Conscious Riding Lessons
Riding instruction has modernized. Whether you're experienced or new, embrace the learner-friendly "Ride With Your Mind" method, pioneered by Mary Wanless.
“The rider’s role is to be a framework around the horse, not a load on top of the horse.”
rider-biomechanics focused
ages 6 and up
60 minutes
Private lessons only - no more than one student at a time
$150 for the hour
Travel fee added if I’m meeting you at your barn
Photos and/or videos may be sent to you post-lesson
Lessons are comprehensive; building well-rounded equestrians
Lesson Structure
Goal Setting: We'll start by discussing your goals for the lesson.
Assessment: For new students, I'll capture a "before" photo/video. For returning students, we'll review key takeaways from previous lessons.
Warm-Up and Questions: I'll observe your warm-up and ask questions about your focus, the horse's back shape, your breathing, and pelvic stability.
Addressing Issues: If your horse has specific challenges, we'll analyze the underlying causes and work on solutions through demonstration, hands-on guidance, and visual aids.
Rider Biomechanics: I'll help you understand how your body influences the horse's movement, using clear explanations and various tools to illustrate key concepts.
Lesson Wrap-Up: We'll recap the main points and discuss how to implement the changes in your future rides.
Key Focus
Awareness: Recognizing when something feels or looks incorrect.
Change: Learning how to adjust your own body to improve the horse's movement.
Clarity: Ensuring you understand the concepts and techniques covered in the lesson.
Your Learning, Uninterrupted
If the weather prevents us from riding in the arena, we’ll meet in the barn instead and build out your horse knowledge foundation. There’s always more to learn, and horses appreciate people who have more skills than just the ones needed for great riding. This will also apply if the horse you were scheduled to ride is unable to be ridden and there are no substitutes available. Here’s a list of subjects we can cover, including but not limited to:
“Emily’s ground and virtual lessons have been absolutely invaluable! I’ve learned things about my riding that I just couldn’t see while in the saddle. These sessions gave me fresh insights and a clearer understanding that translated into real progress—sometimes even more than my in-person rides.
On weeks I had to miss a riding lesson, these kept me moving forward instead of falling behind. In fact, I often improved more when I added them in between.
Thank you, Emily, for making such a powerful difference in my riding!”
rider biomechanics training/ off-horse exercises
R+ horse training
anatomy/conformation
herd dynamics/social structure
daily care/husbandry
health/feeding
key needs of equines
reading equine body language
or any other equine-related topic the student is interested in finding out about!
If scheduling or weather prevents us from getting to the barn at our normal time and rescheduling isn’t possible, we’ll meet virtually, via video call. How can a riding lesson happen when you’re stuck at home with no horse to ride? It’s not as crazy as it sounds… but don’t take my word for it, read my student V.S.’s recent comments about it!
Become a more skillful, kind, and confident rider.
schedule a conscious riding lesson today!
Progress of some of my stellar students
Each one of these riders is on their own journey. They are all working hard to make changes that help them become better riders. These “before/after” photos capture moments in time that illustrate the profound difference a rider’s biomechanics can have on the horse’s shape and movement.
