, and of course this all comes out of how deeply she has thought about a subject that no one really has covered before, how natural horsemanship can translate into the classical principles of dressage.... I love to see horses performing with a smile on their face and for sure that’s what Karen’s horses do... and so does Karen. She is a wonderful example for students of natural horsemanship daring to reach for higher levels of elegance and finesse, both in the approaches she uses and especially in the way that she always puts the horse first.”

REVIEWS from Students:

"...Right now I am just about literally EATING Karen's book and DVD. When I first started into it I actually cried tears of joy. I have never ever experienced anything like it, it all made so much sense and I started having results on the first try in areas I have been working on for 3 years with my horse. I am so very excited, I can't even describe it. This is the new Dressage BIBLE, I think it is a must have for any natural student, whether they have an interest in Dressage doesn't even matter. Getting your horse to move with relaxation and energy is a goal that every form of riding should encompass anyways!"
~Naturally,
Sabine


Hi Karen,

We'll I've had a few days to let everything from last weekend sink in. Up until the clinic last weekend I still thought that I needed the bit sometimes. Wrong! Now I see that I was resorting to my old ways of controlling my horse through the mouth. Thank you for showing me that I don't need the bit to ride my horses in order to obtain collection. Piaffe is a very collected movement right? OK so it isn't grand prix piaffe but it's what I asked for and he understood. You taught me to make sure my horse understands what I'm asking and gives the energy that I'm asking for.

...You have shown me how to help my horses let loose through their bodies and that has enabled me to ride a more supple horse. I learned a lot while I had those intensive lessons in Florida but the clinic last weekend was a great opportunity for me to see others play around with I had learned. The visuals really helped but also just hearing your voice repeating the importance of helping your horse let loose, asking your horse for something and understanding when he gave you 100% and if he didn't knowing what to do about it, feeling the gait the horse was in and knowing when the energy slipped away and doing something about it etc. Now I think I get it!
~Diane Brooks

"I just wanted you to know how much I love my Book/dvd. It is fantastic! It is obvious that Karen is an artist in everything she does. She loves the horse for where its at and not what she can make it. I am in total awe and feel like this is what I have waited my whole life to learn. Thank you so much!"
~Jody Blaisdell

"The clinic I attended with Karen was by far the most constructive teaching experience I have ever had, along with being the most fun. I just recieved Karen's book and DVD and it is the perfect compliment to her clinics. I tend to drift back and forth between dressage and natural horsemanship so having something at home by Karen Rohlf is an excellent way to plug into the idea that I really can have both! The theory section is easily applicable so it resonates well in both the analytical part of my brain as well as the part that enables feel. The typical training pyramid sounds really good, but ignores the learning process so if you are a novice rider and your horse is spooking at the courner, it doesn't offer much help. Karen addresses the academic side in a way that can be applied to any level rider and any situation. The exercises are layed out in a way that I can read and study and really get a solid feel for when, why, and how to do each manuver, but if I want to quick scan through for some ideas before heading to the barn I can do so easily. Karen wastes no time teaching the same old things that can be found in 500 other texts. This is new information- excellent information. Wether it is the simple or more advanced segments it is truly ideas that you are not going to find anywhere else, yet the principles follow so closely to the prinicples that have been taught for decades by dressage masters and natural horseman around the world. I won't spend money if I don't think I am getting much bang for the buck, but I ordered Karen's book the moment it came on the market, and I am certainly not disappointed!" ~Danee Rudy

"Let’s get the confessions out of the way first! I’m a backyard horse owner, have no desire to compete, passionate about horses and intrigued by dressage ~ your fairly typical eclectic ‘run of the mill’ horse freak, but with a little problem. I am a Parelli enthusiast and I want to learn dressage.

Until I ran across Karen Rohlf’s “DRESSAGE Naturally” book/DVD set I honestly didn’t know how to begin combining the freeness of ‘natural’ and the beauty of dressage. Disheartened with the gulf that seemed to exist between the two, I was immediately drawn to this particular book by Karen’s statement: “There is a gap between where natural horsemanship teachings end and where dressage teachings begin. I am attempting to fill that gap.”

Karen Rohlf is a Grand Prix level dressage trainer, competitor and teacher, plus an Associate Parelli Professional ~ successful and highly respected in both. Better yet, she has an envious, electric and fun relationship with her horses.
Karen’s book is written with clear, insightful language with practical exercises you can actually follow(!) Throughout the pages she also thoughtfully stays true to the ‘three doorways to the horse: the mental, emotional and physical’.

The best thing about this book is that it’s NOT about natural vs. dressage. Karen lovingly and respectfully brings out the best in both to bridge the two, remarking that the one thing we all have in common is our passion for the horse. “It is time for the two groups to meet, to walk around the horse together and to share the knowledge.”

I invite everyone who reads this to think about their personal horse goals. Consider how natural horsemanship can enhance the relationship you now have with your horse. ‘Bridge the gap’ " debbie raynor...bozeman dressage and comb training club

AND MORE:

Walter Zettl:
"Karen Rohlf is a dressage rider who has followed the methods of Parelli Natural Horsemanship in order to add more heart to her dressage training. Using methods that are natural and that place partnership, harmony and understanding as the top priority can also yield athletic dressage results. There are no short cuts, dressage is a matter of trust and if we take the time to learn more about the natural psychology of the horse and build the relationship, we will create horses that are willing, confident partners and
truly 'happy athletes'.“ 
~Walter Zettl

Glenn Stewart Natural Horsemanship, BC, Canada, www.thehorseranch.com
“Dressage has always interested me. When I met Karen and watched her with her horses, I knew that what she was doing would align with my natural horsemanship principles. It matched the picture of what I thought dressage should look like.”

Cathy Morelli, USET World Cup Competitor, Grand Prix trainer. www.cathymorelli.com
The thing that I admire the most with Karen was that she presents a partnership that has learned to communicate. By making sure that the horse understands what she wants he is willing to oblige. Karen makes a tremendous effort to understand her horse and to teach him in a way that is meaningful to him. The basic aids are there to build on. And Karen has changed a horse that was very difficult to train into one that was very compliant. What a joy!!!! It’s too bad that people don’t work as diligently and thoughtfully in their relationships with each other as she does with her horse! ~

Carmen Zulauf, 3 Star Licenced Parelli Instructor, Avenches, Switzerland, www.carmenzulauf.instructor.Parelli.com
I knew a horseperson like Karen would one day come along. Thanks to Karen, there is living proof of combining Parelli and Dressage at a high level. Karen has built the bridge for me in understanding and performing Dressage while being able to keep all the values and principles I deeply care about, for myself and my horse.” ~


Luis Lucio
Discover Pat Parelli's message
with Karen Rohlf
“Normally dressage people are used to looking for, and trying to discover new answers to old troubles. The reason for that is clear and easy, we always have problems to solve with our partners the horses. It is not only a question of bits or technique, it involves vets, feed, arena surfaces, trainers, riding equipment, farriers, the schedule of training... thousands of matters. The challenge is to try and find the right area to change in order to get better results.

Sometimes the problem is to know how to ride in the right way, sometimes we know how to do it but we can not, mainly of times we think we are doing well and we keep trying and trying but…. the result doesn't come.

In the long process of dressage training we always try to explain the challenges we find with answers like "the horse is... not yet strong enough, difficult in his mind, bad in his natural balance, tense, uncoordinated for the flying changes, not easy in piaffe, irregular in passage.. ", etc. My experience with lots of horses, talented or not so much, is that the real area to improve is always the same one, the one that is at the center of our problems: the relationship with our horse.

We in the dressage world, feel like we are experts in control and in changing and building up the movement of our horses, and really, sometimes we are. But there are still some more important areas to work that can give us the key to solve the problems we find in this "body thinking".

First time I meet Linda & Pat Parelli they were very enthusiastic about talking with a dressage trainer about horses, they offer to me different choices for our conversation, body training, mental attitudes and emotional behaviors.. , I was in trouble !! , I felt just expert only in the first one…

Since that moment I have learnt a lot, not really about bending, impulsion, contact, and balance but about to how to have the horse with me. This simple thing can be the key of our success.

Work with Linda & Pat has been really valuable; they introduced me to Karen Rohlf. She was looking like me, doing the same as me but talking differently. Her approach to the normal dressage problems was quick and clear, she made it easy for me and my students to understand the powerful message about "May the horse be with you".

I recommend that everybody involved with horses discover Pat Parelli and his 'Natural' message. In getting closer to his meaning we will get more success in our relationships with horses and will contribute to making our horses more friendly and happy.

Dressage trainers like Karen Rohlf can be very useful to bring to our dressage world more attention to the mental and emotional problems of our horses and through that improve the quality of our exercises and the life of our horses.

In the year of the FEI "Happy athlete" concept, the message of Pat Parelli is really welcome.
Try to discover it.”