Karen brings clarity to one of the most often asked questions about riding lateral work: "Where should the rider’s weight be?”. Karen discusses why some books and teachers say to ‘sit to the inside’ and why some say to ‘sit to the outside’. If you are learning lateral work for the first time, or ...

Karen shares some more tips on how to be better at your lateral work. She uses SiMoN the School Master Noodle (SiMoN kit is available in our Shop) to demonstrate some exercises you can practice away from your horse that will improve your understanding of how the different lateral positions fit to...

Karen rides a student's horse in an exercise to teach the classic lateral positions. This particular horse gets a little nervous and stuck at first, so you will not only see the exercise, but also will see how Karen handles this common problem. Extra support for this exercise can be found in the ...

Karen rides Atomic to how to progress early stages of learning and doing lateral work. After the horse and rider understand the positions (see the video: Beginning Lateral Positions), now we must play with sustaining the gait and energy during lateral work. Karen talks in real time as she demonst...

Karen helps Breanne improve her mare's lateral work. You will see her progress over several weeks. The goal was not only to improve her lateral work, but to use lateral work to improve the mare's general suppleness, throughness and relaxation of her back. this video will be applicable for horses ...

If you are playing with lateral work, you are going to love this video! Karen found a way to rig a camera so you could see the lateral positions from the view of the rider! She goes through Shoulder-In, Haunches-In, Counter Shoulder-In and Renvers. You will see what it looks like when done correc...

In this video Karen gives you three key questions to ask yourself when riding shoulder-in. These questions will help you achieve a higher quality shoulder in, instead of just ‘getting it done’. This is for riders and horses who are already confident doing a recognizable shoulder in. It will make ...

In this video, Karen coaches a student and her new horse to find a better connection from the inside hind to the outside shoulder by using the hindquarter yield in motion. Karen does this exercise with this horse because he is very different one side to the other. This exercise will be the "medic...

This is a video of Karen riding a favorite sequence of movements that will help increase your horse’s shoulder mobility, bend, engagement, and lateral balance. The pattern shown is an excerpt from the Rassembler 2 Pattern from the Baroque Games & Institute. This exercise will be good for anyone w...

In this video, Karen demonstrates how she uses both Positive and Negative Reinforcement while riding. (Negative Reinforcement means that a pressure is added and when the horse yields to it, it is released. Positive Reinforcement means a reward is given after the desired result). Karen will show h...

In this video, Karen shows you how to begin riding the classical lateral positions without using your reins. If you can make progress doing this, your lateral work will ultimately be much easier!

This video is good for anyone who already has the basic foundational yields working with no reins. A...

Karen explains one complete ride on Natilla as they seek to gain more consistency and strength in their collectibility. You will see the warm up as well as many patterns including shoulder-in, half pass, lengthening, and shortening the stride.

This is a great video for people who are looking for...

Karen coaches a student to find more ease when riding shoulder in. Karen will re-explain the aids of shoulder in, and will help from the ground so the rider is able to focus on her position. This video will help anyone who is doing shoulder in but feels like they are working too hard and getting ...

In this video, Karen coaches two students through two exercises.
Exercise #1 is about sensitizing responsiveness to doing lateral movements with greater activity and ease.
Exercise #2 involves lengthening and shortening the canter.
These seemingly different exercises compliment each other and bot...

Karen coaches two students to become more skilled in creating and maintaining the bend during haunches-in. It is a very common challenge to keep the horse’s bend during this movement. You will see an exercise that highlights the necessary skill for horse and rider. This is not a simple or easy ex...

In this video, Karen explains and demonstrates a technique for your position that will help allow the horse to move under your seat better, and allow you to follow your horse. The outside leg is often not talked about, and too many times riders don’t realize that they are using their outside leg ...

In this video, Karen coaches a student to achieve more lightness of aids in haunches in. This rider and horse are capable, but tend to get sticky and use more aids than ideal. This video will help anyone doing lateral work, and you can apply this concept of finding Active Neutral to any exercise ...

In this video, Karen demonstrates a powerful pattern you can do to increase straightness, suppleness, and engagement. To do this exercise you and your horse need to be proficient and confident at shoulder in, counter shoulder in, haunches in, and renvers.

This video shows one of Karen’s favorite patterns for horses who are confident in their working gaits. If you are already playing with leg yields and smaller circles, this is a great pattern to improve your and your horse’s coordination and skills. It is a simple pattern that you can modify to ma...

Karen and Solana demonstrate how you can use riding down a hill to improve your half pass/haunches-in as well as your collectibility at the canter. Karen uses the hill to let gravity create more scope in Solana’s half pass at the walk as a warm up, then moves to collected canter. Karen canters do...

Karen coaches two students to do Hindquarter Yields - In Motion while riding. This movement is an important building block that will help you and your horse learn how to connect the inside hind with the outside shoulder (Essential Gymnastic Ability #5!). This skill, when refined, will help you in...

Karen coaches two riders through a favorite lateral exercise. This exercise can be done for any lateral position (nose to the wall leg yield, shoulder-in, haunches-in, renvers, counter shoulder-in). In this video, we use counter shoulder-in. This exercise will create balance and responsiveness. I...

Karen coaches a student through a favorite exercise to build their skills for collectibility and engagement. The horse is a big mover that is not always so balanced and can get a bit 'gangly'. You will see them start the exercise of halting into a lateral position and you will see how his balance...

In this video we see DN Instructor, Shawna Lewis, riding a client’s jumping horse in a lesson with me to help him improve his canter. This is the first time I am seeing the horse and since he has a lot of mental and physical brace I decide to do an exercise at the walk in order to improve some of...