The 7 pillars

Lead trails (skills)

The lead trails contribute a lot of diversity to the daily training. The skill building exercises are great, not only for the horse, but also for humans, who thus learn to train their horse in a fun and diversified way.

This practice improves the human-horse coordination, concentration and reinforces their mutual trust.

Serenity

Horses are animals who instinctively choose to evade or run away from a situation which they consider a threat and this behavior can sometimes make them uncontrollable. On the other hand, it can be a real “life insurance”, both for the horse and rider, when a horse is relaxed, confident and trusts his leader, even when facing more difficult situations.

The serenity trainings favor the development of the confidence and the courage of the horse. This way, the everyday life between the caretaker and the horse become stable and more harmonious.

Ridden trails (skills)

To take part in a trail challenge is demanding, both for the horse and rider. It means for them to be able to manifest intimate communication skills such that they can complete a precision oriented course. To do so, the horse must be very attentive to his rider’s commands and remain patient and calm. The rider must plan ahead of time the path he will choose, such that he can orient his horse as wisely as possible towards the obstacle to allow for a fluid sequence.

An trail and skills course in pen or indoors involves obstacles which simulate challenges we often meet in nature. It can involve, for instance, to open and cross a gate, bridge crossing or ground poles. When necessary, the horse can first become acquainted with all the obstacle lead by hand. This way, the horse can better visualize the most optimal way to face the challenges.

During the ridden part of the training, one must improve individually how to face each different obstacles.

It can be interesting and good for the rider and horse’s training to venture outdoors, to face a diverse environment. All that was learned in the pen can be used outside of it: trails, ease in coordination and movements, concentration of the horse and rider. With a safe horse we can better enjoy the nature around us.

Circus / Liberty dressage

Liberty dressage and circus exercises are nice and demanding activities which allow for a better understanding of and the creation of tighter bounds with your horse. Liberty dressage is more than trick learning, it offers a time to train your horse’s agility and flexibility in a varied and fun way. To learn and perform circus tricks motivates the horse and gives him pleasure when working with you.

Moreover, circus lessons favor the development of healthy muscles and more mobility for the horse if designed intelligently. They are also ideal as stretching exercises.

Lunging

The goal of the lunging groundwork is to train the horse and make him do gymnastics evenly on both sides of his body. The horse’s spine incurves laterally and over its whole length, the internal posterior is also at work because the horse rocks his pelvis which elevates his back. When a horse has fully integrated the latter principles, he is optimally physically prepared to carry the weight of a rider on his back.

Horses were not born with the physical ability to carry a rider. If a horse is to carry weight over a length of time and without harm to his health, he must learn to elevate and maintain his back, to lengthen and lower his neck and to work with his hind-quarters, this regardless of his age and race.

Proper lunging is difficult to achieve and must be learned diligently. Defective lunging practices can have harmful consequences for the horse.

Gymnastic (Dressage)

The “gymnastic” is a training which favors flexibility, straightness and bending to make for a supple and graceful riding horse. A well-designed gymnastic develops the horse’s muscles and reinforces his tendons, ligaments and joints.

The fundamental idea behind the classical gymnastic training is to maintain the horse healthy and rideable as long as possible. Thanks to specific exercises, the horse thrives in expressivity, beauty and confidence.

Each horse should do gymnastics to ensure that their physical condition is properly built to carry the weight of a rider without harming him. This training also allows for a horse that becomes lighter in his movements and who listens and obeys more. Characteristics which are not only important, but also crucial for safety while riding outdoors.