Ride in Balance

08/02/2026

Mit yndlingsemne? Vores nervesystem. Hvorfor? Fordi det styrer ALT. ALT. Der er ingen vej udenom, ingen genveje. Hvis man ønsker at styre sine egne opfattelser og reaktioner, må man starte med det autonome nervesystem. Uden en grundlæggende forståelse for vores nervesystems indflydelse på vores liv og dermed også samværet med vores hest, bliver det umuligt at påvirke og reagere afbalanceret på vores hestes udfordringer.
Et eksempel: Vores hest har et problem, når vi rider. Den spænder op på højre side. Det kan have mange årsager, som både kan ligge i det ydre (omgivelsesstimuli, sadeludstyr osv.), i vores samspil (både vores krop og hestens krop) og naturligvis også i hestens hidtidige erfaringer med os eller andre mennesker.
Men det kan også helt og holdent være vores egen skyld: Selv små ubalancer, fysiske eller mentale spændinger i os selv og manglende opmærksomhed på de fine signaler, som hesten tidligere har sendt, kan få heste til at reagere med spændinger.
For at finde ud af, hvad der er årsagen til hestens spændinger, må vi starte MEGET tidligere end i den aktuelle situation. I ridetimerne arbejder man som regel med symptomerne, ikke årsagerne. Og det er netop problemet. Uden viden og fin fornemmelse fører det ikke til det ønskede resultat, uanset hvor meget tid og penge vi investerer.
Den 18. februar starter det næste dansk-sprogede Neurocentric Healing-grundkursus online. Over otte aftener lærer du de vigtigste grundlæggende principper i vores nervesystem at kende. Der er forskellige øvelser og Transforming Intentional Touch® (en behandlingsform, hvor stresscentrene aktiveres og afspændes), så alle kan begynde at omgås deres hest bedre gennem bedre selvregulering. Al viden kan overføres 1:1 til hesten, så der skabes et godt grundlag for en finere, stærkere og mere sikker forbindelse mellem os og vores hest.
I marts starter der også igen tysksprogede kurser. Hvis du er interesseret, så skriv til mig, så sætter jeg dig på ventelisten.
Kontakt og yderligere oplysninger: www.iriswinkler.dk

04/12/2025

Praktikumsplatz zu besetzen! Wir leben auf einem wunderschön gelegenen Pferdehof auf der kleinen Ostseeinsel Ærø. Neben meinen 5 Warmblutstuten wohnen hier auch 4 Einstellerponies, zwei Schafe, unsere drei Hunde und 7 Katzen.
Neben dem gesund erhaltenden und feinen Pferdetraining unterrichte ich Reiter und Nichtreiter auf ihrem Weg zu mehr Balance. Ich bin Reitlehrerin der Schule der Légèreté, Sitztrainerin der Sibylle Wiemer Akademie, Neuroathletiktrainerin, Trauma-Coach sowie Transforming Touch® Practitioner.
Da ich zum einen in meiner verfügbaren Zeit Pferde trainieren und unterrichten möchte, zum anderen regelmäßig ca. 1 Woche im Monat unterwegs bin, suche ich eine Unterstützung im Stall und bei der Versorgung der Pferde. Wir haben viele Jahre Praktikantinnen gehabt, die zwischen 3 und 12 Monaten bei uns gewohnt haben und gegen Kost und Logis sowie Unterricht die Versorgung der Pferde übernommen, mich beim Training unterstützt und in meiner Abwesenheit vom Hof weitgehend selbständig vertreten haben. Wir hatten aber auch schon eine auf Dauer angelegte Wohngemeinschaft im Sinne von Wohnen gegen Hand (bis private Umstände einen Umzug zurück nach Deutschland erforderten).
Ab Januar suchen wir nun wieder eine belastbare Nachfolge für die Praktikantin, die Mitte Januar ihr Praktikum beendet. Wer schon Pferde versorgt hat, weiß, dass es ein gewisses Maß an Körperkraft und Belastbarkeit erfordert, da auch bei schlechtem Wetter und wenn es mal nicht so gemütlich draußen ist, alle Pferde versorgt sein wollen.
Wir wünschen uns eine Person, die Tiere liebt (ist ein MUSS) und zuverlässig und naturverbunden ist. Wir essen vegan und haben einen großen Gemüsegarten, mit dem wir uns weitgehend selbst versorgen (und auch das klappt leider nur, wenn man Arbeit investiert).
Wir wollen zwar keine Gesinnungspolizei sein und können auch gut mit Nicht-Veganern zusammen wohnen, AFD-Anhänger oder ähnlich rechte Gesinnung können wir aber nicht in unserer Nähe ertragen. Ich schreibe das nicht, um jemanden zu ärgern, sondern um klarzustellen, mit wem wir uns ein Zusammenwohnen NICHT vorstellen können. Daher einfach weiter scrollen statt sich angegriffen zu fühlen.
Es steht ein schönes Zimmer mit eigenem Bad und eine Küche zur Verfügung, die gegebenenfalls mit einer weiteren Person geteilt wird, falls mal beide vorhandenen Zimmer belegt sein sollten. Ich wünsche mir einen Mindestaufenthalt von 3 Monaten, bin aber auch für kürzere Aufenthalte offen, solange die Stelle noch nicht besetzt ist.
Bei ehrlichem Interesse bitte mit einer ausführlichen Beschreibung der eigenen Motivation und Möglichkeiten melden. Anfragen wie "Hallo, ich hätte Interesse, bitte mehr Info” beantworte ich nicht, da die Eckdaten ja schon im Text genannt wurden. Ich kann mir leider auch keine Angestellten leisten, daher ist dies ein nicht gewerbliches Angebot.
Ich freue mich auch, wenn Ihr das Angebot mit eventuell interessierten Personen teilt. Danke!

03/12/2025

Unfortunately it is still necessary to explain why the world that horses are facing in modern sports is destroying their beauty, their nature, their souls. I hope that many people listen and learn to read their horses instead of following instructions from "successful" trainers. In my world successful is measured by the horses well-being and not international awards...

Philippe Karl, renowned rider and teacher of French classical riding, shares his passionate critiques of modern dressage riding, and discusses how we can train according to the nature of the horse, and what differentiates the French classical tradition. Philippe Karl has been riding and teaching for...

18/06/2025

Why it's too late when the horse bolts...

The horse's nervous system, like that of all mammals, is equipped with three survival strategies: fight, flight and freeze.

What do the three survival strategies mean for our horses?

As flight animals, horses are initially always programmed to flee. This is therefore the first survival strategy I would like to address.

If horses perceive a danger that they classify as threatening, the distance decides whether they wait or immediately put enough space between themselves and the potential danger (neck up and stand still to be able to classify the danger with all their senses or just the immediate jump to the side).

In the first case, the body is clearly ready to flee, the muscles are tensed, breathing rate and pulse increased, attention is 100% focused on the danger (and not on the person on the back). This instinctive behavior is controlled by the brain stem and the neocortex is only available to a limited extent, if at all. The part of the brain with conscious thinking, in which signals of the rider are stored, cannot be activated at that moment. Communication with the horse is only possible again when the tension subsides or attention can be turned away from the object of danger.

Interactions with the horse that cause pain understandably increase stress and are therefore unsuitable for relaxing the situation.

So what do we do when we are sitting on 700kg live weight and running machine and suddenly the steering, gas and brakes fail?

Firstly, it is helpful to calm yourself. Our tension is always transferred to our horse. If we have not practiced relaxing our nervous system beforehand using simple techniques, we will not succeed in the event of danger - our brain stem also takes control of our body.

I want to create awareness of the connections between our reactions and the reactions of our horses and the nervous system. Knowing and understanding how we and our horses are controlled is the basis for the motivation to train and change things. Targeted exercises for our nervous system are the basis for our ability to regulate our nervous system. Riding is risky and only a pleasure when we and our horses are relaxe

18/06/2025

Why it's too late when the horse bolts...
The horse's nervous system, like that of all mammals, is equipped with three survival strategies: fight, flight and freeze.
In my opinion, it is immensely important for our own lives to know a little more about our nervous system, as it controls us and our health and well-being.
However, as horse people, our knowledge should not end with us, but should also be transferred to our horse. The better we understand our horses, the easier our time together will be. I come across so many misunderstandings in riding arenas. Unfortunately, many professionals and riding instructors have no idea why horses and their riders react the way they do and how to change this.
My aim is to impart knowledge about our own and our horses' nervous systems and put it into practice so that we can ride in balance.
What do the three survival strategies mean for our horses?
As flight animals, horses are initially always programmed to flee. This is therefore the first survival strategy I would like to address.
If horses perceive a danger that they classify as threatening, the distance decides whether they wait or immediately put enough space between themselves and the potential danger (neck up and stand still to be able to classify the danger with all their senses or just the immediate jump to the side).
In the first case, the body is clearly ready to flee, the muscles are tensed, breathing rate and pulse increased, attention is 100% focused on the danger (and not on the person on the back). This instinctive behavior is controlled by the brain stem and the neocortex is only available to a limited extent, if at all. The part of the brain with conscious thinking, in which signals of the rider are stored, cannot be activated at that moment. Communication with the horse is only possible again when the tension subsides or attention can be turned away from the object of danger.
Interactions with the horse that cause pain understandably increase stress and are therefore unsuitable for relaxing the situation.
So what do we do when we are sitting on 700kg live weight and running machine and suddenly the steering, gas and brakes fail?
Firstly, it is helpful to calm yourself. Our tension is always transferred to our horse. If we have not practiced relaxing our nervous system beforehand using simple techniques, we will not succeed in the event of danger - our brain stem also takes control of our body.
Preparation is also the most important part for horses. On the one hand, we need to notice very early when our horse starts to tense up so that we can intervene before the system is flooded with stress hormones. On the other hand, there are rein aids such as lifting the hands and acting on the corners of the mouth, which trigger the chewing reflex and cause the horse's neck muscles to relax briefly (an important signal to the brain stem). Bending the neck and turning away from the danger also helps to release the tension and turn the horse's focus away from the danger. If we haven't practiced this thousands of times before, we too will react reflexively and won't be able to help our horse any further. In the event of danger, our hands automatically pull back and down, squeezing the horse's tongue and the muscle tension in our legs has an additional threatening effect, as the horse can no longer move freely. This often fatally leads to bucking in combination with flight movements.
I want to create awareness of the connections between our reactions and the reactions of our horses and the nervous system. Knowing and understanding how we and our horses are controlled is the basis for the motivation to train and change things.
I explain and show how we can best prepare ourselves and our horse for such situations in my lessons and in an online course I am currently working on. With its horse-friendly aids, the school of Légèreté provides the basis for this. Targeted exercises for our nervous system are the basis for our ability to regulate our nervous system. Riding is risky and only a pleasure when we and our horses are relaxed.

08/06/2025

It is so important for riders to have a regulated nervous system! Why don't we talk about that more often?
If riders are stressed or in survival mode, this greatly affects their horses. Riding well therefore also means having a balanced nervous system. All horses are sensitive. Much more sensitive than most people can imagine. In order to survive, horses have often learned to adapt. Some freeze and are then called lazy buffaloes, others are constantly on the run and are labeled as scaredy-cats or hypersensitive. Horses are just horses. As flight animals, they are very sensitive and programmed for survival. How we deal with this makes us good horse people or just the other kind of rider.
To be able to ride well, we need to be balanced. In all three "areas", body, soul and spirit, which are always mentioned separately and yet are inextricably interwoven. I have studied the nervous system a lot over the past 5 years and now integrate this knowledge into my lessons, just as I integrate the biomechanics of the rider and the horse.
That's why I share articles here that I write for everyone, whether they ride or not. Because a nervous system in balance helps everyone. Ourselves, our horses, our family and everyone we deal with. Please share the knowledge.
This article is about the use of resources.

Hvad er dine sutter i hverdagen? (English/German version in the comments)

Vores nervesystem er klogt. Det sikrer vores overlevelse. Altid. For at kunne gøre det, lærer den gennem hele livet.
Det er især de ting, der opfattes og føles i truende situationer, som huskes. Det er irrelevant, om situationen virkelig er truende eller blot opleves som en trussel. Hvornår noget opleves som en trussel, afhænger af alder og tidligere erfaringer.
Det er også grunden til, at vi husker negative oplevelser så godt.

For spædbørn er det naturligvis livstruende at blive forladt. Et spædbarn ville aldrig kunne overleve uden sin omsorgsperson. Det er derfor helt normalt, at en baby begynder at græde, når den bliver lagt ned og pludselig ligger stille uden fysisk kontakt med sin mor eller en anden omsorgsperson.
Hvis at græde ikke sørger for at babyen bliver taget op igen, går babyen i en tilstand af frys, som er nervesystemets tredje overlevelsesmekanisme efter kamp eller flugt. Frys er en "spil død"-refleks, som på den ene side har til formål at gøre byttet uattraktivt for angribere, men også at slukke for smertefornemmelsen . I "spil død"-refleksen er vejrtrækningen overfladisk, kropstemperaturen sænkes, og alle kropsfunktioner reduceres til et absolut minimum. Der er meget at sige om denne tilstand, men i dag vil jeg gerne fokusere på noget andet.

Da vores nervesystem bruger hele livet på at lære, hvad der er farligt, er det nyttigt at kunne slappe aktivt af igen og igen.

At sutte en baby ved brystet eller flasken er forbundet med kontakt. Kontakt betyder tryghed. Og tryghed betyder at føle sig godt tilpas. Babyer har derfor altid suttet på deres små hænder og senere på deres tommelfingre. De ældste "suttefund" (selv om det kun var stofposer) kommer fra Egypten og er omkring 4500 år gamle.
Konceptet med at bruge en sut til at berolige en baby slutter aldrig. Babyer bliver beroliget med sutter, og i vores moderne samfund bliver de senere beroliget med slik eller fjernsyn, leg med mobiltelefonen eller andre ting. Ideelt set intensiveres kontakten for at berolige barnet, barnet holdes i armene, der læses noget for dem, der diskuteres ting, så der skabes tryghed hos omsorgspersonen. Men hvad sker der, hvis der ikke er nogen omsorgsgiver, hvis omsorgsgiveren ikke er tilgængelig, eller hvis omsorgsgiveren ikke er afslappet?
Former for lindring er lige så forskellige, som vi mennesker er.
Ressource er et andet udtryk for det samme. I overført betydning er en ressource en sutteklud, dvs. noget, der beroliger vores nervesystem. Ressourcer er positive, når de hjælper os uden samtidig at gøre skade. For eksempel kan et stykke chokolade eller en kop kaffe hjælpe os med at falde til ro, slappe af et øjeblik og tage en kort pause. Men kaffe eller chokolade i store mængder har betydelige bivirkninger, som skader kroppen i stedet for at hjælpe.
Nervesystemets og kroppens reaktion er afgørende for den positive eller negative vurdering. Hjælper en ressource os med at slappe af og vende tilbage til en tilstand med et afbalanceret, reguleret nervesystem, eller bliver ressourcen en afhængighed og et tvangsstof, uden hvilket afslapning ikke er mulig, og som har negative virkninger på vores helbred?

Brug 10 minutter på at spørge dig selv, hvilke ressourcer du har (eller måske plejede at have, men nu har glemt). Hvad trøstede dig som barn, hvad senere som ung? Hvilke mennesker er ressourcer for dig?

Her er en liste over mulige ressourcer:
Naturen: Skønheden i planter, landskaber, vand, lyden af vinden i bladene, vandets rislen, fuglenes sang, duften af foråret, solen på dit ansigt, ...
Dyr: Vores kæledyr, hunde, katte, heste ...
Bevægelse: Jogging, yoga, mærke sig selv, være barfodet, danse
Ting: En hyggelig trøje, et blødt tæppe, løstsiddende tøj, en varm kop te eller kaffe, et godt måltid, en god bog, dejlig musik, vores yndlings-tv-serie
Mennesker: Familie, venner, arbejdskolleger

Hvad er dine yndlingsressourcer?

07/05/2025

Make your horse have fun with whatever you're doing ❤️

24/04/2025

Do you dance enough?
Two weeks ago, I spent a week in Tyrol with Irene Lyon and her team, including Elia Mrak, as part of my nervous system education. We explored and learned movement in various exercises every day. At the end of each day, we danced for a while. I have always loved dancing. Over the years, however, the opportunities to do so have become increasingly rare and I prefer to be at home in the evenings anyway. So I haven't really danced for a long time, apart from every now and then when I'm doing the dishes.
After the week in Austria, I decided that dancing is too much fun for me to give it up, even if I don't go out. So since my return, there's been a little dance party in our kitchen every day with different participants.
This morning I danced with two twelve-year-old girls who are here for riding lessons this week. One of them dances ballet at home, the other hip hop. We taught each other steps (okay, I admit, the girls taught me steps), jumped wildly and danced for fifteen minutes.
Then they had their riding lesson (one on one, one after the other).
Both have improved so incredibly from yesterday to today! The coordination, the balance, the concentration, the ease, everything was worlds better than the three days before.
Coincidence? No. Dancing is simply an incredibly good workout for our body and nervous system. Even if it only takes place at home in the kitchen. And tomorrow we will dance again before our riding lessons!
On Saturday, April 26, there will be the opportunity to dance for one hour with Elia Mrak at 10:00 PT = 19:00 CET, Drop-in class, dancing for everyone. I'll be there and really hope that a lot of you will join. Dancing is far too good for not doing it (and anyone can dance!).

Drop-In Dance Class: Dance, because you can

20/04/2025

I offer an internship on the beautiful island of Ærø in the Danish Southern Sea. Ride in Balance is my holistic concept that combines the training of the horse according to the school of Légèreté with a focus on the seat and the interaction of the rider. The lessons include versatile movement training and neuroathletic exercises as well as the principles of the horse's biomechanics and physiology, fine communication on the ground and everything about keeping and maintaining horses healthy.
I offer board and lodging as well as lessons 4 days/week in exchange for the care for my five horses and the horses visiting (currently 3 ponies) 6 days/week. When I am absent, you will also be looking after our 3 dogs. You can bring your own horse/pony. Minimum stay 4 months, preferably longer.
Please apply with your CV, riding background and a description of your motivation for this internship and the desired period.
The next vacancy is available from 1.9., possibly earlier.

18/04/2025

Like all mammals, horses also have three ways of reacting to impending danger (fight, flight, freeze). In my opinion, it is therefore necessary to be familiar with the nervous system and its regulatory mechanisms in order to be able to react appropriately. For ourselves and for our horses. Therefore I would like to share this post from my nervous system based page Neurocentric Healing

I came across this little lizard, stiff from the morning cold, on my way to the beach this morning. Being startled when my dogs and I walked past it, it remained motionless. On the way back 15 minutes later, it had disappeared.
Everyone has experienced the state of being frozen/startled themselves. This reaction of our autonomic nervous system is triggered when fight or flight is not an option. Our autonomic nervous system controls all unconscious processes in our body such as breathing, heartbeat, tension and relaxation, our immune system and much more. If danger threatens and neither fight nor flight are promising, we freeze.
While the acute state of freeze can be useful, it is a problem when it becomes chronic.
Signs of chronic freeze include a poor immune system, chronic digestive problems, numbness, syndromes such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, depression and much more.
Many people don't realize how bad they really feel until they are slowly on the road to recovery and the numbness lifts. Only then do they really become aware of the many limitations that have accompanied them until then.
In my neurocentric healing classes I teach ways out of freeze through practical exercises and many everyday tools that support our healing and are essential for a balanced life.

Riding combines two nervous systems that influence each other and are responsible for whether riding is experienced as harmonious or stressful.
Riding lessons should therefore focus on the rider first. The horse's problems usually solve themselves afterwards.