Enlightened equitation lesson - anyone had one?

You cant limit your ability to learn because you take a dislike to somebody. If the teaching is incorrect or vile then fair enough but there are plenty of teachers out there good and bad. I personally love the EE teaching it makes sense to me and has helped me a lot. If you have a teacher training you and they say something you dont understand or disagree with then they should try to answer you i find that the EE way can do that but i also have classical trainer that can do the same.I have also had trainers that could not answer my questions for toffee. Hope my ramblings make sense. As regards to pelham the pelham is suggested as a good tool to try but is not rammed down the throat as to the only bit to use it is also suggested to be used correctly with two reins not with one as this can dull the correct use of the bit. Anyway i will come back later i have to go save my rabbits and horses from the flood that is cascading into our yard
 
My YO is an EE instructor and I've had some lessons from her which were good and some straightness training lessons which were also good -both ridden and in hand. I'd recommend her but she's in SW not Scotland, sorry.

My normal RI is RWYM trained and is currently training with Philippe Karl - I find the way she describes/explains things makes more sense to my head (and body) so I'm sticking with her.
 
troop said:
You cant limit your ability to learn because you take a dislike to somebody. If the teaching is incorrect or vile then fair enough but there are plenty of teachers out there good and bad. I personally love the EE teaching it makes sense to me and has helped me a lot. If you have a teacher training you and they say something you dont understand or disagree with then they should try to answer you i find that the EE way can do that but i also have classical trainer that can do the same.I have also had trainers that could not answer my questions for toffee. Hope my ramblings make sense. As regards to pelham the pelham is suggested as a good tool to try but is not rammed down the throat as to the only bit to use it is also suggested to be used correctly with two reins not with one as this can dull the correct use of the bit. Anyway i will come back later i have to go save my rabbits and horses from the flood that is cascading into our yard
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If the person is representing a new school of riding - EE, straightness training for example, and one proponent puts the rest off it's quite natural to write the whole school off. That person who's come across to you badly is the representative of their school of riding.
 
amandap said:
I actually think who you go to is important. There are teachers and well erm teachers. lol The ability to teach is very important imho also having someone on the ground is invaluable.

To close your mind though a personal dislike can be very limiting ime.
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Well yes, who you go to is determined by what you want to learn. How you are taught depends on who you go to, not wanting to go any deeper into that one! :D

I don't personally dislike heather, I bought her books and read them and she was the one to change my riding... From a distance. However, once you buy her books and get into classical it's like discovering a whole new world! Not all of it revolves around heather lol! She has some great ideas, but all I am saying is that if you don't happen to have an approved EE instructor near you, don't fall about crying, classical is much bigger than EE! So, don't limit yourself to one school of thoughts....
 
zandp said:
If the person is representing a new school of riding - EE, straightness training for example, and one proponent puts the rest off it's quite natural to write the whole school off. That person who's come across to you badly is the representative of their school of riding.
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I'd probably argue that she HM is more 'born again' than 'new'. Really did not like the book and thought it did not live up to it's name. It now lives somewhere under my sofa. No other opinion on her other than the one I got from reading her book. It does illustrate the importance of laying claim to a method so the word Enlightened is automatically associated with HM.
She sits upon the back of giants :) Someone please give me a leg up :(:rolleyes:
 
I have the odd EE lesson and would like to know more about classical dressage from any teaching source but here in NI any form of classical training seems very few & far between.

I am struggling to find a decent instructor close by to me at all much less a classically trained one - if anybody has ideas I would be most interested. My EE instructor is very good but it is also a fair distance away, I could do with someone closer who I could use more regularly
 
zandp said:
My YO is an EE instructor and I've had some lessons from her which were good and some straightness training lessons which were also good -both ridden and in hand. I'd recommend her but she's in SW not Scotland, sorry.

My normal RI is RWYM trained and is currently training with Philippe Karl - I find the way she describes/explains things makes more sense to my head (and body) so I'm sticking with her.
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I think I know who this is... Very nice lady! Although rwym is also one of the schools of thought I dipped my toe into and found it too cold :D although I am willing to dip back once Karl has finished with her....
 
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Spot_the_Risk said:
I've ridden in three of the simulators on a BHS day at Heather's yard, it was very interesting, and for me confirmed what I was doing correctly, and helped to direct me towards improvement. My youngster will be backed by EE instructors in Devon in the spring, Mike Aylmore and Tori. I'd love to have an EE saddle, I like the correct position and I'm most comfortable in a dressage saddle anyway.
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Good to see Mike Aylmore and Tori Rendle mentioned here. Tori has been teaching me. She has improved my position and attitude to riding and opened up a whole new world of riding to me.
 
Aye, I figured out from reading the 'net that EE is essentially reiterating the much older principles of classical dressage. That's the direction I've been trying to take myself in anyway, reading Racinet and so on and trying some of those ideas out, as best I can.
 
Wheels said:
I have the odd EE lesson and would like to know more about classical dressage from any teaching source but here in NI any form of classical training seems very few & far between.

I am struggling to find a decent instructor close by to me at all much less a classically trained one - if anybody has ideas I would be most interested. My EE instructor is very good but it is also a fair distance away, I could do with someone closer who I could use more regularly
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Wheels. Monsieur Karl holds his UK coaching sessions at the place I go to. Derek Clark should be able to tell you if they've had any RS from your area attend the courses. PM if you want details although I did post his web side in an earlier post.
 
Just to be clear, I am actually very keen on classical, & I have a classical trainer to thank for the way I ride, & the knowledge to teach others, & most importantly my child to ride well. I just don't immediately think of HM if I am discussing classical.
 
I think going back to original question its worth a try having an EE lesson with a good instructor it might help you and your horse bucket loads and if not then go onto another trainer. :)
 
littlelegs said:
Just to be clear, I am actually very keen on classical, & I have a classical trainer to thank for the way I ride, & the knowledge to teach others, & most importantly my child to ride well. I just don't immediately think of HM if I am discussing classical.
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You dont have to - but the original question was about EE lessons - hence the focus on it ;)
 
I did the simulator course which I thought was ok, although Heather seemed more interested in chatting than teaching me during my go.

Have had clashes with her on the forum, and don't particularly like her, but no doubt there are good EE instructors. Would agree though that classical riding is as old as the Greeks. EE is just a version of it.
 
Wow this has sparked a bit of debate hasn't it :D

Thanks for everyone's opinions! I totally understand that EE is one interpretation of classical thinking and that there are others ways available.

I'm not someone who learns well from books - I can understand some of the concept but feel that f2f instruction is the best method for me personally, to learn.

I'm not for or against any of the various branches of classical riding and will go in to anything with an open mind - I'd just happened to find an EE trainer very locally, hence the original query.

I'd love to investigate other opportunities for this sort of training but as of yet am not aware of any classical trailers who are not pretty far from me.

I've contacted this EE trainer and will hopefully organise a lesson for sometime in the near future.
 
Ex racer rider, I didn't like the way she portrayed herself on this forum. Till then I'd never really done much research into her specifically. But her attitude on here, combined with other things I then researched put me off. The amusing thing is, when she first started posting, I was one of the ones who agreed with her, then she got up herself.
 
Babybear said:
I've contacted this EE trainer and will hopefully organise a lesson for sometime in the near future.
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I hope you enjoy your lesson:) Don't get me wrong, mine was OK, but she got my back up by telling me I shouldn't use a pelham unless I am doing higher level dressage so I can get refinement. Now, I had my horse in it because at the time it was the only bit he didn't rush through or ignore, so it gave me a modicum of control without ripping his head off. I always ride with two reins as well. Now he's back in a snaffle cos we have control (ish!) back:D

I have achieved more with the BE trainer that comes to the yard - she is very hot on correct position, and although I suppose not a classical instructor she teaches in the same way.
 
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