Moonstone Stables

ST WORKSHOP with Zaneta on Sunday 16 July starting at 8 with theory, then lessons rest of the day. We have learned so much over the last few months! Can't wait for our next session. Only spectator space available.

The very first exercise in Straightness Training is the exercise ‘forward down’ at a standstill.

This article explains why you should do this exercise and how to teach it to your horse and which pitfalls you need to avoid:

▶︎ http://straightnesstraining.com/straightness-training-exercises/forward-down/

Feel free to tag a friend who might be interested in the article and video.

Discover how to do it ✔ Avoid the pitfalls ✔

The Rider's Role in Self-Carriage Lendon Gray explains how the use of passive aids can improve a horse's self-carriage.

Looking for a calm, sensible horse or pony to compete on? Or just enjoy safe riding and hacking? We may have what you are looking for to bait or half bait.

St Workshop with Zaneta Geogiades on 11 February 2017. Workshop full but spectator space available. This is classical training at its best.

Some lovely horses for half bait at Moonstone Stables in Midrand.
40km of bridle path available for outrides as well as big arena at the yard.
Great opportunity to have a horse to treat as your own. Only one person to half bait per horse.
This half bait is a great package deal which includes 4 lessons a month .
Please contact Mary-Anne on 0835438891 for more information or to come view.

We are also very excited. Denise is at Moonstone Stables in Midrand on 17 and 18 September. Only spectator space available at R450 for both days. Incredible value. Teacher training on Monday. Had some cancelations so a few spaces available

Final Lesson of 'On The Bit' - The Seeking Reflexes

Starts in less than 48hrs at https://otb.theskillfulrider.com/last-chance

This will be the last chance to get access to this course until next year. I'll leave some comments from course participants below.

"Great course, lovely rider demonstrations using real people you could visibly witness the changes in the horses after some minor adjustments were made to the riders. No pulling, kicking, shoving or fiddling here!! Some wonderful descriptions given from Mary giving great technical advise but in such a way it really resonates..in terminology easy to understand! Loved it!!!" - L Scott

"Thank you Peter and Mary for the wonderfully detailed webinars. I have ridden and competed for years under the illusion that my instructors were all correct....relax the thigh so your knee is away from the saddle and keep the lower leg on. Small wonder I could never keep my very big moving Warmblood up together and in a steady outline! He pulled me all over the place, despite my reasonably correct position and moderate core strength. Now I am sitting correctly, and also able to use my seat properly, the effect of 'slowing my rising' to regain control when trotting, and demonstrating all those other useful tips you gave us, I have a much easier job and my horse is working 'for me' rather than 'against me'. Thank you, thank you" - S Britton-Hickson

"I can't thank you enough. In the beginning of Sept. I was so frustrated with my horse that I was considering selling her, thinking she might be happier with a kid that just wanted to jump. She had been a very round but lazy horse, once she was forward she was a joy to ride. Then she was injured and was pretty much sore everywhere. She had mesotherepy on her back, and months of chiropractic work. She was 8 at the time. Today she is no longer sore and her injuries are healed but what remains is that she is tight in her back and protects it. The round bouncy horse was gone and I didn't know how to help her get it back or if it was possible.

In the beginning of July I went to a clinic and was given the instructions to rider her forward and keep my hands still. I diligently worked with the information from the clinician and with my instructor, determined to make this work. Things improved but I felt something was still missing. Everything that was easy was now a struggle. Last week I was on call and not able to leave my house, I was thinking about selling my horse. The last ride before I went on call after 2 months of diligent work was simply horrible and I was feeling defeated when your webinar popped into my Facebook feed. In desperation I signed up and watched the first session. After watching your clinic I realized part of what I was missing was that I had been injured and my hips had been misaligned. I hadn't been able to use my core, sit the trot or canter especially to the left for about 3 months, it hurt too much. I was adjusted right before the July clinic and that was the first day I was able to sit the canter but I realized that even though I didn't hurt anymore I wasn't using my core at all. The next day I rode my horse and tried using the information from the webinar, she went from resisting my hand to seeking it and from dragging her toes to being actually forward. My bouncy round horse was back. Granted I couldn't keep it for long but I could get it back.

I can't tell you how happy I was right then it was like a weight was lifted. She went from fighting me and inverted unhappy horse to happy forward little round horse. We have a long way to go but we have a starting point. My horse says thank you and I say thank you!" - W Park

Denise is an outstanding coach. She has an excellent eye for correctness in both horse and rider, which she backs up with the ability to offer solutions. She will be in Midrand from 17 September and in East London from 23 September. She is one of Mary Wanless' two top Ride With Your Mind Coaches and has worked with Mary for over 20 years.

http://dressagetoday.com/article/how-important-is-the-riders-upper-leg-31777?utm_source=DressageTodayFB&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Facebook

How Important is the Rider’s Upper Leg? One of the hallmarks of a classical dressage position is a long, flat thigh. This positioning of the thigh pulls the seat bones down into the saddle, creating a deep, connected seat and stability in