The Sweet Spot of Biomechanics
These videos will help you create a more relaxed, energized, balanced, and free-moving horse, where you don't feel like you have to hold it all together.
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Collectibility Box Developing Pirouettes - March 2019
This video builds upon The Collectibility Box: Building Energy, and The Collectibility Box: Square Turns and Transitions. This video is more advanced and should be done only if you and your horse are confident in the previous video, The Collectibility Box: Square Turns and Transitions. Even if yo...
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Counter-Steering For Basic Straightness - May 2018
Watch as Karen coaches a student who is having trouble with a horse that is very good at running out his shoulders. The rider has a habit of using the inside rein in turns, and this only compounds the problem. The rider learns to guide the horse from the outside of his body, and the horse finds a...
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3 Questions For a Quality Walk - Feb 2017
The walk is the most delicate gait; it is the easiest one to create problems in the rhythm when engaging or collecting it. Karen gives you 3 important questions to ask yourself when riding your walk. These questions will help make sure that you keep the dynamic flowing, and will help you problem-...
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Rebalancing Through Raising The Neck - June 2018
Karen rides a student's horse to help her become lighter on the forehand. You will hear Karen as she narrates what she is doing in the moment. This technique can be very valuable for horses that tend to carry their necks low, but without good technique it can make horses want to pull down even mo...
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Improving Throughness for a Steadier Contact with A Sensitive Horse - Jun 2018
Karen rides a student's horse to help her become more consistent in the contact and more 'through' in her top line. You will hear Karen as she narrates what she is doing in the moment. You will hear some of Karen's favorite analogies: The Wind In the Sail analogy and The Screen Door analogy. This...
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Rider Skills For Throughness and Balance - Jun 2018
Karen revisits two videos in the Classroom (Rebalancing Through Raising The Neck, and Improving Throughness For A Steadier Connection from June 2018)) and takes a closer look at why she chose to ride each one differently, and shows how they arrived to a similar positive result. You will see side ...
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Posture Training From The Ground - July 2018
In this video, Karen plays with Natilla primarily at the halt to improve her posture. You will see how Karen builds enthusiasm so Natilla puts in effort, making her posture not just about her body but about her mental/emotional state as well. This exercise is the beginning stage of school halt. Y...
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Rider's Eye View of Half Pass - Sept 2018
In this video, you will see the same view as Karen as she does Half Passes. This is a sequel to the July 2018 video: Rider's Eye View Of Lateral Positions. Karen will narrate as she demonstrates how to position the half pass in the arena, and will show the most common mistakes people make. If you...
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Rider Tip For Collected Walk - Oct 2018
Karen demonstrates and describes what she is doing in her body during a collected walk. Collected walk can often be challenging because tension can easily disrupt the horse’s natural rhythm. You will learn a subtle but important nuance to how you sit. She will demonstrate on two different horses.
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Beginning To Engage On Ground 3-Part
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Exercises on the ground and into the saddle to start teaching horse to engage. These videos are from a clinic.
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Openness To Collectibility Solana Update - Aug 2017
This video shows a typical ride with Solana. She is going very well, but can still get behind the leg and sticky at times. This stickiness is somewhat due to normal types of thoroughness, but it is also very much due to her particular character (and genetics!). You will be able to see how I quick...
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Basic Balancing Exercise For A Very Green Horse - May 2017
Watch as Karen coaches a student on a very green 4 year old mare. She seems reactive and impulsive under saddle, but Karen doesn't think it is an emotional issue as much as a balance issue. Young horses like this don't have a lot of communications in place, so it is important to find a very quiet...
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Maintaining Canter - June 2017
Karen coaches a student to help her maintain the canter. This can be challenging for many riders because you want to suggest they keep going, but you don’t want to chase them or push them and ruin the quality of the canter. This video will give some tips for things to do to help you have more suc...
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3 Questions For Working Gaits - Dec 2017
Karen gives you 3 questions to ask yourself when looking for your best working gaits. It's so easy to ride around wondering: "Is this it?". With these 3 questions, you will have more ways to self-assess and be confident that you are in good working gaits. PLUS Karen gives you a bonus question to ...
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Basic Collectibiity - Solana's Lesson with Jos Sevriens - Dec 2017
A work in progress: Karen shares a lesson on Solana she had with Jos Sevriens. Solana is schooling Basic Collection. You will see many examples of moments that are going well, and moments where we are at the edge of Solana's comfort zone and how we quietly, calmly persist long enough for her to f...
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What is The Sweet Spot - Mar 2016
Karen explains the concept of the Sweet Spot, how it fits within our foundation, and how it not only helps improve the way our horses move, but our partnership with them, too. This is one of Karen’s signature concepts and is at the heart of Dressage Naturally. Hear how she developed the concept, ...
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Stretching At The Canter - Mar 2016
Karen rides her horse, Hot Shot, to demonstrate stretching at the canter. She explains when it is a good or not good idea to do it, how to play with it in small degrees, and how to use it as a tool for getting more power and volume in the canter. This video is great for anyone playing with improv...
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Working Gaits - Work Less, Get More - Apr 2016
Watch as Karen coaches two students to find a better connection and throughness in their working gaits. Both students were working much harder than they needed to. When Karen reminds them to focus on finding the sweet spot of the horse's balance, and in being more neutral they find and can mainta...
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Use Self Carriage To Find Balance - Apr 2016
You will probably remember this as the 'Oops I dropped the reins' video ... Karen demonstrates a quick and effective exercise to help a student and her horse find more harmony together while riding. Sometimes on our way to finding a soft connection, it can start to feel stuck or like you and your...
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Playing With Stretchability Plus Engagement- Apr 2016
Karen talks while she rides Hot Shot to demonstrate how she combines stretchability and collectibility in order to increase the quality of gaits and gymnastic ability of her horse. So many riders struggle with trying to develop collection without getting tightness in the back, and stretchability ...
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Using Corners for Collectibility Natilla - May 2016
Karen rides her horse, Natilla with a focus of using corners to create balance and engagement. Natilla has a tendency to lose balance in the corners so Karen uses consistency to build a pattern where Natilla anticipates that she will be stopping and standing in the corner. Once she 'helps' Karen ...
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Posting at the Canter - May 2016
This video demonstrates the technique of posting at the canter. This is a helpful exercise to help riders find their balance and strengthen their core muscles. It benefits the horse much like posting at the trot does: It gives the back some more freedom to move. Don’t forget to experiment with th...
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Changing Length of the Top line & The Strides - June 2016
Karen shows you a gymnastic exercise that is equally beneficial for the horse and rider. She will show you how to play with changing the length of the top line and the length of the strides independently. This is a great exercise for any horse and rider to play with. It will teach the rider a mor...
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Riding Through Brace Karen & Banner - June 2016
Karen rides a student’s horse. The student sometimes feels some brace and it was interfering with their canter work. Karen got on to have a feel during a clinic. This is a great video to just see and hear what Karen does to find the sweet spot on a horse she has not ridden before. There is nothin...