Ride With You Mind…
I have recently returned from an another intensive week long training at Overdale Equestrian Centre, with world renowned, coach, author, founder of the rider biomechanics movement and creator of the Ride With Your Mind (RWYM) principals, Mary Wanless- I am more sure now than ever, that understanding how your body works and unpacking the ‘how of riding’ is essential to success as a rider- after all we have all been in those session where you’ve been told, ‘make the horse rounder’ or ‘more impulsion’ or ‘use your core’ but has anyone very broke these things down in to clear understandable and manageable ‘chunks’ and given you the tools to actually do this with certainty you are doing it right?
Mary says 'Talent Can Be Taught ' there is no mystery to riding simply a need to understand, notice and take actions.
So what is Ride With Your Mind?
Mary says “The ‘Ride With Your Mind’ approach is a tremendous advance in teaching and learning. It shows any rider how to organize their mind and body in the same way as the riders we call ‘talented’. This enables each person to learn the same feels and to achieve the same results"
Its emphasis is on riders focusing their mind to be in a ‘noticing mindset’ and raising awareness of your body and the effects this has on the horse along with developing ‘core strength’ and stability (Rider Biomechanics). Learning and growing is not talent related, its related to a person’s ability to notice and take actions based on this noticed output.
What’s my relationship with Ride With Your Mind?
I was first introduced to Mary and her work over 25 years ago, as client in a riding school in West London I the mid 90’s my Instructor at the time had been to a clinic with Mary and returned brimming with ideas new terms and ways of explaining things- like many at this stage in my learning I had got my ‘up-downs’ and was wobbling around in canter, on a very trusted reliable school horse called Molly who was often somewhat lacking in motivation at 1pm on Sunday afternoon in my lesson. But my instructor with her newfound knowledge, sprung in to the lesson, reorganised my body and sent me off, my trot improved instantly, I was excited! My canter, well was significantly less wobbly. At that point, my instructor at the time began to explain about the training she had done, who it was with, and I immediately found Marys’ book, Ride with Your Mind – I was hooked… It took me another 20 years including a 5 year break in riding due to injury, to finally embark on training fully under the Ride With Your Mind principals as a rider.. In 2019 I booked my first round of training with Mary and immersed myself in the Ride With Your Mind philosophy having read all her books, and been to numerous caching seminars that Mary had spoke at– a quick scan over my own riding journey shows just how effective this can be- even with my significant spinal issues.
2021 sees me working as a ‘Ride With Your Mind Coach in Training’ under Mary, in addition my current teacher training, Franklin Method® Franklin Balls and BHS qualifications, Ride With Your Mid really does, remove the jargon, create real relatable ‘fixes’ and ‘pieces’ to work with that work. The journey to being a better rider is a life's work, and work I shall - for the love of the horse <3
More information in Mary and Ride with your Mind can be found here.. http://www.mary-wanless.com/
For any coaching enquiries please get in touch https://www.derryvm.co.uk/contact
For now ‘NJoy your horse and your riding.
Speak soon.
Derry
Pictures of me and the Head honcho Alfie at Overdale with Mary Wanless June 2021