Peggy Cummings Clinics ~ Connected Riding
4-7 December 2009 – Cambridge
11-14 December 2009 - Waitoki, Auckland
Didn't make it? You missed 2 amazing clinics! I aim to post some before and after photos of each rider on here, to show you the huge progress each made over the very intensive 4 days. Meanwhile, here is some of the rider feedback. ps Peggy will be back same time next year; start paying your instalments now!
What a fantastic clinic! The structure of the clinic each day was excellent: beginning with working on our own posture and bodies, to working with human partners and experiencing what our horses feel, to finally bringing it all together and working with our horses. Being able to experience what our horses feel when we work with them in certain ways was a real eye opener – things like “meeting and melting” and “equal and opposing” – things that are so subtle and gentle, and yet so powerful. Observing the difference the “neutral position” made to our own bodies as well as to the way our horses moved was fascinating, as was learning how valuable groundwork is for our horses.
Before the clinic, I had made up my mind to sell my mare, as we didn’t seem to be clicking or bonding. I am so glad we went to the clinic as I would never have discovered what a really amazing pony she is or experienced the fantastic partnership we are now building. Even on our first ride after the clinic, the difference in her confidence and responsiveness was so noticeable, and we are now having so much fun on our rides together. There is still so much for us to learn and work on, but I am really glad we have started on the Connected Riding journey. Thank you so much Peggy and Trisha, for your ongoing support. I can’t wait for the next clinic!
The Connected Groundwork encourages the horse to build topline and softness in a non-aggressive way. The clinic has expanded the mind and body of this horse and rider.
Well worth the time and money. Fantastic. Learnt how to unlock the potential of my horse so that she will be a joy to ride. Great instruction, clear and concise, made you think about what you had to do and why. Definitely continuing our education with Connected Riding! Lots of work for myself first – learning to be a better rider. The journey has just started!
Less is more! How soft can you be?
Sometimes the small changes make a huge difference!
Oscillation and changing direction really helps with achieving the stretch.
There really is no need for spurs, contraptions of any kind – I know this, but it has been reassuring to learn it again.
Great clinic. Realising that my horse’s explosions were a result of being stuck has made me more confident to let her go forward.
My ‘Oh really!’ moments:
Giving my horse support by having a strong steady connection seemed to reassure him so he moved on more steadily.
I was thrilled to feel my horse lift when I ‘zipped up’ and hugged his barrel.
Lack of contact does not equal lightness.
As the clinic photographer over the last two days I was lucky enough to observe what was happening in more detail than I normally would have been able to. The last photo's of each horse on the last day told a huge story. Every one of them, regardless of what they had been working on, had the expression of quiet peace and silent thanks. Those pictures are truly worth 1000 words.
The other thing that struck a cord was the image of the "on the forehand vortex" . I was riding this morning and my horse got concerned about the silage bales that weren't there last time we rode that way (these things appear from nowhere, it's really quite confusing). As her head come up and neck went rigid, I just keep thinking "move, blow, breathe, zip up & rotate, meet & melt to stay out of that vortex, don't let it suck you in to going rigid too" I have been doing the breathe, rotate and meet & melt since I started connected riding with Trisha, but the added image of the vortex gave it an extra dimension & purpose. Thank you :)
I realised that all my effort and trying was achieving the opposite of my intentions. I didn’t need to try harder; I just needed to do Peggy’s simple things instead. It was easy. Less effort, more float, melt etc.
This way of riding (and the groundwork) means long term soundness for my horse’s body and my own body, when previously I’d thought I’d have to sell him because “I” couldn’t ride him correctly.
It broke my heart to realise that I hadn’t been a sensitive dance partner for my horse, but we soon found a rhythm in the connection and then the joy came back.
I was really disappointed when I came back to horse riding after a 28 year break and my idealistic hopes were dashed by horsemanship trainers telling me to “get tougher” / “don’t be so soft” etc. Peggy has re-inspired me to aim for a beautiful soft connection.
I rode in both clinics. I learned a huge amount at Cambridge. The group of riders all had some level of CR experience and the clinic moved a lot faster. The Auckland group had done comparatively little CR and so we went back to basics much more. That helped me to remember things I had forgotten or that I’d not ‘got’ in the first place, and brought a new layer / level of understanding. It was not just ‘rinse and repeat’; I needed to remember those basics to progress and unstick some of the deeper seated ‘stuckness’ in both my mare and myself.
Especially eye-opening (just as last time) was being re-balanced in the saddle and then feeling what that allowed and opened up in my mare.
It was also fantastic to have a smaller group and have Peggy / Trisha ride almost every day; to get on the horse every day yourself and feel / see the changes.
The groundwork allows my horse to learn what she is capable of, unlock what she is holding / bracing, and unstuck where she is stuck, so that when I get on she understands.
Putting together all the little pieces and feeling what the horse can do… I did this. Even if only one millisecond. It gives me a feeling of what we can achieve, what exists in the horse.
Connected Groundwork has shown me how to work with my horse without pushing and pulling! Every other technique, every other (non-connected riding) practitioner has taken me into a tug of war. I now feel that I have learnt the right way to work with my horse – Connected Riding and Groundwork has put the joy back in the journey!
My back’s been really sore since the clinic, but because it’s going right rather than going wrong. I popped in to see my osteopath and he was quite impressed with the change! He said Peggy must really know her stuff!
The clinic’s just been an absolute revelation to me, I am SO happy and relieved and overjoyed and inspired about what I learnt that I’m finding it hard to put into words. My horse seems to be on Cloud 9 too, he keeps dashing to see me when I go down to the fields, and he’d taken to merely wandering over in the past couple of years. It feels as though the magic of the bond we’d had in the earlier years is back.
I think the biggest thing for me was gaining an understanding of the fact that the things I was doing in between our lessons with you, (some common natural horsemanship practices and just riding in a way that was preventing my horse from working freely), were in fact undoing lots of the good work and were making it hard to get good hindquarter engagement and top line stretching. And the realisation that, yes, my horse is a reflection of me and my body, but that does not mean that my limitations (mild scoliosis) prevent me from being a good rider and getting the best out of my wonderful horse. This style of groundwork and riding is so accessible, so effective; those four days with Peggy have finally shown me that I can handle my horse and ride him lightly, softly in balance and harmony; despite working with numerous trainers this small wish had begun to feel like an impossible dream.
I came to my first Peggy Cummings clinic looking for a way to go forward with my young, freshly started horse. The ground work has given me the tools to help my young fellow learn how to use his body and legs correctly.
I now feel I can go on and ride this horse. I have also been given tools to change my posture for the better, for riding and day to day life! I can start to let go. I also feel I have a more positive outlook.
Thank you Peggy!
Connected Groundwork gives you the ability to access and become aware of tightness and bracing in both horse and rider.
Utilising the Connected Riding techniques minimises these barriers and allows movement to flow between horse and rider as it was intended.
I get off my horse and am no longer so exhausted; I can actually think about what I am trying to achieve.
For me not only a couple of light bulbs lit up but it was more like a firework of light bulbs.
I noticed my horse being more relaxed in the paddock and had a softer eye overall.
I am glad that I am finally starting to do effective rotations.
It confirmed that the horse reflects the rider and that it is the rider’s responsibility to get his / her body correct.
Doing the human to human work was invaluable and the sense of being a team and helping each other was great.
I realised this weekend that there is no point in learning other people’s training methods if a) I don’t understand the meaning behind them and b) I don’t pay attention to what I am doing with my body.
I am not going to progress with my horse unless I can balance my body and understand how that influences his body.
I realise how much I have switched my horse off through what I have been doing with my body. On day 1, I was worried that I wasn’t capable of changing it, but by the end of the clinic I realised that I will be able to.
The groundwork has made me aware of how much more effective I am when I use core strength and stillness rather than pushing and pulling!
Less is more!
If my lower back is released and in balance, everything else just starts to flow on from that. Really?!
I was considering giving up riding because I was so stuck it was no longer enjoyable for me and I was aware enough to see that my horse wasn’t enjoying it either. Now I feel I have a way forward, which is very exciting but also very hopeful and a great relief.
I attended my first Peggy Cummings Clinic because of my highly beneficial personal encounter with Feldenkrais 'Awareness Through Movement' classes. I travelled to these amazing experiences in the company of Trisha Wren, a Connected Riding instructor, who talked about how this approach to connecting with your horse incorporated Feldenkrais for horses. My attendance to the next Peggy Cummings Clinic was motivated by the deeply loving (almost spiritual) relationship I have developed with my horses simply by using the exercises as detailed in Peggy's book 'Connected Groundwork 1'. I'm not sure what the benefit for my horses will be this time apart from continual improvement in wellbeing. For me the recognition of the intent and sensitivity of touch displayed by Peggy's interaction with the horses was staggering and I'm sure my technique will improve as a result of this greater awareness. I impatiently await the publication of Peggy's book Groundwork 2.
Rider / Auditor Feedback from Peggy's 2008 clinics:
Cambridge, 8-10 March
Great clinic, I would love to have been able to afford to bring my horse along! Peggy gave great instructions and practical examples – it was great to see the changes in the horses and riders over the 3 days.
Thanks for coming out to NZ and sharing so much with us! I had a fantastic time; it was great to revisit a lot of things I had learnt via Sally Swift’s books and find that there was so much more to learn. You have a wealth of knowledge and the ability to share it in a way that everyone can understand. I look forward to the next visit and in the fleeting moments that I get to be with my horse I’ll put into practise as much as I can of the things I have learnt in the last few days.
Really awesome to meet Peggy. So very observant. Body awareness great. So much to work on but I feel I am further along on my journey and I feel armed with much more awareness so I feel more empowered; and so great to have Trisha to support me on my journey. Really loved the supportive environment. Really great seeing Peggy ride the various horses. And much more – can’t wait till next year when Peggy comes back! Clinic not long enough; 4 days would have been great. So many things to take on board; would have been really good to have a day to consolidate etc. All in all a wonderful clinic – thank you Trisha, and Peggy for coming all this way and your support.
Major learning – my posture. Thank you, thank you; it’s been bugging me for ages. I knew something wasn’t right but couldn’t isolate what. Feeling of energy from engaged ab’s. Feeling the glorious subtleties and the amazing way by the end my body was retaining the feel. Clinic structure – very good, great for auditors as they were really included. A good blend of theory + practical demo’s and riding for the riders. Size of each group gave most people lots of attention; great watching others ride.
I feel really happy with what I achieved; awesome feel. Plenty of support and help with all the new techniques. Friendly happy place to be at, beautiful weather and view. Thank you both for such an awesome time. Look forward to your return visit, Peggy.
Very inspiring – good approach of putting concepts into easy to understand language with simple exercises to reinforce the message. Good way of pointing out the differences in horses and how to approach different types of problems. Peggy incorporates several ‘methods’ in a harmonious way and offers a rather ‘osteopathic’ approach to horse training. I liked the pointing out of the ‘energetic’ components to horse riding / groundwork. Really enjoyed it, learned heaps and remembered heaps. I am keen to go home and practice this. Thank you Peggy.
The clinic was fantastic. I learned a lot, mainly about myself and my posture etc. I also learned heaps about the horse though. I was very impressed by Peggy’s empathy with the horses. As an auditor my needs were most certainly met, Peggy and Trisha were very friendly, helpful and hospitable. Next year I want to bring my horse. The amount of horses in the arena at the same time was perfect. I’ve seen too many clinics where horses have been jam packed in – it was hair raising! Thank you for a wonderful weekend.
Great learning curve! Peggy confirmed and clarified Trisha’s lessons. I would have liked another day. I would really like to carry on from here next time Peggy visits. My horse has improved greatly over the 3 days and I know we have a lot of homework. Loved it!!
My back is forever grateful for your back breathing and crease stuff. The one (un)fortunate thing that has come out of all of this is that I have to get a new saddle! Will have to try it all out now!
It was amazing, never knew we could change this quickly, in such a short time. It feels so good, and heaps more to work on, and things will change only for the better. It opened my eyes more, to see what I can to help my horse. Breath – posture. Thank you very much.
Enjoyed; have lots to work on with my horse.
Most of all I learned how to let go! Let ME go, not my horse, and therefore achieve softness and balance. 4 day clinic next time please! Really liked the format, in hindsight all the people exercises are needed before introducing a horse.
After clinic feedback:
The energy, enthusiasm and passion that Peggy brings to her clinic was truly amazing. And what was even more amazing it was un wavering - the same energy was sustained from the first minutes right through to the last - not an easy thing to do at all. I came away thinking - I want what what she has got - a great motivator and one feels inspired to join her journey.
The arena and view are just magic, three beautiful days with two amazing instructors, thank you both, and Ian for all his help also. After riding the last couple of days (post clinic), I had this scary thought, what do I do with all this new energy? Ride it into connection of course, how easy is that!!
This journey of mine is just starting but I can see changes already and “success breeds success”. I have had much less lower back pain since your clinic as I am thinking about my posture continually. The realization that correct abdominal breathing activates the deep traverse core muscles was a light bulb moment for me. The most exciting and rewarding moment for me (riding my own horse in Oz after the clinic) was when I experienced the thought that I could do this for ever – it required such little effort to have him soft, and there was no resistance from him. So Trisha, thanks again for making it possible and allowing me to share the NZ experience.
Dear Peggy and Trisha,
I have been dying to let you know how pleased I am that I attended the clinic and had the lesson afterwards.
The greatest breakthrough for me was finally understanding what it is to ride from my core! Centred, grounded, Tai Chi, Alexander Technique, deep breathing, bottom weighting.....nothing seemed to explain to me what it is to ENGAGE my core. The buoy and seeing you ride later did the trick for me. And suddenly I have pictures of people riding like that popping up in my mind...........how did I miss it!!
But there is a whole list of things that are working a treat for me:
I can now 'see' a horse, see the tension AND have been able to release a lot of it, I love this TTOUCH, my horses are grateful so far (and I am, tried it on myself, never a fan of massages I thought this was bliss!). Have a reference in my seemingly carefree 4 year old, who does not have a lot of tension and bracing, I think! I am very grateful, Peggy, you pointed out the tension behind the ears. This and some other work on the face have relaxed my mare's mouth enormously.
My riding has improved a lot! I thought it would take a lot of thinking but so far it is nearly coming naturally, my body is saying THANK YOU and things seem to fall into place. Releasing the crease and using that core seems to do it all. Still have to work on the reflexes though.
My feet automatically look for the right place in the stirrups. My saddle with the adjustments is working well enough for now and is allowing my legs to hang better and is giving me better contact with the saddle.
On my other horse rounding up the cows, I actually sensed the feeling of cantering in that same circle of energy as the horse, something Mark Rashid talked about ..
I could have never imagined how 'drawing the bow' and 'combing the reins' work so well on horseback (and on the ground). Owning the elbows is going down very well too! And initiating movement with the body.
The only thing I seem to be less proficient in is leading with contact. I am probably still pushing or pulling, but I think it is also a mental 'block'. As Trisha knows I am fascinated by Klaus Hempfling who works nearly solely with body language. (I would say that working from your core will have the body language sorted a great deal) I often use his style of groundwork to exercise and relax my horses and they seem to follow me (connect) without lead or just a loose one. I do my S's like that. Any comment on this would be most appreciated. I must say when I realised why you do the things that you do (to stop those nasty 'P' s !!!) you had my full attention. I undid the 'good' of my groundwork with my riding. Did not get the body language right on the horse and still got the "P's in. Although it is all a bit crude still, not quite 'Mary Poppins' yet, it has been very effective so far. Wow. Peggy, meeting you and seeing you work has been a great privilege and a very humbling experience. As I have said before, you have given me the tools to fulfil that 'dream'............you absolutely made my day with your comment about my horse Tara: “you can really dance with this horse..........". It's up to me now.
Waitoki, 14-16 March
Peggy Cummings Clinic exceeded all expectations. As good as, and complementary to Mark Rashid's clinic.
Venue excellent - Michelle had everything well organised, a weatherproof area for lectures, good safe day paddocks for our horses, and a welcome cup of coffee and socialising at lunchtime.
Lesson format excellent - theory first thing before the brain got overloaded and then putting it into practice during the rest of the clinic. It was a revelation to discover that, while I knew that my riding position would need correcting, my posture on foot also needed correcting. Peggy got us all walking so that we had both an anchor (our lower body from the hip joint down) and a buoy (Our upper body from the hip joint up.)
Peggy assessed us all individually whilst sitting in a saddle on a saddle stand. We were able to compare our stability and freedom of movement between our usual position and our new, correct anchor and buoy position. We tested ourselves and each other to determine the difference in feel. This translated to a clear understanding of what an independent seat actually is and the resulting stability in the saddle and allowance of the upper body to move much more freely. Peggy, like Mark Rashid, also demonstrated with each of us on the ground, the difference between pulling and holding the reins, again a revelation to all of us I think. (Just changing these two things alone caused a positive difference in my horse's way of going.) Peggy's teaching is clear and easy to understand and apply.
Ridden lessons: We split into groups of three and four and on the last day into pairs, learning to use our calves in an upward jiggle to ask for movement rather than squeezing - much more pleasant for the horse and it works. I spent part of my final lesson reviewing saddle fit. This was also a worthwhile exercise.
Trisha I can't thank you enough for bringing Peggy out here. I have taken away many new useful "tools" to use and am looking forward to my next lesson with you next month so that I can show you our progress.
