Hi All, I’m just on my way back from Darwin after two further 6 rider format clinics which I have found very rewarding. I take my hat off to Alison Osborne for still running these clinics and am very thankful that she enabled the riders to continue with their education and building on their skills, even though she couldn’t ride in either clinic herself due to knee issues she has been experiencing over the past 8 frustrating months, however she is finally beginning to heal and recover.
Alison sat at the side during the clinics, watching all the lessons and encouraging every combination. Thankfully, she is slowly returning to riding and should be 100% fit to ride by August when I return.

This is Ruth Hanssen who I have worked with over the past 3 years in Darwin. I am at this moment helping Ruth to feel a better connection of her femur into the pelvis to give her more strength on the left side of her body. With her left leg being weaker she slips to the left which causes her horse to lose balance left.

Fortunately for me, Ruth had had to use one of her riding school ponies at the clinic as her horse, who is bigger, had an injury and so I wouldn’t have been able to reach Ruth. This gorgeous riding school horse allowed me to walk alongside her with my hands on Ruth’s knee and pelvis to give her the feeling of what area she needed to fire up to keep her femur and seat bone in place.

I have great admiration for Ruth as she is a coach herself and does so much for the Pony Club in Darwin, and all she learns she then hands on to her students. Imagine if we could have had this information as children in Pony Club when we were young!

Lateral Cinics

You may have seen I’ve been doing a few blogs recently in a lead-up to several clinics.

Over the next 3 months there will be 3 ‘Lateral’ clinics held over two days.

The first one is near Margaret River at Cowaramup on 22-23 June, Oakford 20-21 July, Albany 24-25 August. 

Each clinic will go into what the rider needs to be aware of in their own seat and aids, how to teach the horse the movement in a clear step by step process, how as a rider to notice and feel the details of what is good, what to do when it goes wrong and why this is happening.

Each day there will be a private lesson and workshop on the theory and discussion to clarify the information. We will also do video feedback each day.

These clinics are suitable for all levels from the starting of lateral work right through to the rider and horse doing half pass in trot or canter and the fine tuning that may be required.

These clinics only have space for 9 riders over the 2 days and all lessons are private lessons of 45 minutes.

Bookings for all these Lateral clinics are now open on the website.

The building of Jane
My blogs on the fascination of bones is a lead-up to a very exciting ONE-OFF 2-day un-mounted Workshop, “The building of Jane” on 14-15th September.

I have been given a full-sized Skeleton of a horse, who is named Jane. Jane is travelling from Mackay Qld to Perth in boxes and it will be a unique opportunity for seeing Anita Evers (the original owner of Jane) and myself build her over two days.

The fascination of bones and the building of Jane – This two-day workshop will take you through a journey of what lies deep within the horse, to the framework that the horse is built on. Over the two days we will build Jane and have discussions on the bone structure of horses. We will also demonstrate some of the major muscles and tendons and how they relate to movement.

Anita Evers is a hoof trimmer and endurance rider as well as a starter and trainer of horses. She has done 6 dissections with Sharon May-Davis. Anita did not just attend these clinics but also assisted, working with Sharon and Libby Franz on two skeletons. She has built two whole equine skeletons for herself and has several legs and spines and incomplete skeletons that she refers to regularly. The booking for this clinic will open in the next week.

Belinda Bolsenbroek

One more piece of exciting news is that over the next year I will be working with Belinda Bolsenbrook as I have been selected to train with her. I’m extremely excited about working with her again in October and sharing what I learn with all my students. So, get ready for new information and detail coming your way after each training session with her. You can find more information on Belinda here belindabolsenbroek.com

Clinics in June are limited as I am taking a bit of downtime to give myself a bit of a rest from traveling, however I will be available for private lessons at home or locally if you want to contact me to take advantage of this. Drop me an email, text or use messenger to arrange a time and date.

What’s Coming up

JUNE
21 June Margaret River private lessons or assessment lessons, contact me directly to make a booking
22-23 June Margaret River 2 Day Lateral Clinic

JULY
6-7th July “The building of Jane”
13th July AHAA club (booking and details via the club)
19th July Oakford private lessons
20-21 July Oakford 2 Day lateral clinic
26th Margaret River private lessons or assessment lessons, contact me directly to make a booking
27-28th Margaret River Clinic.

For more info and booking information of these clinics please go to the calendar on my website annmontgomery.com.au/calendar/

Happy Riding