Does anyone have any experience with Happy Horse Training, in particular the Gymnastic rider eBook or AudioRide lessons?
I am working with a trainer, but thought these might be useful for me to work on things on my own. Coming from a h/j background I am still struggling to remodel my seat, leg and contact.
Any and all opinions on this or other systems welcome, but do try to be constructive if possible.
Not familiar with these particular trainers but I recommend Jane Savoieâs series of videos for riders beginning their dressage journey. Sheâs very clear and breaks everything down into baby steps and keeps things positive. Just google her. She has a lot of free videos on youtube.
These are sisters who mean very well. However, they rode with (or possibly audited) Charles de Kunffy enough to learn some of what he knows, took that, and decided they were experts. They do definitely mean well, but they do not question their own beliefs and in the end have a very rudimentary and NOT technically sound âsystemâ they have created which allows horses to go around strung out, on their forehands, and hollow in their backs. I do not recommend them.
Thank you for the feedback. I am familiar with Jane Savoie and have gotten a great deal out of her videos and articles - I just liked the concept of having the audio exercises while I am on the horse.
netg - thank you - just the kind of input I was looking for.
Are Winny Widgets still around?
Since I wrote the Gymnastic Rider and the AudioRide series I donât expect you to take what I say as objective, however I would like to point out that the person who wrote the derogatory comment above has never experienced my teaching, riding or training directly, and I very much doubt they have actually read my book or tried out the riding methods that I have developed. So it is totally unfair to propagate such judgments which, in fact, are entirely mistaken.
The whole focus of my work with horses is on developing the posture that supports a lifted back and truly balanced movement through engagement of the hindlegs. Yes, I do work with difficult and challenging horses who most dressage âexpertsâ would not go near, and this sadly leads to such false judgments as figure above.
Itâs particularly curious that they think we do not âquestion our own beliefsâ considering that it is only through years of constant questioning, experimentation and above all listening to the horse that we arrived at a different approach to riding. Having the soundness of my riding techniques proven to me over and over again by the response of every horse I ride has given me a lot of conviction in them, thatâs all.
If you would like to read the opinions of people who have actually tried my methods and received my teaching then I invite you to look at these testimonials which are 100% genuine and unaltered: https://www.becomeone-ridercoaching.com/praise/
If on the other hand, you want to go on riding in the same old front-to-back way that is based on compensating for imbalances rather than resolving them, then go ahead and follow the above recommendation. Itâs your (and your horseâs) loss.
:lol:
All it takes is looking at the facebook page and the âsuccessâ photos to know the claims are false. Totally uneducated. And those who question get banned, their comments get deleted, there is a stubborn insistence on insisting what is shown in pictures and videos is not exactly what is shown in those pictures and videos.
Iâve spent enough time with Charles de Kunffy and ride with one of his students to know the difference. Sadly, not everyone does.
A word to the wise: trainers who get defensive about criticism, try to devalue the opinions of well established posters who choose not to support their programs, rely on testimonials as evidence of sound training, and make belittling assumptions about skeptics tend not to be very popular around here.
Youâll catch more flies with honeyâŠ
What is this, Google Thyself and Resurrect a Dead Thread day?
Bingo.
This right here would tell me everything I need to know. The author could be right as rain and Iâd never find out because I would never buy anything from someone who responds to potential consumers in such a way.
ETA: Just saw this was an old thread. Oops. But my opinion is still the same.
I just came across this again (no, I wasnât googling myself lol, I was looking for an article on my website, just like the first time I came across this thread - it seems google gives a disproportionate importance to these forums).
You can spread misleading information about my approach to riding as much as you like, thatâs a matter of opinion, but please do not tell lies about what goes on on the Happy Horse Training Facebook group.
I have no idea what makes you think comments are deleted and members are blocked because itâs simply not true. I am always perfectly happy to debate my approach with anyone who is capable of doing so in a civil way.
And to respond to your point about supposedly treating potential customers badly - anyone who has condemned the images and videos of a riding approach in the way you have is hardly likely to spend money on learning about that approach.
All I said is that youâre welcome to your opinion of what represents correct riding.
I didnât write a book to make money, I wrote it to share my understanding with people who resonate with it, which it has successfully done so. Iâm not interested in trying to win people over with some fake âthe customer is always rightâ attitude.
Why should correcting misleading claims about something your put your heart and soul into be âdefensiveâ? Itâs quite normal actually, for anyone that cares about what they do.
And btw your mockery and judgements just come across as childish to me, although I know itâs common practice on these forums.
Bingo. Google yourself twice and resurrect an old thread twice in defensive mode.
My 2 cents worth, the horses on the website are not really lifting through the base of the neck when they go low. And I speak as someone that does classical style dressage, ground work, liberty, even natural horsemanship if you want to call it that (I donât just because). So Iâm someone who would love" to find these pieces being put together in an effective way. I donât think itâs Happy Horse unfortunately. And I get that lifting the base of the neck through bascule to the bit can be "hard but itâs the whole point of stretching long and down and out.
:lol:
IME it takes a certain amount of maturity and self-awareness to be a good horse trainer. Or to write a useful book.
The sort of maturity and self-awareness I find it difficult to see in someone who posts diatribes to this thread everytime they google themself/their own products.
Pro tip for @BecomeOne: reviving this thread does nothing to combat its âdisproportionate importanceâ in the eyes of the almighty algorithm.
While I wrote that post years ago and think itâs bizarre to resurrect an old thread, I stand by what I said. My trainer rode with de Kunffy for years and will openly admit he still has more to learn and is always learning. A surface understanding alone does not a successful system make.
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