The Balance Through Movement Method

[Taliesan]

It has been recommended to me that I look at the Balance Through Movement Method for one of my horses to help improve his movement pattern.

I've had a bit of a look into it online but I'm always a bit skeptical of things like this and the Facebook followings that are built around them.

My current regular instructor is someone who learnt under Manolo Mendez and I have a lot of faith in what he teaches. I also don't really want to start going down a path that could be contradictory to what he is instructing me to work on with my horses at the moment.

Does anyone have any experience with the Balance Through Movement Method and, if so, have you found it?

 

[SEL]

There's a lot of theory and good podcasts on the FB site but if you want a programme to follow then it's not the right place (IMO). I like the explanations around freeing up the front end before you ask a horse to drive from behind and it's explained well from a biomechanics perspective.

There's a big push to have 1:1 sessions with therapists which is a challenge for those of us in the UK, although there's always constructive comments for people who upload videos.

I think Manolo is one of the best there is so if your instructor follows his philosophy then presumably how your horse is going, restrictions and how to overcome them are already part of the teaching?

 

[sbloom]

We've had a couple of threads on here previously, have a search, possibly on Celeste's name.

I recommend it to customers, even some following MM methods, I find it comes in below that level and gives the rider a perspective and set of tools that help immensely with then going on to more classical in hand and ridden work. It's incredibly simple but FAR from easy, and it's not a tick list type programme but it is helping a lot of horses and owners.

Like anything it's not perfect, and there is some backlash/politics at the moment, only some of it is remotely justified from what I can see, and not fundamentally affecting whether it's a good programme or not.

I highly recommend listening to he various podcast interviews she's done before deciding if it adds anything for you.

 

[Taliesan]

Thank you both very much for your thoughts on this.

SEL - you are absolutely right as the way my horse uses himself is already part of the discussions I have with my instructor and we are working on helping him to learn to move in a manner that is better for his long term health.

That said, I am always open to new suggestions and ideas as, the way I see it, everyone has something useful to impart, irrespective of if you agree, or not, with everything they teach.

I do like the idea of freeing the front and it makes sense to me. However, I did wonder if this is similar to what MM teaches but perhaps expressed in a different way.

sbloom - thank you very much for your thoughts on this as well. I'll have a search and see if I can find those threads.

I didn't realise she'd done podcast interviews. I'll hunt those out and see how what she says sits with me and the way I do things at the moment.

At the moment it is sounding like it could be another tool in the box that may be beneficial for my horse - but not perhaps the magic solution for everything that it comes across as on the website or the FB group.