Classically Stretched

The principle and concepts have been around for thousands of years, the Master’s knew it and their Masters before them taught it!

It is a complex, but simple development of the horse’s natural way of using their bodies.

A concept that is missed almost every time, to fully understand the stretch, we must now understand the horse…

When we look at a horse grazing in the field, we see an elongated picture, the horses head is down and their hind quarters step underneath the horse’s stomach. It comes naturally for a horse to graze and push them selves forward as they move to the next bit of pasture.

Learning to teach the horse to use their back muscles correctly,has an effect on the horse. The stretching down and seeking the contact,releases endorphins in the horses body. The horse feels an pleasurable experience when doing this work. They begin to enjoy using their body in this way. It is scientifically proven ,that a horse that is using their back correctly,engages the core and stretches the whole length of their body from poll to tail. The action of increasing the activity in the horse,combined with the lowering of their head and neck , promotes the muscles of the entire top line to stretch and elongate. This allows the connecting muscles to work as one huge muscle, as all the muscles start to work,the abdominal muscles engage and lift the horses back. It is through teaching the horse to step under their center of gravity,that a horse learns self carriage, it is after extensive training and exercise,that a horse can then carry a rider safely.

Developing the Stretch

There are fundamental Training Processes,in which a Trainer Rider or Horse Owner need to have, to a greater chance of successful training a horse.

Time

With out the realization of how time works with a horse, the training will always be inconsistent.

Knowledge

The understanding of how horses learn, this is a valuable tool,as in all aspects of equestrian training, the horse needs to be able to communicate with the trainer, the trainer needs to understand the silent language of the horse.

Physical skills

This is very important! If you do not understand how to use your body correctly,How can you train a horse to use their body correctly.

Being symmetrical , having awareness of how you influence the horse is a skill that has to develop,some are born with these amazing skills, but very rare!

Relaxation,suppleness and having a soft body is required to have a clear consistent communication with the horse. Learning to respond with your muscles,takes training and Time!!

Patience

This is the ultimate skill you can develop, it goes hand in hand with Time,the two skills are unified. Once a trainer has these skills, then time becomes irrelevant,as you begin to train for moments and build on those moments until you have a story to tell. That is when you will see connection, Harmony becomes a fluent language and your horse can then express the language you both speak. It does take training the minds eye to be able the feel these extraordinary moments.

Feel

This is discovered on our own,through training, A coach,trainer can only guide you on how to understand what Feel is,it is you who starts to learn and unravel the art in communicating in a way that is of the deepest connection there is in horse training.

All these desirable traits are in the learning of the stretch, one must ask themselves, what is missing in my training!

Training the Mind and Body

As with our horses,we to need to become Athletes. We need to be physically able to train our horses to our optimal best. Through years of training,I have developed my own training that suits my body and nourishes my mind. Yoga and Breathing exercises are the stretching relaxing and strengthening movements,I need. Core exercises build my core,back muscles and develop my ability to communicate to the horse, through a stabilized body,that works independently from all my aids.

Meditation, to be able to teach my mind to relax during training is a great asset to my self,I can be clear, precise and responsive to the horse. Meditation develops my mind set to focus on the training and the horse. The out side world is left behind and has no influence on what I am doing in the training sessions.

Relaxation,suppleness,core strength,muscle memory and mind set is the goal,when I am in training with my horses.

Education

It is through self discipline and commitment, that the many years and thousands of hours spent practicing and studying the Classical Arts, That my knowledge and skills have evolved into a deep understanding of the horse, as I continue to develop and train my self to be able to train horses, I have found my senses have heightened, I read the horse and understand what their mind and body is telling me. It is with these skills I am developing ,that allows me to work with the horse,never against the horse.