With its first (and only, so far) licensed instructor in the US, Linda H-J, Légèreté is alive and well (and now affordable) to many different riders and all types of horses.
Next clinic is June 6-8 at Stillwater Dressage in West Milton, Ohio :
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1040662099417596&id=115705575246591
A video from the March 2018 clinic given by Master Intructor Betrand Ravoux in Boise, ID. Enjoy!
Yet another video of a lesson in Canada. Just a reflection, this ordinary horse does quite nice counter canter work twds the end at 14:31.
Well… Nevermind. 
Have fun at your clinics!
Who is Catherine Clinckemaillie? And what is this “test?”
My only experience with this is from boarding with a woman who is very into this training meathod. A few of the riders would get the why and the “mechanics” behind it, but most just end up constantly in their horses faces including the woman I boarded with.
She’s a trainer. - Maybe not a “School of Légèreté” one yet.
It’s a video test you send to the “School” to be evaluated. (Like with the Parelli levels)
This must be some lower level - entry type of test, I assume.
This horse and rider are far from ready to school any of the 2d level movements, but I agree with the normal amount of money and regular dressage trainer.
People get caught up, trying to find ways to improve and do things differently. What can we do.
Appart from the fact all those Légèreté riders are all perched up, hovering over their horse’s neck, and playing with the bit a little too much for my taste (actually breaking any contact…so it is becoming light) and riding front to back, they really are far from harming the horses in any way. It’s just a riding method brought up by Philippe Karl.
I must say that I read most of PK books and I understand/like his theories. The way it evolved to now? Not so much.
That buckskin has the patience of a saint. He was looking extremely annoyed by the end.
Also, flexing a horse off is not counter-bend, it’s a horse counter-flexed. Pulling its nose on to an inside track is not shoulder-in. And my back hurts watching the poor rider reaching for her stirrups. Take them up so she can actually get off of that horse’s back!
To my eye the traver was not a traver, but a LY nose to the wall. Just watched bits and pieces of the vid, not the whole thing.
Just generating discussion
Agree, a correct lesson! Instructor says shortly into the vid, his poll should be higher.
That is the key and difference in Légèreté:
teaching the rider to teach the horse to relax and work the jaw, flex uniquely from the poll and not from the third/fourth vertebre (like the rider in your vid example) and to guard a contact with the bit whether stretching down or asking for more collection (2 grams of contact I like to have, in my hands) no, matter what their level of experience. To be aware of the hind end and correct work from the spine…
The in hand work give the rider a unique understanding of thier horse’s physiology as well as a direct eye to correct bend, flexion, etc…
Of course there will be many who criticize, why would I post if I didn’t expect it?
Totally agree, this methode as others can be ridiculous if not followed closely and not taking into account the whole horse, not just the face, head. Similar to the many dressage instructors that have their students constantly BTV with the incorrect understanding that this is correct contact and collection.
again just generating discussion and friendly debate.
I’m
I really like what I’ve seen of the visiting European instructors and the better riders and instructors in the program. I am interested in watching how well it translates down the food chain, so to speak.
On one hand the theory and the steps are methodical and can improve an average ammy’s technique. On the other hand, you need very good to excellent feel and release timing to get good results.
At the moment i understand there is only one qualified coach in the US and two in Canada, Catherine Clinckemaille and Isla Addison, both of whom are based in rural British Columbia. It’s a tough program to pass.
That video is not of Catherine Clinckemaille riding! This is her student Nicole. Catherine would have done her own riding test as a final exam, and then presented her student doing a riding test. Nicole is not a PK instructor.
There are also other instructors currently or previously enrolled in the teachers course, teaching in the style.
Like any training methodology it can go wrong if the practitioners, teacher or student, only have part of the picture or don’t have a good fundamental feel for what they’re doing. I’ve seen people mess up with it for sure.
My own coach has said that, on reflection, there are some techniques she might not now teach a less skilled rider on a green horse because they are too easy to get wrong.
I did enjoy that! It was fun to see the riders laughing and drinking wine. It was also cool to see several riders using western saddles. That little gray Arab(?) sure was nice.
Very interesting @belgianWBLuver, thanks for posting the videos. I much prefer seeing a lighter hand like the ones in your videos than what most riders use. Some look like they’ve got 50 lbs in each hand!
Agreed, it is totally up to the coach to filter certain techniques in the method depending on rider experience and feel. It has helped me and my big lazy BWP enormously. The in hand work and flexions have helped me help him get supple and really responsive to the aids and to the feel of the bit, and most importantly the relaxation in his jaw. He now has an active feel in his mouth and thus a more supple poll, neck and shoulder. His hind end over much time, has become active and pushing. I only have 2 grams of weight in my hands and when he looses focus and starts to hang on my hands, I emply the action reaction by lifting the hands gaining his focus and his feel again, then lowering my hands. Or perhaps I’ll employ the “flechi droit” for a few steps only at the walk or trot which asks him to flex his head to the right or left whilst keeping his body straight. This regains supplness and responsiveness when it has disappeared momentarily. Or other exercises in the methode.
I enjoy the method and find it an interesting mix of many of exercises found in the really old classical schools, just repackaged into a more complete form.
My horse and I are fortunate enough to be able to attend a clinic in Idaho this summer and spend a few days in total immersion. Not everyone can take the time to work with a favorite instructor or travel to a specific venue to work with their horse. I’m not getting any younger and as this methode has already helped the big horse, I am seizing the day and delving in deeper!
lucky you!
thanks for the thread
I should be so lucky
I was lucky that my existing coach enrolled in the first teachers’ course in Canada ( though she hasn’t yet graduated). I think the methodology makes more sense than any other riding I’ve been exposed to and have seen some stunning transformations in other riders. Im not sure how far my stock horse mare can go with any firm of dressage but the basics have been very useful for her.
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