Testimonials from some of Jill's pupils
“For years I knew that there was something fundamentally missing in my riding. I could never achieve what I knew I was capable of, despite having, literally, hundreds of lessons with many different instructors. I could only achieve frustrating glimpses. I had also suffered from a bad back for years and had seen chiropractors, physios etc.
I’d heard about Jill Ray and her work so I went along for a lesson. After an initial riding assessment we started serious work on an individual basis. Each session started with work on the ground and then on to the horse.
It’s all about correct use of the body, alignment, weight distribution, balance and more self-awareness. I began to realise how badly I was misusing myself, the effect for me personally wasn’t far short of creating catastrophic pain, far too much tension and the inability to create consistent work from my horses.
What I found was that the most subtle of changes Jill created in my body had such a huge effect on my riding. It really is enlightening. I even began to find riding easy – I can do it! My confidence is growing and my back pain has gone and I’m beginning to achieve correct, consistent work from my horses.
This work is an investment in you and your horse and if you are seriously looking to improve your riding at any level (particularly if you are struggling with traditional teaching methods) I will almost guarantee that this work is the missing link.”.....Sally Webb
“I have ridden for many years on a great variety of horses and had lessons with some of our top trainers. I picked up enough to produce some reasonable work, some of the time, more by luck than judgment. No-one worked on me, the rider, they only told me how to get the horse going. It all fell apart as soon as I was on my own.
Jill Ray and the Alexander Technique have turned that around.
Jill has worked with me on the ground, to balance and re-align my body. I can now help my horses to work with me, not against me.
What I have gained from Jill’s tuition is much more energy. I waste less on keeping my body going in the old uncomfortable way. I can now collect myself and produce the work I always dreamt of.”.....Jo White
“I have always had a bad back, and I have never been able to do a decent sitting trot (when I tried to I would br crippled the next day!)
After participating in Jill's Introductory Course in the Alexander Technique my back dramatically improved, so did my riding. I found I could almost think 'left' or 'right' and my horse would oblige! The course made me far more aware of my body position and just how badly I had been using it.
I decided that a few lunge lessons might help me even more but my main aim was to try to achieve a decent sitting trot! Jill really teaches in a language that even I can understand and within my first lesson I felt like I'd learnt more than I had done for ten years! Three lessons later I can sit to the trot anf I feel balanced, relaxed and comfortable. I can even walk the next day without aching from head to toe!
Not only has Jill and the Alexander Technique helped my riding, my back is great, my temper is better because I'm not in so much pain, and my horse is better off all round.
Give A.T a try, you might even discover where your hip joints really are, I did.”.....Claire Nightingale
“Through Jill's teaching of the Alexander Technique from the ground, I have begun to understand the 'crookedness' that has haunted me for so long. At Last I am learning how to become 'straight' again.
Just over a year ago I bought my first 'very own' horse, a younster - a dream come true. Ironically it was my youngster, Riley, that made me need to address this crokedness and the way in which I rode him. What had been working with many other horses was, somehow, too much for him. After only 2 lunge lessons with Jill, my horse is starting to say 'thank God for that' and taking deep sighs of relief (I swear that he does Whispered Ah's with me), and he is suddenly moving forwards with a more relaxed back and longer stride.
I have never felt more 'with' a horse as at the end of a lunge lesson with Jill. Her awareness and observation of people is almost sixth sense, as is her sympaphetic and harmonious understanding of horses.
Riley not only enjoys me on the ground now but is also starting too enjoy me on his back. Thanks Jill.”.....Susi Maxfield
“Jill has helped both me and my horse immensely over the past year or so. I am in my mid-50's, so any sort of change was bound to be difficult! But I really wanted to help, as opposed to hinder, my horse's way of going. I had read about the Alexander Technique and it made a lot of sense to me in terms of getting my posture and riding position right. I started off with a series of lessons on the ground and, to be honest, found the adjustments hard to make, but, two years down the line, I am thinking about it less and doing it more instinctively. It's all about being able to recognise and individually control the seperate parts of your body, which play such a huge part in successful communication with your horse.
So now, after years of being ahead of the movement, and consequently pretty ineffectual, I am connected to the horse through my seatbones (well, most of the time!) and having a proper dialogue with him through my body. He has changed from being an unbalanced and somewhat unruly horse into aa obedient and soft personality. We do some affiliated eventing for fun, and recently have been achieving dressage marks in excess of 70% (around 40-50% had been more the norm prior to Jill's help). Because he is learning suppleness, he is so much easier to ride in any sphere and is a true delight to own.
Probably the most encouraging thing for me is that several of my riding colleagues have passed comment on how much better a rider I am now - what better recommendation could there be.”.....Sue Robertson