Mary Wanless course!

[Teajack]

I've taken the plunge and am all booked up for a 4 day course in June Anyone else been and what did you think?

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I've heard good things but when I met her at Addington when she did a clinic with a friend she was quite odd when we asked a question related to someone with a condition causing them to ride differently. She was adament that everyone could ride the same way and wouldn't get the fact that this person could not.


I have a classical dressage instructor who is also trained in biomechanics and she is brilliant. She adapts to each person capabilities.

 

[Skib]

I've heard good things but when I met her at Addington when she did a clinic with a friend she was quite odd when we asked a question related to someone with a condition causing them to ride differently. She was adament that everyone could ride the same way and wouldn't get the fact that this person could not.

I have a classical dressage instructor who is also trained in biomechanics and she is brilliant. She adapts to each person capabilities.

Same happened to me and another older lady at Merrist Wood a few years ago. Luckilly I too have a classical instructor who adapted riding to my capabilities.

 

[Rosie Round The Hills]

I haven’t ridden with her, but have with a certified instructor who has been trained by her. I love the teaching, and I hope you will get a lot out of it. Sure, there are always some small parts of every clinician’s way of teaching you might question - but I consider Mary W to be one of the great assets to the horse world.

 

[J&S]

Many years ago (25 + at least) my Riding Club ran a series of clinics based on Mary Wanless's theories and way of teaching. A local instructor had qualified, I had always thought this instructor to be a bit of a misery but when she gave these clinics she really came to life. I have to say that I took way and have used so many tools from these sessions and happily pass them on. There were also some ideas that I could not really empathise with but doesn't that happen with any very specialist instructor?

 

[Lady Jane]

I did a 3 day clinic with her maybe 30 years ago!!!! She could be a bit brusk with people but it was a good 3 days and I did learn quite a lot. Doesn't like to be challenged but we can all change in 30 years!

 

[Bernster]

I did a few of her camp clinics a few years back with 2 different horses. Thought her books were really helpful in breaking down the basics and explaining them in an understandable way. I think they’ve been a really good foundation for where I am now.

The clinics were interesting and thought provoking and had some good additional content. Lots of focus on core work. I got a bit frustrated as despite 3 clinics I barely got out of walk. I think it’s trying to get too close to perfection so it loses people along the way. I’m sure she’d say it was because I wasn’t ready to do anything more than walk but there has to be a balance or people will get bored (not sure that’s quite the right word).

 

[tallyho!]

I have been to one of her clinics well over 10 years ago now and to be honest... some of it went right over my head at the time! I've got a degree in physiology and much of it was biomechanics in the last year and even then some of the concepts were odd. I persevered and did other clinics along the way with other classical trainers etc and it helped me to understand things in very different ways and I don't just ride in one particular fashion, I can now employ a whole raft of things to approach a problem and I still have much to learn (just running out of years to learn it all!).

If your mindset is "this will miraculously turn me into a dressage rider in 4 days" - then you will have wasted your money.

If your mindset is "this will kickstart a journey of riding and training a horse correctly" - you'll have made an important investment.

A lot of dressage is perfecting your balance, feel and timing - if you can do all that in walk you are most of the way there. People forget that about dressage.

 

[Mule]

I have been to one of her clinics well over 10 years ago now and to be honest... some of it went right over my head at the time! I've got a degree in physiology and much of it was biomechanics in the last year and even then some of the concepts were odd. I persevered and did other clinics along the way with other classical trainers etc and it helped me to understand things in very different ways and I don't just ride in one particular fashion, I can now employ a whole raft of things to approach a problem and I still have much to learn (just running out of years to learn it all!).

If your mindset is "this will miraculously turn me into a dressage rider in 4 days" - then you will have wasted your money.

If your mindset is "this will kickstart a journey of riding and training a horse correctly" - you'll have made an important investment.

A lot of dressage is perfecting your balance, feel and timing - if you can do all that in walk you are most of the way there. People forget that about dressage.

I find the walk is great for learning. You don't have to have to be as quick to react as you do in the other aids. You've more time to feel what's going on.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I did a 4 day Ride With Your Mind course with Mary at West Wilts in 1993. I decided to take the late chestnut git, who would then have been a 7 yo, rather than my ‘proper’ dressage horse in case it was too wacky.

It was good fun and very informative. I do remember doing a lot in walk. At one point Mary walked alongside me + horse with her fingers on the stirrup tread, my feet in the stirrups, and instructed me to rise as if I was rising to the trot, but without crushing her fingers . She called it ‘accelerated learning’!!

 

[tallyho!]

I did a 4 day Ride With Your Mind course with Mary at West Wilts in 1993. I decided to take the late chestnut git, who would then have been a 7 yo, rather than my ‘proper’ dressage horse in case it was too wacky.

It was good fun and very informative. I do remember doing a lot in walk. At one point Mary walked alongside me + horse with her fingers on the stirrup tread, my feet in the stirrups, and instructed me to rise as if I was rising to the trot, but without crushing her fingers . She called it ‘accelerated learning’!!

Yes I remember that well!!

 

[southerncomfort]

I did a couple of clinics with one of her instructors a few years ago.

I was having a massive crisis of confidence at the time and I found the techniques absolutely brilliant for making me feel more secure in the saddle, which did wonders for my confidence.

However, I didn't find it a particularly comfortable way to ride and was very achy after riding.

I eventually found my way to a classical dressage instructor who helped me progress and ride in a way that was much more comfortable and relaxed.

I'm really pleased that I went to those clinics though as it gave me a really good springboard to get back in the saddle and helped me understand more about the mechanics of riding.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I think as with all these people, its about finding someone you click with and makes sense to you. Personally I don't understand what she's talking about-its way too over complicated for me but I've met people over the years who really rate her so the main thing is to go and enjoy the clinic and find out new things OP

 

[Teajack]

Thanks for all the replies lt sounds like the course should be what i'm hoping for, a kickstart in the right direction with some fundamental building blocks in place. I returned to riding a year ago after a very long break and all RS lessons I can find spend very little time in walk and seem mainly aimed at getting transitions etc done exactly at the markers, rather than once we are set up to do them. I hate doing trot to halt on a horse who isn't set up nor am l and poor horse has to be hauled at :-( would love to spend a lesson in walk 'getting it'. Years ago I was able to work alone and her books turned me into a reasonablish rider, although half of it went over my head. So really looking forward to the course. A bit disappointing that she doesn't adapt to riders who can't do what she's asking though.

 

[Teajack]

I did a 4 day Ride With Your Mind course with Mary at West Wilts in 1993. I decided to take the late chestnut git, who would then have been a 7 yo, rather than my ‘proper’ dressage horse in case it was too wacky.

It was good fun and very informative. I do remember doing a lot in walk. At one point Mary walked alongside me + horse with her fingers on the stirrup tread, my feet in the stirrups, and instructed me to rise as if I was rising to the trot, but without crushing her fingers . She called it ‘accelerated learning’!!

Yikes! I'm now trying to work out if I might break her fingers ..... :-O

 

[Tiddlypom]

Yikes! I'm now trying to work out if I might break her fingers ..... :-O

I couldn’t believe what she was asking me to do, but we all survived with all digits undamaged! This came towards the end of the course though, when she’d had a good look at us (and still went ahead with it!).

 

[oldie48]

Many years ago in one of the riding mags she used to do a critique of a reader's pic. TBH I found her comments nitpicking and unhelpful, eg "she needs to move her right shoulder an inch to the left" or some such thing (sorry I can't remember any exact comments but I think you get the drift). She just didn't do anything for me. I know she has her fans but I think she over complicates things and whilst it's great to aim for perfection, for me it's enough to have simple instructions that will improve my riding which I can actually do with the limitations of my imperfect body. My SIL went to a clinic recently (she's even older than me) and she came home feeling very depressed so I showed her the Brett Kidding vid from Olympia, which cheered her up no end! Do let us know how you get on though as I am prepared to be open minded.

 

[lme]

I walked out of a 3 day ridden clinic she ran in the Brecon Beacons maybe 35 years ago. Went on it having done a theory course she taught in Kentish Town. Maybe she has mellowed 😂

 

[Teajack]

Many years ago in one of the riding mags she used to do a critique of a reader's pic. TBH I found her comments nitpicking and unhelpful, eg "she needs to move her right shoulder an inch to the left" or some such thing (sorry I can't remember any exact comments but I think you get the drift). She just didn't do anything for me. I know she has her fans but I think she over complicates things and whilst it's great to aim for perfection, for me it's enough to have simple instructions that will improve my riding which I can actually do with the limitations of my imperfect body. My SIL went to a clinic recently (she's even older than me) and she came home feeling very depressed so I showed her the Brett Kidding vid from Olympia, which cheered her up no end! Do let us know how you get on though as I am prepared to be open minded.

Just remembered l sent in a picture to the mag and was disappointed the comments didn't go beyond some obvious heels down type remarks. Perhaps she didn't know where to start ;-)) She did diagnose the horse's way of going to a tee though.

 

[Teajack]

I walked out of a 3 day ridden clinic she ran in the Brecon Beacons maybe 35 years ago. Went on it having done a theory course she taught in Kentish Town. Maybe she has mellowed 😂

Ooo er ... l hope so. Still l'm old enough and ugly enough to take it ;-))

 

[lme]

Ooo er ... l hope so. Still l'm old enough and ugly enough to take it ;-))

 

[lme]

She objected to me not carrying a whip 😂

 

[Teajack]

She objected to me not carrying a whip 😂

Since l've just managed to lose mine by leaving it on the roof of the car l'd better get shopping!

 

[tallyho!]

Haha! You know what, I almost flounced out of a clinic (not MW’s) about what I thought was a tiny angle there, or an inch here. Cried my eyes out for days wondering what the hell im doing... I’m just warning you that once you can “feel”... an inch here or there really does make masses of difference - in fact, the tiniest clench of a sinew can mean a lot! I know... I know..... never thought I’d say that in a million years!!!
You can quite often hear me in lessons saying “how the bloody hell does he feel THAT???!?!?”... but he does.

 

[SEL]

Never had a lesson with Mary, but have with her team and found the instruction really good. I know a few people who've done clinics and rated them. I'd take the Appy along if she didn't have a permanent sick note.