Note about the 'Straight-Forward-Riding' book. This popular little book has been out of print for some time. Carol and Lesley hope to do a new version as soon as they can and updates on the progress will be posted on the News Page.
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‘Straight-Forward-Riding’ is the name that Carol Brett and Lesley Ann Taylor gave to their first book on riding when it was
first published in 1998. It is also the title they most commonly use when they present Riding Workshops and Clinics.
Riding is a human invention. Many horses choose to participate in this ‘game’, but it should not be assumed that every
horse is a willing participant. Nor should it be assumed that we have the right to ride without a sense of responsibility
to learn to interact with the horse and to ride in a respectful and ‘considered’ way.
For much of the time we have spent together on the planet, the relationship between human and horse has been that of
master/servant. The assumption has been that the human element of the partnership has the right to assume dominance
and supremacy.
However, this is changing and people are searching for more satisfying ways in which to spend time with the horses in
their lives. Sometimes this has led to the rider becoming totally vague in their riding, for fear of offending the horse
or getting it wrong. This is no more supportive a relationship than the one where the rider is totally dominant. As in
so many things in life, the key is finding a balance!
There is a place where there is an equal and respectful co-operation or partnership between the horse and the rider.
From this place both horse and rider can help each other to engage and express their life purpose in a full and joyful
way.
There are literally thousands of books, videos, lectures and trainers who can give you their version of what is the best
way to ride your horse. How do you decide which way is appropriate for you and your horse?
We would suggest that when you have acquired an understanding of what the horse needs bio-mechanically, in order to
participate in the act of being ridden without compromising his own safety and comfort, you will then be able to be
more discerning about which of the many riding theories and practices are supportive and which are destructive.
Therefore: -
- Let us consider the impact that we have on the horse when we climb on his back.
- Let us look at what we need to do in order to become ‘easy’ for the horse to carry.
- Let us consider how we can learn to ride in a way that doesn’t suppress the horse’s energy (life force) and desire to express
himself through movement.
To these ends, the BALANCE co.-founders Carol Brett and Lesley Ann Taylor have developed an approach to teaching riders
which uses both dismounted techniques which some describe as a kind of ‘virtual riding’, and actual riding sessions. With
a great deal respect for the Feldenkrais Method®, Carol and Lesley incorporate many of the principles
found in Awareness
Through Movement® teachings, which creates an excellent basis of self-learning through a greater awareness of balance,
co-ordination and efficiency in movement.
As well as the continuing increase in knowledge they gain through continually working with many different horses and
riders, Carol and Lesley have spent a considerable amount of time with one of the worlds leading
authorities on Equine bio-mechanics Gavin Scofield D.O. This has made it possible for horses to communicate their
needs in a direct and reliable way through his unique abilities.
In his work, he helps horses who have become compromised in their movement, posture and health through some of the
external influences that they are commonly subjected to from their environment……..including their interaction with humans.
For example, the activity of riding can bring pleasure, stimulus and increased levels of athleticism to both the rider
and the horse, but modern understanding teaches us, that it also has a tendency to disturb the horse’s natural balance
and co-ordination. In turn, this can, if not addressed, create patterns of stress and tension which can lead to many
training, soundness and health problems.
Carol and Lesley have been aware of this for some time and are therefore, constantly striving to increase their
understanding of what ridden horses need from their riders and impart this to others through their teaching/training
skills.
One of the most important aspects of their approach is to help riders understand and appreciate the potential impact
that any rider can have on their horse’s balance, simply by innocently sitting on his back!
It is important to understand that as soon as the horse is asked to carry the weight of the rider in an unbalanced
state, which usually means that there is too much weight being supported by the front limbs, he is in a precarious
place, where injury and stress to tendons, ligaments, bone surfaces, feet etc. are much more likely. This loss of
balance disturbs normal patterns of co-ordination and creates abnormal posture and movement and even less efficiency
in organs and systems in the body e.g. respiratory and digestive systems because the organs themselves are not
supported in the correct way/alignment. Thus a horse ridden in a way that fails to re-dress the imbalance
that the rider creates, is likely to end up with all manner of illnesses and lameness that are so common as to be
accepted as a normal part of most ridden horses lives!
Carol and Lesley are able use a wealth of experience and their individually acquired skills to help the rider to
stimulate and support their horse in ways that enable him to redress the loss of balance and to recover to a state
of poise, engagement and expressiveness, in partnership with his rider. This process moves the act of riding towards
having, an almost, ‘therapeutic’ effect on the horse, enabling him to achieve levels of self expression and life
purpose not always attainable without the challenges and stimulation that partnership with a human can provide.
Gavin Scofield D.O. uses an excellent phrase to help define the state of being that riders and trainers alike need
to be aware of. He refers to the "3 Dimensional Point of Balance". This is not a static point that one finds and
then hangs onto, rather it is a point in space which the movement and posture needs to oscillate through
and around.
* Note about the ‘Straight-Forward-Riding book’. This popular little book is currently out of print, but it is hoped
that a revised version will be available towards the end of 2003. We will let you know as we have further news on this.
There are two formats used to present the Straight Forward Riding information to riders. Both are based on a full day
(or two half days) of a Dismounted Workshop followed by either a Riding Clinic, or Riding Demo.
One full day of dismounted explorations and learning. This section can be divided into two sessions if easier i.e. a
3hr evening session followed by a 3hr session the following morning.
The purpose of this ‘day’ is to enable participants to gain a clear understanding of the principles and reasons behind
the way Carol and Lesley teach. This is a highly interactive Workshop. It also provides the opportunity to explore
co-ordination, balance and feel by using simple equipment and learning techniques away from the horse.
| The ‘3 Dimensional Point of Balance’ |
What is it? Why do we need to know about it? How can we move towards it? |
| The Contacts (creating a supportive environment) |
How to use a combination of qualities in the contacts to make them acceptable and beneficial to the horse. |
| Speed/Rhythm (longitudinal balance) |
Understanding the relationship between speed, tempo and engagement i.e. degrees of collection. |
| Straightness (lateral balance) |
Understanding the effect of bend on the horse’s balance and ability to engage. |
| Communicating with the whole body (the aids) |
Being able to provide clarity and consistency by using whole body awareness. |
| Impulsion |
When to add more power to the equation, and when not to! |
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Having completed the Dismounted Workshop the format shifts to enable participants to see and/or experience the Straight
Forward Riding principles.
| Format (a) Two Day follow-up |
The organiser sets things up to allow participants from the Dismounted Workshop to ride one-on-one with
Carol and/or Lesley in a follow-up Riding Clinic, on their own horses.
Obviously, places are limited by the number of people that Carol and/or Lesley can teach, within the time
frame allowed. Those who can’t ride can audit, but auditors in this format need to learn what they can from
what they observe, as there is not usually sufficient time to address them directly. We recommend that riders
have two riding sessions before going home to make the most effective use of the time.
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| Format (b) One Day follow-up |
The organiser sets things up to enable participants from the Dismounted Workshop to attend and observe a
Riding Demo where 3-4 volunteer riders (who must also have attended the Dismounted Workshop) will have riding
sessions in front of the ‘audience’.
This can be done over a day and each session can be as long as it needs to be in order to show the audience,
and allow the riders to explore, a good range of commonly experienced riding/training issues. In this case,
the ‘instructor’ can address the audience’s questions as they come up and, if helpful, remind them of some
of the explorations done during the Dismounted Workshop. Although this format does not allow so many people
to ride, it creates the potential for more people to get exposure to the practical application of the Straight
Forward Riding principles before going home to play with their own horses.
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Demand for these Dismounted Workshops and Riding Clinics/Demo’s is high and bookings need to be made well in advance.
Please note. Carol and Lesley will usually only present these riding events in areas where they have previously presented
a BALANCE Saddling System, ‘Saddling For Success’ Lecture/Demo/Clinic.
If you are interested in exploring what it takes to organise a Straight Forward Riding event, or a ‘Saddling For Success’
event, please get in touch with the main BALANCE office with your ideas and we can send you a ‘Guideline for Organisers’
which explains things in more depth.
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