About Dan Bizzarro
International Event Rider & Professional Coach
Who I Am
My name is Daniele Bizzarro, and I've spent more than 20 years riding, training and coaching horses and riders across dressage, show jumping and cross-country. I grew up just outside Turin, started riding when I was nine, and very quickly discovered that I loved the process of training horses just as much as I loved competing them.
Over the years I've had the privilege of working with some of the best riders and coaches in the world, including William Fox-Pitt, Caroline Moore and Ian Woodhead. Their influence shaped how I ride, how I think, and how I teach — always with clarity, fairness and a genuine desire to help horses understand their job.
I've represented Italy in Nations Cup competitions and at the 2025 European Championships, and I've ridden every type of horse along the way: sharp ones, strong ones, lazy ones, spooky ones, young ones, talented ones, complicated ones. The variety taught me more than any book ever could.
Career Highlights
My Training Philosophy
I believe every horse can go better, and every rider can feel more confident when the communication between them is clear.
The Dan Bizzarro Method is based on a few simple principles that stay the same whether you're doing dressage, show jumping or cross-country:
- •Clear reactions to the aids — the horse knows what you're asking
- •Balance and self-carriage — a horse that can carry itself feels lighter, softer and easier
- •Straightness and accuracy — the foundation of every good transition and every good jump
- •A soft, consistent contact — not forced, not restrictive, but genuinely connected
- •Small corrections at the right time — before bad habits grow
- •Confidence for horse and rider — without tension, pressure or confusion
My teaching style is direct, calm and practical. I don't overcomplicate things. I show you what matters, and I explain why it matters, so you can train your horse even on the days when I'm not there.
Riders often tell me they feel "relieved" after a lesson — not because it was easy, but because everything finally made sense.
Where I Coach
I'm based in Oxfordshire and teach riders of all levels — from amateurs building confidence to riders preparing for eventing competitions. I offer:
- •Private riding lessons
- •Show jumping and cross-country coaching
- •Clinics across the UK
- •Virtual riding lessons for riders anywhere in the world
No matter the location, the goal is the same: clear communication, better balance and a more confident partnership.
Why I Created the Dan Bizzarro Method
After years of coaching, I kept seeing the same patterns:
- •Riders were working hard but feeling stuck.
- •Horses were trying their best but becoming tense, unbalanced or confused.
- •Most people weren't struggling because they lacked talent — they simply didn't have a system that made the work clear and consistent.
So I created the Dan Bizzarro Method to give riders a structure they can follow at home, at clinics, in competition warm-ups and even out hacking. It's designed to be simple, effective and genuinely useful for the horses people ride every day — not just elite athletes.
My aim is always the same: to make horse riding easier to understand, more enjoyable, and more rewarding for both horse and rider.