Lessons with Desiree
Enjoy this short video showing you how easy it is to work with Desiree and discover a better way to ride.
The importance of breathing
When I met Andrea and her horse Pummi, they were both in a state of panic, not the best place to start riding for either party. She was most concerned about how safe her mount was Observing them together I became aware that Andrea was not breathing correctly and this is a natural reaction to being worried. The horse of course could also sense that there was something amiss and responded with discomfort Not long after creating awareness of the problem and demonstrating some relaxation techniques rider and horse were already showing marked improvement.
Western Style Riders
I met Andrea and Stefan, professional Western Competition riders in Germany, when they were having a number of issues with their riding. I immediately noticed that there was tension in the riders that was causing restrictions in the horse and this was affecting their performance. Using my knowledge of body movement between horse and rider we started a corrective processes to make the riders more aware of their impact on the horse. Below is a statement from the riders themselves: Read more: Andrea and Stefan Giesecke
About Alexander Technique
What do Ronald Dahl, Aldous Huxley, Paul Newman and Sting all have in common? Not a lot may be a good answer, but they have all had lessons in the Alexander technique and have all spoken of the benefits they have received from the technique. This technique is subtly integrated into the Weightless Riding programme to enhance the riding experience. But what is the Alexander technique? The Alexander technique is often described as a breathing technique that involves the posture, but this is only a small part of it. It is much more about becoming aware of the way we use ourselves in every day activities. Without noticing, we all put an enormous amount of strain on our bodies and…
Physical Therapy for Horses
The therapeutic value of massage has been proven through many years. We can now give horses the benefit of manual therapy as well, improving their performance through enhancing the bloodflow and optimising their movement.Different massage techniques are used on muscles that cannot relax out of their own accord anymore. Many of the muscle problems come from orthopeadic complications or are the results of an injury or illness. On the other hand the problems can arise due to overworking the horse. Every time we use muscles there are small tears that appear, which is normal, and it is important that enough time is allowed for it to heal itself again. When we then want to increase the performance of the horse,…
Shoulders
There are a lot of ways our shoulders influence our riding. If we think that we communicate with the horse by saying we want our shoulders to be parallel to that of the horse, that is only the beginning. In the accompanying video clip, you will see how the rider drops her inside shoulder when she wants to turn her horse. This is then followed by collapsing in her ribcage on the same side which then means she is putting more weight on the inside. The horse will follow suit by having more weight on his inside shoulder and then “falling” over that shoulder. The most automatic response of the rider is to try and correct the horse’s shoulder by…
