The THREE Steps - (click on the bottom of each photo for an explanation)

Horses, when being trained to carry us and perform what we ask of them, have particular challenges they must overcome. These challenges are rarely taken into account by modern day training ideas, and often lead to avoidable physical and mental distress and damage. The WELFARE of the horse is always my main concern and I believe that understanding the biology of the human and the horse, and how they function together, is crucial to the health and welfare of both the horse and the rider.

 The three steps I briefly describe here are just the beginning, but I have used them, both in hand and ridden, as the building blocks of rehabilitation (especially during my seven years at LIPHOOK EQUINE HOSPITAL), re-schooling of "problem" horses (something I’ve been doing since the age of fourteen), and the basic training of young horses. Once the three steps are acquired, the horse is on his way to understanding balance under the rider, as well as how to balance the rider on his back, body alignment, and coordination of his limbs in relation to his back. The steps are equally enlightening to the rider as the mysteries of straightness, coming through, forward, impulsion and correct bending are all revealed in a logical, clearly understandable and relatively easily accessible manner. I say relatively since most of my riders have habits to break and human instincts to overcome when learning these new techniques!