Ride In Balance Clinics and Workshops
Ride in Balance – Beginners Foundation Workshop
This is a two hour dismounted workshop that will introduce you to the principles and procedures of the Alexander Technique and “Ride in Balance” practical skills and how you can apply them to your riding.
We will be working on
Improving your seat by:
- Understanding of the head, neck, spine, pelvis relationship.
- Establishing a neutral spine.
- Learning to release tension and establish tone.
- Absorb the bounce – build awareness of your hips, knees and ankles.
- Breathing to let go and connect to your horse.
- Working on your position on the wooden horse.
- Working on your balance on the big ball.
Ride in Balance – Introductory Clinic
This is a 2 hour private clinic for you and your horse combining lessons on and off your horse and is an ideal starting point for you to begin learning the “ride in balance” method.
The clinic will begin with an overall assessment of your posture, balance and suppleness of both horse and rider, and a discussion of your aims and any current schooling problems. I will be using my ‘Alexander’ eyes to spot any fundamental problems with your body use that are affecting your horse’s way of going. From this information I will structure the clinic on your needs and those of your horse. We may be working on a specific problem that you have been struggling with or on general improvement. The clinic will finish with advice and schooling exercises to continue the improvement at home.
Ride in Balance – Walk with your Horse
Riding in balance and harmony with your horse is a tall order! This 2 hour clinic combining lessons on and off your horse will really give you time to understand, feel and experience how to let go and move in harmony with your horse’s movement. By working only in walk you can begin to relax and really enjoy your horse, connecting with him physically and mentally, gradually learning to direct him through school movements and changes within the pace with the most subtle use of your body language. The session will finish with an opportunity to ride to music emphasising the 4 beat rhythm of the walk.
Ride in Balance – Improve your Rising Trot
Very few riders actually have the ability to ride totally in balance in the rising trot. This 2 hour clinic will help you to achieve this. Dismounted work will give you the understanding of the mechanism of the rise and sit and the correct way to absorb and allow your horses movement. We will be working on a big ball and a balance board. Ridden work will include exercises to improve your balance and timing in the rising trot. You will learn how to use your subtle body language to slow the trot and increase the engagement and also how to increase impulsion and expression in the trot. We will finish the clinic by riding to trot music.
Ride in Balance – Improve your Sitting Trot Work
Many riders find the demands of sitting to the trot, particularly if it is bouncy!, very difficult. This usually causes the rider to stiffen and tense with a result that the quality of the trot deteriorates. However, sitting trot is necessary to truly bring your horse to an improved balance and condition. This 2 hour clinic will show you, firstly on the ground, how and where to absorb the bounce and how, helped by your breathing you can mentally and physically let go and connect to your horse. We will finish the clinic by riding to trot music.
Ride in Balance – How to Ride Better Circles
Are your circles pear shaped? Does your horse fall in/out, not bend or bend too much, lose rhythm or activity? Do you collapse at the waist or hip, feel crooked, find it difficult to ride from the inside leg to the outside rein or ride better on one rein than the other. Then come along. This clinic follows the same format as above.
Ride in Balance – Improve your Canter Work
This clinic will help you to understand and achieve the freedom of your hips and depth of seat required to stay connected and balanced on your horse in the canter. Work on and off your horse will finish with some super canter music to stay in rhythm to.
Ride in Balance – How to Ride Better Lateral Work 1
This clinic will help you understand, ride and train your horse in the following movements; turn-on-the-forehand, turn about the forehand and leg-yielding exercises. This clinic follows the same format as the previous clinics.
Ride in Balance – How to Ride Better Lateral Work 2
This clinic will teach you how to improve travers, should-in and half pass. It follows the same format as the previous clinics.
Ride in Balance – How to Ride into a Better Outline
Riding in a correct outline or bringing the horse onto the bit are expressions that every rider knows and strives towards. However, trying to achieve this often creates tension and discomfort, a battle of wills and strength which just creates disharmony between you and your horse. This clinic will improve your understanding and skill. The dismounted session will show you anatomically and visually what is expected of the horse in coming into a soft and supple outline, and the correct body and mind use to allow it to happen, the ridden work will help you to achieve this.
Ride in Balance – Improve your Ridden Communication with your Horse
To find true harmony with our horse we need to be able to communicate our wishes to our horses in a way that they understand and find acceptable thereby creating relaxation, confidence and trust. We should strive to do this with the minimum of strength and the maximum of skill. Unfortunately many riders are unable to do this because of their lack of body control means that they are constantly giving to the horse information that they do not really mean, with the result that the horse is confused, trying to identify between an instruction that was meant for him and one that was to do with the rider’s lack of balance and skill. This clinic will help you to communicate in a more subtle and peaceful way with your horse by teaching you the skills of precision body influence in the communication between you and your horse