Matt McLaughlin studied primarily under Chuck Grant, USDF Hall of Fame member and recognized father of American dressage. As a working student he not only furthered his dressage riding skills, but also learned the art of training horses in haute école for exhibition performances. Matt spent the next seven years as the Principal Rider, Head Rider, and eventually Head Trainer for the Royal Lipizzaner Stallion Show where he trained as many as 16 stallions and riders for the daily performances all over North America, Europe, and Australia as well as performing his own high-energy solo acts. He has successfully trained horses through Grand Prix Dressage that have gone on to compete nationally and internationally as well as multiple horses finished in haute école including Capriole, Courbette, and Levade.
    
    Matt travels throughout North America and Europe as a clinician.  He lectures and performs at exhibition venues with his Andalusian haute école and dressage acts throughout the year.  Matt is currently training and showing horses for competitive dressage.  In 2006, he was the recipient of the USDF Bronze & Silver Medals.  Matt recently relocated to Florida, where he will continue training for competition as well as traveling for clinics and equine exhibitions.

    Matt’s dedication to the training of horse and rider is based on his system of horsemanship that integrates classical principles of dressage, the requirements of today’s competitive dressage, and Natural Horsemanship techniques.  The first volume of Matt’s DVD series “Piaffe & Passage Simplified” and a DVD on training a horse to bow are now available.  Matt is working on several other educational DVDs on dressage and trick training methods.