New Dressage Coaching Site Online

Online, December 23, 2013 (Newswire.com) - This dressage site, http://www.riderbiomechanics.co.uk may be the first dressage training site to approach dressage at a totally scientific perspective using rider biomechanics.

Mary Wanless is an internationally renowned coach, and is the author of the 'Ride With Your Mind' books, which have been interpreted into many languages. She has also authored 8 DVDs. She mentors riders at all levels, from relative novices to two of the top twelve US dressage riders, and some of the Canadian eventing squad. She has B.Sc. degrees in both Physics and Applied Sports Coaching, and holds the BHSI certificate.

30 years ago, when Mary was frustrated with her limited progress as a pupil, she set out to discover how talented riders do what they do. Her guiding question was 'What is presupposed by a trainer when she makes a specific statement to a pupil?' So when a rider is told, for instance, to 'Get the horse on the bit?' , what is the trainer presupposing? That the rider already has these skills (but somehow forgot, or just didn't bother to impliment them?!) Or that she ought to be able to do it because it's easy?

Any co-ordination that is easy (and therefore a 'bite size chunk') for the trainer is not necessarily a 'bite size chunk' for the pupil. When the trainer says 'Do X' she is assuming that the pupil can do 'A,B,C,D,' etc. just as she can! But that may not be the case. The reality is that most trainers teach the pupil as if they were teaching themselves. The skill of coaching lies in the coach's/trainer's ability to cross that skill-gap, and show the pupil her own personallised next steps, that will move her on from her current starting point.