Training your horse

Most of the time, the source of most of the rebelliousness in horses is not always in their nature. They are often asked to do things that they are not yet capable of doing; they are pushed too hard and expected to be too skilled. This great pressure makes work hateful to them, it tires them and damages their tendons and nerves, the elasticity of which is necessary for suppleness, and often they are ruined just when one thought they were well-trained. (...) These faults arise for yet another reason. People ride the horses too young; the work they demand of them exceeds their strength, and since they have not yet sufficiently laid themselves out to resist the force they must suffer before they are trained, they grab their backs, weaken the back of their knees and ruin them forever.

— François Robichon de la Guérinière

I also offer...

to train your horse according to the classical principles of the baroque masters. This can be in addition to lessons or as a corrective measure. The principles of de la Guérinière are also important to me when riding: taking into account the individual, taking into account the age, the intellectual capacity of the respective horse, the state of health and the level of training. In doing so, I pay particular attention to developing a solid basis.

When I write...

about training according to classical baroque principles, I am referring to the principles by which I work, not about particular breed of horse or about fancy tack. The classical approach according to baroque masters can apply to any breed of horse, not just to the predestined breeds such as Lusitanos, PRE, Lipizzan, Frederiksborger, Knappstrupper or Friesian.

Please understand that I do not ride on bucking or rearing horses. In addition to my own safety, this has mainly to do with the fact that I am convinced that bucking and rearing are expressions of pain or desperation in the horse. In my work, I firmly believe that no horse reacts maliciously with bucking or rearing. Therefore, I cannot fix this problem by riding the horse in the conventional sense. However, I am happy to advise you on how you might be able to find the cause of your horse's reactions. If the cause is pain or illness, I can help you find a suitable specialist (veterinarian, hoof care professional/blacksmith, osteopath, saddler). If the cause lies in the handling or the type of training, I would start with confidence-building sessions on the ground and look for the solution in training your understanding of your horse.

For further rideability problems such as tongue defects, incorrect kink, rein lameness, etc., I am happy to assist you. However, I would like to point out that these are usually caused by the rider and cannot be remedied in the long term by riding alone. It is important that the rider also works on themselves. However, I am very happy to support you in this in my lessons. My goal is for you to become one with your horse.

For this reason...

I also do not offer to train young horses in the absence of their owners. When I work with your horse, I want you to be there. I want to strengthen your relationship with your horse. It is of no use to me if I get along well with your horse but you can't find access to him.

Apart from this young horse situation, in which I consider the presence of the owner and rider to be essential, I am happy to offer you a ride in the event of your absence due to work or holiday. In this case, I am also happy to take care of other things besides the movement of your horse, such as feeding after riding or covering and uncovering the horse. However, it is also important to me that you already know me and my work and that I have already got to know you and your horse to the extent that I can continue to work in your absence in a solution-oriented manner, with a focus on your further growing together with your partner horse.

I am happy to help you...

In cases where I do not consider myself to be the appropriate partner for youand your horse, I will be happy to help you find a suitable instructor who is also pro-horse oriented.

I am living in the Rhine-Erft district near Düsseldorf and Cologne and am ready to travel for clinics all around Europe.