Comment

Comment by Andre Steenkamp on July 30, 2009 at 10:25am

I think Shaka (my white horse) has a secrete desire to be a brown horse - he found the largest and deepest mud puddle in the paddock and rolled in it. He is now white from one side and completely brown from the other.

Comment by Mary McGuire Smith on July 30, 2009 at 8:48am

Oh, I see! I thought you applied the Feldenkrais method (as in chiropractic body-work?) in your teaching (dressage)--and as I read it now you actually practice the Feldenkrais method as your primary business with people who both ride and don't ride? Sorry for the confusion--it was late last night when I was reading the post. And if I got it wrong this morning, I have no excuse! LOL

Comment by Sit_the_Trot on July 30, 2009 at 2:27am

I guess I wouldn't say I teach people dressage because that relates to horses. But helping people to become more balanced, symmetrical, overall stronger and more flexible and fluid in their movement AND ALSO become more aware of themselves and how they move is much like what we do in dressage with horses. And I do it in the same way classical riders teach dressage--by entering in a mutual learning environment and helping the student to learn more their full range of movement potential. Isn't this what we do with horse's? For example I have a horse that never did a flying change in pasture, he'd change in front and not in back. I taught him to be more balanced and straight in the canter and eventually taught him flying changes. Now he is much more aware of himself and has greater potential--and he does flying changes in pasture without a bobble. The work I do with people opens up their potential and brings them to a heightened awareness of possibility for their own balance, movement and flexibility and then they move with more ease and comfort and athleticism..

Comment by Mary McGuire Smith on July 29, 2009 at 9:49pm

Hi, Sit-the-trot! That is great that you help people with their position in motion! Welcome to the group. Since you said you "sort of" teach people dressage (I know what you mean! LOL), you might find my latest blog interesting. It is at http://iridedressage.blogspot.com I think you will find it interesting in light of your take on what you do (and I think that we all, as instructors, do--or should do--what you do ). :-) Please also let me know your thoughts! Feel free to comment there and/or here. I would love to start a discussion about this subject!

Comment by Sit_the_Trot on July 29, 2009 at 8:11pm

Fanatics? YES! I love dressage--there's so much to learn, always more to figure out with each horse--great to meet you all. I also teach dressage to equestrians--well sort of, I teach movement to riders so they can better move in harmony and in balance with their horses -- when you are in balance and fluid in your movement it makes riding the horse so much easier it's amazing. I studied Feldenkrais, learned to let go of tension and sit the trot! and started teaching riders. I have SitTheTrot.com and post blogs with movement lessons and info on improving balance and symmetry. I also teach endurance horses dressage and their owners how to keep their horse's using themselves better--makes for a more comfy ride--and you know, us Feldenkrais practitioners are all about comfort and fluency in movement. In the pic you see Bugsie my 5 yr old Clydes/QH, me, and my table.

Comment by Andre Steenkamp on July 29, 2009 at 1:16pm

I'll share the good and the bad

Comment by Mary McGuire Smith on July 29, 2009 at 12:19pm

Hi Andre! Great to have you here! We all share our trials, tribulations, and triumphs here! I hope you will be comfortable to share yours, as well! LOL--I think our horses have the patience of angels with all of us. ;-)

Comment by Andre Steenkamp on July 29, 2009 at 10:01am

Hi Everybody - I have been doing dressage for 6 months; My horse is far better at being a horse than I am at being a rider. We are muddling through together - with lots of patience and laughs.

Comment by Ann Hatfield on July 12, 2009 at 12:45am

Can't claim to be a fanatic but enjoy very basic dressage. I have ridden a test under Jan, a member of this site, tried to get in to board in her stable one year so as to take lessons in the winter; she was booked solid with clients already there. She is an excellant judge, and, I understand a super instructor.

I am a peasant in the dressage world, schooling in a flat spot in the pasture or at friend's rings when I can, and schooling on the trail. It makes it more difficult but it is possible.

Years ago, when I rode some endurance, some of the best international endurance horses were well schooled in dressage and were expected by their riders to do entire races in a reasonable frame, not hollowed out as my old Polish Arab and many other endurance horses seem to want to travel.

Odd as this may sound, I am raising some sport mules and mules have been allowed into the top-flight dressage shows in th US. It will be very interesting to try this. Mules are extremely athletic, despite their shorter necks. If you want to see mules, and a donkey or two, doing dressage and jumping go to the website belonging to Meredith Hodges. She competes, judges and raises top quality mules at the Lucky 3 Ranch in CO.

Comment by Catherine Chamberlain on June 27, 2009 at 8:09pm

Welcome Rachel! Great to have a new member! :)

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