Whether in dressage, show jumping, or leisurely trail riding: almost every rider dreams of riding in harmony with their horse effortlessly and enjoying the partnership with their equine companion. "Drinking coffee in the pirouette" is the somewhat tongue-in-cheek motto of Uta Gräf. For her, it means putting in a lot of effort to be able to ride with less strain in the long run and to allow the horse to work in harmony underneath her. Not to disempower her horses, but rather to strengthen their self-confidence and make them courageous sport partners is a key element of Uta Gräf's sporting success. The authors describe how they motivate their horses to become more independent through thoughtful basic dressage training, thereby instilling joy in the shared task. This is illustrated with example horses from their own training.