Join us for an information packed morning and an afternoon of 1:1 lessons. Diane is a wealth of knowledge and expertice.

Please contact us for details and registration.

Body Mapping:  KNOW YOUR FEET 

Our feet are our connection to the ground we walk on and to the stirrups when riding. The focus of this workshop will be on our human body awareness for safer/more effective riding and/or groundwork, and the direct correlation to the horses feet.

What IS BODY MAPPING?

A person's BODY MAP is their perception, understanding, and experience of their own body shape and size, and how and where their own joints move and how their body functions. Sometimes we have an accurate sense of our body map and sometimes not. ALL of us (including horses) learn to compensate to accommodate our perception of our body. Body mapping provides an anatomical underpinning for understanding balance and movement.

When we have an accurate sense and knowledge of our body map, we move with poise and easy coordination. When a person's body map is incorrect, there is an incongruence between their perceptions and their actual body resulting in awkward, tense compensatory movements. For example:  When other parts of our body or our muscles tighten to support an out of balance spine, there will be compensation. This will create misguidance to/for our horse, and possible injury/discomfort for us. Body Mapping can help you become more aware of the true function of your joints and limbs. Gain an accurate anatomical reference as you grow your skills.

About Diane -  http://www.dianesept.com/

Diane offers a unique opportunity to expand and sharpen your ground and riding skills and knowledge of horses.  At clinics and in lessons Diane demonstrates riding from the inside to the outside for gaited or walk trot horses. She teaches body awareness and comfort - for both horse & rider - empowering you to improve your horse’s movement while letting go of compressive, energy draining techniques.  

 The elements Diane uses evolved from nicely integrated disciplines; TTouch, Connected Riding, Centered Riding, Feldenkrais and Alexander body awareness. Diane teaches through entertaining short lectures, balancing participants in the saddle, ground exercises and riding in small groups. While she works with all breeds, Diane has shown, trained, and judged smooth gaited horses for over 40 years. 

Diane learns from all of the horses and people she has the honor of working with … and has been guided by many at the forefront of awareness for the horse: Pearl Tompkins (forefather of Tennessee Walking Horse in the NW), Monty Foreman, Sally Swift, Peggy Cummings, Linda Tellington-Jones, Robyn Hood, David Genadek, Doug Smith, Dr. David Whitaker, Jillian Kreinbring, Deb Davies … and many other focused, insightful horse enthusiasts who are following the quest for knowledge of the horse (having the opportunity to observe and sit in the energy and "way" of Manolo Mendez over a 5 week period was a gift of exponential guidance and allowing)