This clinic will explore Classical Equitation through an Emotional Horsemanship lens.

Classical Equitation is timeless. Trademarked by nobody, contributed to by everyone, and available for all horse people to study, question and interpret. At its core, classical equitation aims to develop the horse systematically, athletically and mentally over time through balance, clarity, gymnastic conditioning and refined communication between horse and rider.

Straightness, self carriage, lightness and suppleness are not trends. They are timeless developmental goals that belong to all horses and all horse people.

Emotional Horsemanship trains horse people to understand how horses feel, think and move, so that horses feel safe, seen and motivated inside their training and relationships with people. This also, is not a trend or fad. The understanding of horses rooted in systemic empathy and practical skill is a timeless developmental milestone that belongs to everyone.

Correctly listening to the horse is essential when developing them gymnastically. Feeling what the horse feels matters.

The horse’s internal experience of the work matters.

The tangible results of understanding your horse emotionally, matters too.

Classical Equitation and Emotional Horsemanship are naturally compatible with one another.

At this clinic, we will explore how classical techniques can bend, refresh and be re-examined so that the horse’s emotional and physical experience of the training is considered equally important to performance outcomes.

Practically, we will work on:

• Collection without coercion.
• Refinement without excessive leverage.
• Understanding when whips are, and are not, useful.
• Training safely with bits for physical development rather than control.
• Building real self carriage instead of held frames.
• Gymnastic development that the horse can genuinely participate in.

This is not anti-classical work.

It is classical work examined through a horse-first framework.