Instruction

What I am comfortable instructing is reflective of my competitive experience, much of which was focused on Eventing at a time when the cross-country phase was immensely demanding. The advantage of the necessary diversity required in Eventing is it requires the same in training horses and instructing riders with a far more holistic approach.

Many hate to hear it, even when they know it's true... it's the basis of everything.  If you want to jump well, you need to get to the fence well.

I've been fortunate to train with some of the best dressage trainers in the world, largely through Hanoverian connections.  I've taken what I learned from these trainers and added to it.  

I've ridden at PSG level and trained horses a little beyond that so I'm comfortable teaching a dressage rider to that PSG level.

As you may have read on the Training page, there is a definite focus on engaging and moving forward properly and a systematic approach with comprehension as a critical goal.

Years ago I competed heavily in the jumpers, but it became apparent that raw horse-power is critical and no amount of training and skillful riding can out-perform a horse that can jump a foot higher than yours.  But, having slower, less scopey, horses caused me to find other ways to get into the second jump-off... insanely tight turns, rapid acceleration and braking, and developing exercises to encourage the horse to be fully tuned into the round.

So, I'm happy helping jumper riders learn how to get their horses to the fence properly, how to ride in a manner that is not detrimental to the horse's jump, how to jump a solid first round, and how to cause people to double-take at the clock after a jump-off.

For Dressage, I generally prefer the private format.  This is because there is typically fleeting teachable moments that are often missed if the attention is on another rider.  That said, there are situations where groups can work, especially in clinic situations when much of what I'm teaching can be so new yet very fundamental, and more can be covered in a longer group session.

Private or smaller group lessons work well for show jumping / stadium. Having a few riders can provide the opportunity to rest while someone else rides.  When a rider has taken numerous lessons from me, the private format usually works better as we get into the weeds and very specific.

Cross-country is often in group format, but sometimes a rider doesn't fit into a group or needs some specific attention.  As is typical, I cover much of cross-country in a stadium like setting, addressing questions such as accuracy, angles, distances, and stride qualities.  Actual XC fences are schooled after the appropriate skills and understanding are established using more forgiving fences.