Warriors in Wellies

02/16/2025

02/16/2025

How wonderful to have these animals feeling comfortable enough to come visit regularly.

11/05/2024

10/04/2024

What a crazy week it has been.
Aiken was devastated.
Thousands of two and three hundred year old trees are no more and we even lost two of the Live Oaks that make up Cathedral Way of which Aiken is so proud. Fortunately The hundred and fifty year old Magnolias fared better and, all things considered, it could have been worse. We could have lost them all.

We had no power, water, phone or internet for a week but we were too busy to notice as hauling water for all the local horses and, feeding other animals that owners could not get to, kept everyone going 24/7.

I heard, last night, Pine Log Road will not have power for weeks and it will take years to clean up the mess in the outlying areas.

So, to all the linemen who have worked 18 hours days to get our power back up, a hearty and sincere THANK YOU. We know you will be keeping those hours for weeks and months to come.

Let's hear it for the Linemen and don't miss a chance to thank them …

Meanwhile, we are struggling to resume our schedule as clinic participants have been impacted in so many ways. Currently we hope to hold the Seat Clinic at the end of of October as planned.

We will keep you posted ...

09/24/2024

The Seat Clinic

What a crazy season it has been.
Finally things are slowing down and hopefully riders got their scores for Regionals and Nationals so we can take a deep breath and get ready to start again.

For us it should be catch up time now.
However there's no time for a break as interest in the Seat Clinic is exploding.

With requests from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and now Kansas we are thrilled to have gained so much interest so fast, and look forward to meeting many new riders.

Perhaps it is because we pack so much learning (and fun) into an affordable weekend that the program is so popular. Perhaps it is because it has been specifically designed for Adult Amateurs who have waited to find a unique program where they can safely develop their current skills. Whatever their reasons, the fully immersive weekend provides a deeper understanding of how it all works – and feels.

If you want to ride safely, without anxiety and become a better rider, who strives for greater harmony with your horse, that's what we are here for.

We hope you will come join our fun group of like minded individuals and share your progress and joy with your new supportive friends.

The progressive clinic, held in Aiken, is tentativly planned for the last weekend in October with a possible overflow the following weekend, November 2nd and 3rd.

If this sounds interesting and fun, text us at (803) 617 9353 or email: [email protected] with your number and we will call you back.

Note. These clinics fill fast so contact us (no obligation) with your questions.

We look forward to meeting you.

07/12/2024

I gave homework on Saturday evening and asked the clinic participants to share the most important things they learned that day.

I will share their responses over the next few days

Doris:
I finally feel 'thigh secure.

Athough I sometimes try to get my thigh 'ON' it was nowhere close to the contact I felt when you {Del} took my feet back towards the horse's rear (translation got her feet off the horse's shoulders and put them underneath her).
Immediately there was a snugness of my inner thigh which I had never before felt and I didn't have to 'try' or put any effort or stress into that new snugness. It was a relaxed-tension because my lower leg behind {under} automatically created it.

More from Doris later. As suspected, she wrote pages. She was excited!

07/09/2024

We couldn't end the clinic without Enegro showing us his other party piece and, to the great delight of Ellen, who now has the wonderful opportunity of showing him this season. Lucky lady.

We ended with a final recap where the participants described their discoveries and their appreciation of the other participants encouragement. It was a well matched group who had been where the others were or had just discovered it themselves. And they all agreed it made it so much easier to understand watching it happen in front of their eyes as I explained how to do it.

I think no one believed they could totally change their position and subsequent security in the saddle, in a weekend and, for the first time truly understand 'real' balance rhythm and riding the whole stride so that they became totally in sync with their horse's natural way of going.

Only Dorris did not get what she hoped to find (sitting trot) but she learned so much more and has since been in touch with me that, although it is still hard riding her little firecracker, she now not only understands the point of the rider being the metronome but every day she gets closer to riding her on the buckle, in balance with no change of rhythm or speed. If she can get that and hold it, sitting it will be a breeze. Remember, it takes two to pull. Somebody has to stop pulling.

Personally, I had such a good time. What a willing group. And they all want to come back! Soon! I would like to start another progressive group so we can have ongoing learning.

The obvious leg and body contortions were inevitable because I have always told my students that, instead of taking 10 years to stretch your body up and legs down, why don't you just get your teeth into it and do it - TODAY? Its just isometrics (a system of physical exercises in which muscles are caused to act against each other or against a fixed object. Also called isometric exercise.) like going to the gym.

So, in order to get their thigh down under them, the lower leg became a tight rubber band that wanted to wrap itself around the back of the rider's neck. Come on, s-t-r-e-t-c-h that calf.

Slave driver. Mumble mumble......

And many thanks to everyone who chipped in to help. Kathy you may just have landed yourself as the clinic videographer, along with Laura. And many thanks to Elaine Owensby for the use of her lovely facility.

Perhaps the best part of all was all the interest from people I have yet to meet and even more so of my old students from over so many years. That was such a thrill for me. Let's stay in touch now.

Bye for now. See you next time.