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Thank you to Jane Savoie for telling me about Eckart Meyners.
I've just returned from an Eckart Meyners Clinic in the Providence, RI area.
I have to comment as I collect my thoughts that I have seen
this weekend the most beautiful dressage horses and a collection of
people looking to softly affect their horses by using less muscle, more
flexibility and more flowing movement in their bodies. Extraordinary!
Melds well with the teaching of James Shaw with the added element of FUN!
I have to comment as I collect my thoughts that I have seen
this weekend the most beautiful dressage horses and a collection of
people looking to softly affect their horses by using less muscle, more
flexibility and more flowing movement in their bodies. Extraordinary!
Melds well with the teaching of James Shaw with the added element of FUN!
There are several unique pieces to Mr. Meyners’ work, which make it especially
beneficial to riding instructors. First, his program offers very practical, easy to
implement methods to create an effective seat. These methods involve more
than simply having the “correct” position; the focus is on the rider’s ability for
balance in motion, which Mr. Meyners considers to be the most important ingredient
in successful riding. Second is his belief that the roles of mind and body must be
connected and balanced together in order for a dialogue with the horse to occur.
This belief is evident in many of his practical exercises for the rider. Third, he has
developed a teaching methodology that includes how to teach motion and feel.
Using this methodology results in the development of the correct muscle memory necessary for riding.
Each rider is a unique human being in body, mind, and personality. History,
culture and life circumstances increase the imbalances in our physical bodies
and disrupt the balance between mind and body. Most riders believe in the importance
of having a “correct seat” but have a hard time defining what that means. Too often
the “correct seat” is defined by specific forms, and riding instructors see their job
as molding riders to fit those forms. In reality, a “correct seat” is unique to each
individual, taking into consideration the variations of each person’s body. Once
a few basic alignments are in place, the muscles that allow the body to have the
motion necessary to flow with and correctly influence the horse. The brain also
plays an important role in telling the muscles what to do, so instructors need to
understand how to work with a rider’s brain. Riders and instructors must seek to
uncover muscular imbalances that impede harmony between horse and rider. Then a
combination of playful experimentation and specific exercises can help gain balance.
The goals of the exercises are balanced muscles, not simply stronger muscles. The
exercises are never forced, but rather achieve balance though a complete cycle of
relaxing, stretching and strengthening.
The rider’s seat is the dialogue between the horse’s back and the rider’s pelvis,
and is individualized to fit each horse/rider combination. Corrections and changes
must begin with the rider’s hips in order to achieve the correct seat.
PS: Lots of "tag points" came out of this clinic.
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