Photo Report from Aspire Grassroots Clinic at Stajnia Sabat near Warsaw, Poland

Myself and Alison who grabbed one of the two places available for outside riders and travelled from London to take part in the clinic 🙂

I’m writing from Poland day after the weekend clinic at Stajnia Sabat. In fact, I am sitting here processing the hundreds of photos taken by my wonderful helpers (my cousin Karolina and my Dad – go family power! 😉 and many hours of video footage for riders’ visual feedback. It was one of the best training sessions at Stajnia Sabat to date with everyone making fabulous, positive progress both with regards to long term homework and the weekend’s tasks. I had so much fun teaching there yet again, it’s such a pleasure to see riders conquering variety of issues they have with their training be it mental, physical or logistical even.

There are usually two places up for grabs for riders outside of Stajnia Sabat so I offered one place to any rider either already on Aspire programmes in the UK or anyone simply interested in joining in and learning from me and the other to the rider I trained in Poland for a few months in 2013. These places are advertised in Aspire Newsletters so if you like experiencing new horses, new places but prefer to stay with my teaching philosophy, keep an eye on forthcoming clinics with available slots by signing up to the newsletter 🙂

Here is a little photo report from the clinic, hope you enjoy browsing the photos and feel like you had been with us basking in the sun 🙂

In-hand work

Having a chat about the stirrups length. This tiny lady transformed herself into a much more effective rider simply by riding shorter for the moment and employing the leg muscles full time 😉

Young rider with her lovely mare – gentle work on suppleness

Young rider with her lovely mare – gentle work on suppleness

Polishing balance to help the rider with her very crooked”project horse” who tries his heart out and has so much potential 🙂

Getting the feel for connection on the reins that is neither backward nor too yielding but supports the horse with poor balance.

Just casually demonstrating why sometimes our hands are completely reactive to what happens with our middle.

Learning half-seat over the poles to improve feel, suppleness and stamina in novice rider

Polework and jumping session that’s gone a little exciting for Alison

Cavaletti fun – great for the rider who tends to ride with locked joints or stiff ankles.

Half seat/Light seat in canter – great for the rider who tends to ride with locked joints or stiff ankles.