Most instructors teach how to train a horse and expect that riders already know how to ride. However, many riders have problems with their seat and, therefore, cannot control the horse effectively. Some instructors fail to recognize that, others think there is nothing they can do and blame poor performance on the lack of talent.

I have a different approach. For me, your current riding ability is not a reflection of your talent or learning skills. It is a reflection of your equestrian education. Before you can read you must know the alphabet. That is what I teach. After learning the correct way some of the riders have discovered they are not only capable of riding quite well, but they have natural abilities they didn't know about.

My video lessons gives you an opportunity to get a thorough and professional feedback on the biomechanics of your position and the way you influence your horse. My special plan for creating the video lets me focus on important aspects of your riding skills. Written explanations are always there for you to come back to and you can use your video as a reference point to monitor your progress. Another benefit is that you pay only for the lesson, no travel or clinic expenses.

• Evaluation of your riding posture and efficiency of your aids.
• Analysis of your individual strengths and weaknesses, repeated habits, and muscle imbalance.
• Explanation of your horse's evasions and how to correct them.
• Suggestions for improving your alignment, stability, and balance.
• The list of exercises and tips (off the horse and on the horse) to improve your body awareness and riding ability.
• Three follow-up emails answering questions and giving more detailed explanations on the subject.

Please wear shaped clothes, so I can see your alignment and posture. Make a few seconds of your video while you are on the ground before mounting your horse, front and side views. I want to see your natural posture. Do not try to stand straiter then you usually do, or you will mislead me in my suggestions to you.

Ride your horse on a 20 m circle and either put a tripod or ask someone to videotape you from the outside of that circle (from the corner, for example).

Videotape the following:

• Walk on a free rein
• Walk on a contact. I want you to shorten your reins enough to feel your horse's mouth. For dressage riders, walk on the bit.
• Walk to halt and halt to walk transitions, execute a minimum of two, for example, every half-circle.
• Rising trot, couple circles.
• Rising trot to walk to rising trot transitions, execute a minimum of two, one for each circle.
• If you ride a sitting trot, walk to sitting trot, one circle in sitting trot and walk again. Repeat a couple of times.
• If you ride canter, trot (sitting or rising) to canter transition, canter couple circles and make a transition to trot. Repeat a couple of times.
• Walk to canter transition if you and your horse are doing those.
• Canter to walk transition. Repeat a couple of times.
• Change direction at walk.

Do at least one circle of each movement going to the left. After doing all of the above movements to the left, change direction and repeat them to the right.

The other option is to ride a dressage test/tests or a sequence of movements that you are interested in being evaluated.

Include a short note about yourself: age, riding experience, why do you ride, problems in your riding, especially those that have been bugging you for some time, your attitude on the horse and anything extra about you and your horse that you feel worth sharing with me.

Keep a copy of your video for yourself to be able to watch it with my instructions for better understanding.

There are two ways to submit your video:

1. Put it on Youtube or Barnmice. Create chunks of no more than 6 to 7 minutes long. For example, if your video is about 20 minutes create 3 pieces which can be walk, trot and canter and upload it separately. This way you can keep the quality of the video higher without creating too big of a file.
2. Put your video on CD or DVD and send it. This way the video is much higher quality and evaluation is more thorough.

- Put your video on Youtube and send me an email with the links. Then click the "Buy Now" button below to pay online. You will be charged through "Northern Software".

- If you are sending a DVD print the order form, fill it in and send it to the adrress below with a cheque or money order. If you prefer to pay by credit card click the "Buy Now" button and pay online.