Comments and Clinic Reports
see photos HERE
Rider / Auditor comments:
Showed
really well how to slow down a horse that wants to take off at a faster trot by
turning your body and jiggling your inside leg so your calf muscles are
connecting with the horse’s sides. It
slows the horse right down. Correct
posture helps your back in riding and walking if you have a back problem.
Doing
heart girth and belly lifts before saddling had my horse quieter (standing
still) for saddling. Enlightening to see
how opening / softening thighs took even more hollow from my lower back. Float loading improved when my pelvis was
rotated to ask him to lead past me!
I realise how much less is more!
Connected
Riding® Clinic Report
Held Kyneton 25 – 27 April 2008
by Jenny Spilsbury
What
is ‘Connected Riding®?
Connected
Riding® was formulated by an
American, Peggy Cummings, in an effort to overcome pain caused by injuries which
threatened to stop her riding altogether.
Connected
Riding® ‘is a holistic approach to
classical riding principles that bio-mechanically enhances freedom of movement
for the performance, health and longevity of both horse and rider.
In order for there to be self-carriage, flow, and brilliance in a horse’s
movement, a horse must be allowed to release at the poll, lift the back and
withers, telescope the neck and push through from the hindquarters in each
stride. The rider, whether working in hand from the ground or riding, must be
free in the joints to balance and receive the horse’s motion without bracing or
blocking the movement.
The techniques of Connected Riding® show riders how to find the place where the
body can automatically rebalance itself while influencing and moving with the
horse’s motion’. (From Peggy Cummings Connected Riding® website)
Peggy
Cummings conducted a three hour demonstration at Yering
in March – which gave those who attended an insight into what Connected Riding® is and how it can help us as riders to ride more
effectively but more importantly how it can help free our horse’s body and
movement.
This
created enough interest for Accredited Connected Riding® Instructor Trisha Wren
to come to
The
first clinic was held at Macedon Ranges Equestrian Centre near Kyneton over the Anzac weekend in April. Seven of nine
possible riding spots were filled and 3 auditors (participating spectators)
also attended the 3 day school.
Riders
and auditors covered such topics as human and horse body awareness, breathing
and how it influences our posture, postural awareness exercises, in pairs
without horses, clearly demonstrated the direct (and sometimes harsh and unpleasant)
effects of body and hands, on our horse’s mouth and body in general. Tension
release exercises for us and our horses, groundwork techniques to free our
horses from habitual bracing patterns and to better prepare them to carry a
rider with a soft and round back from the start had an amazing effect on the
horses. Riders then went on with position and posture in the saddle, and self
check techniques were followed by ridden
practise and
more practise. Trisha encouraged people to ask
questions and watch others, as everyone has different habits in their riding,
but the basics of good posture is applicable to all whatever level of riding or
equine discipline.
The
venue was perfect, with an communal viewing room and kitchen (with wood heater)
for the theory side of things and a lovely 60x20 indoor open to the east with
beautiful bush back drop and first rate facilities for horses.
Participants
were enthusiastic and all took much home to think about and practice. One
participant said of the Clinic, “My horse is a direct reflection of the
subconscious tension in my own body. When he sucked back and wouldn’t go
forward, I thought he was being difficult, and others said to “ride him through
it”, now I realise he was responding to my body’s
bracing and tension patterns. Tension I was aware of, but how to fix it? Now I
have those tools!”
Warragul Clinic Report
28-30 April 2008
by Sue McKibbin
Trisha Wren
held a brilliant 3 day clinic at the Warragul RDA
covered arena last week. Although the
torrential rain kept away many of the spectators who had planned to come the
six and a half riders and five auditors who braved the wintery
conditions were well rewarded. Through
explorations of subtle changes in posture they were able to experience for
themselves how to move more freely and easily, and how to be effortlessly
strong. When this was applied to riding
and their position on the horses, the riders sat securely in the saddle with
truly independent hands and legs and a deep balanced seat.
Trisha also
introduced ‘Connected Groundwork’ which helps the horse to learn to be
balanced, release tight muscles and move in self carriage before the rider gets
on his back.
Some of the
riders had their own physical issues such as scoliosis, arthritis and fibromyalgia. But they
were stunned at how much less pain and discomfort they had when in the right
posture, how their own standing and walking was more effortless, and how easily
they could influence their horses, on the ground and in the saddle.
Imagine, if
this Connected Riding work could help the riders feel so much freer and more
comfortable, how fantastic it would be to give the same freedom from tension,
comfort and forwardness of movement to our horses!
Trisha’s
clinic was held as a fundraiser and volunteer training for the Warragul RDA.