Dressage cannot grow if people cannot access it.
Riding schools and lesson programs are where riders begin, professionals are developed, and dreams take shape. Yet rising costs have forced many programs to close, taking valuable access to dressage with them.
To help keep these important programs open, The Dressage Foundation created the Riding School Fund, which will begin awarding grants in 2026 to support riding schools and lesson programs across the country. TDF's Treasured Horses, Treasured Teachers Fundraiser honors the horses who carried us on our dressage journeys while helping ensure future riders have the same opportunity. All donations will be added to TDF's Riding School Fund.
We invite you to honor those horses who have made a difference for you.
Donate through the form below:
Your gift to TDF's Riding School Fund will help riding schools and lesson programs remain open, care for their horses, and welcome new riders to our sport.
Access to dressage begins with a special horse — and a place to learn.
If you are interested in making a major gift to support TDF's Riding School Fund, please contact TDF's Executive Director, Jenny Johnson, at jenny@dressagefoundation.org or (402) 434-8585.
$25 to $249: Friend of the Riding School Fund
$250 - $499: Advocate of the Riding School Fund
$500 - $999: Leader of the Riding School Fund
$1,000 & above: Champion of the Riding School Fund
Would you like to donate by check? Click here to download the contribution form that you can print and mail.
Thank you for your donation to The Dressage Foundation's Treasured Horses, Treasured Teachers fundraiser. Your horse has been honored, and your donation will help provide grants to riding schools and lesson programs from The Dressage Foundation's Riding School Fund.
For the past few years, The Dressage Foundation has heard over and over again that there is a lack of riding schools and lesson programs within the dressage community, and that the ones that exist face numerous challenges to stay open or to grow. The lack of lesson programs is a serious concern for the growth and sustainability of dressage in the United States.
In 2025, to learn more about this issue, TDF surveyed over 200 dressage riding schools and lesson programs across the country.
The results of the survey clearly showed that because of increased costs of land, staffing, insurance, and horse care, many programs were on the precipice of closing or eliminating their lesson programs. TDF asked about the best way to support these programs, and the number one response was through grants and financial support.
For over 35 years, The Dressage Foundation has helped make dressage more accessible and has been a trusted partner in helping donors give back to their dressage community. Through our proven grant programs, TDF can have a direct impact on the sustainability of the dressage lesson programs. With support from Fund Founders like Ralph Dreitzler, "The Dressage Foundation's Riding School Fund" was established. In late 2026, TDF’s Riding School Fund will award its first grants: two $3,000 grants for riding schools or lesson programs to use where needed most.
With the creation of the Treasured Horse, Treasured Teacher fundraiser, TDF hopes to encourage the dressage community to come together to support this important Riding School Fund. This is a tremendous project and one that can only be successful with the help of the whole dressage community, from donors large and small.
