Working from the Center

As I mentioned last week, Touchstone Farm is hosting an Open Centered Riding Clinic with Mitzi Summers on September 18-20. Roxy and I plan to attend, even though we’ve attended two other Centered Riding clinics in the last year.

Centered Riding is an approach to riding instruction that focuses on better communication between horse and rider. It was developed by Sally Swift, who lived right down the road in Brattleboro, VT.

As the official website says, Centered Riding

“… teaches you how to help your body do what you need to do in order to ride well. Centered Riding techniques help promote suppleness, stability, and clearer aids, making riding more comfortable for both horse and rider. As you learn and experience the principles through your horse's motion and responses, you and your horse tune in to each other and work together in harmony. These techniques can increase confidence and enjoyment and release tension in horses and riders, making training easier.”

As I’ve experienced it, two elements of Centered Riding have most helped me improve my riding, and given me tools for monitoring how Roxy and I work together:

• Understanding what horseback riding is like from the horse’s perspective. I thought I knew, but I didn’t. In one of my favorite exercises, riders pair up, with one rider resting a bridle around her neck and holding the bit in her hands while the other rider holds the reins as if riding.



The bridle exercise: I'm taking my role as horse very seriously.


The “horse” quickly discovers that a very light touch on the reins still comes through loud and clear. Hands that move constantly, that wander, that slacken and then pull, or that yank on the reins are really, really unpleasant. The rider's actual intent is harder to discern, too.

The “rider” realizes how steady, consistent contact with the bit, and therefore with the horse’s mouth, enables her to give her horse quick, subtle aids that the horse can immediately recognize and respond to. It is SO much less work for much better results.

I loved discovering that I can be gentle without being uncertain when I use my aids to communicate with my horse.

• Learning wonderfully vivid imagery that helps me remember and use Centered Riding techniques when I ride. For example, to develop a steady but supple hold on the reins, I now think of holding a bird in each hand: too loose and they’ll fly off; too tight and I’ll hurt them; in between is just right. Centered Riding is full of these memorable images, and they work.

The clinics are a lot of fun, even when you are not on your horse. Participants with a wide range of riding experience have attended the previous clinics at Touchstone Farm. Both English and Western riders attend. All of us have a great time, learn a lot, and … did I mention that the food is great?

See you around the farm.

Kathy McDonald
Rider and Volunteer at Touchstone Farm

Centered Riding: a Q&A with Mitzi Summers

Mitzi Summers working
with horse and rider

If you’ve been to the Touchstone Farm website recently, you may have noticed that Mitzi Summers will be teaching a Centered Riding Open Clinic at Touchstone Farm on September 18-20. Centered Riding is an approach to riding that emphasizes enhancing body awareness and relaxation and more effective communication between horse and rider. (You can read a brief description of the philosophy and basic elements of Centered Riding here.)

I’ve taken Mitzi’s Centered Riding clinic twice and am really looking forward to attending this one in September. I can’t recommend the clinic highly enough:

• The clinic is open to riders in any riding discipline and level.
• Mitzi’s instruction is highly individualized to each horse/rider.
• You can bring your own horse or ride a Touchstone horse.
• You can stay at the Stepping Stone Lodge, right on the farm property, with cozy accommodations, a big fireplace, and food fit for a king. (I’m local, but I still show up for every meal during the clinic.)
• You can grab the flyer and sign-up info from the Touchstone Farm website.

Mitzi is a Level IV Centered Riding instructor, trained and mentored by Sally Swift, who developed Centered Riding. In addition to her CR credentials, Mitzi has ridden, competed, and coached in dressage, cross country, western, open jumping, and hunt seat. She was the CHA 2010 International Instructor of the Year, and apprenticed with Chuck Grant, Vi Hopkins, and Frank Chapot. She teaches in the US and Europe and has taught in New Zealand and South Africa.

Mitzi’s expertise, warm and positive teaching style, and her great love and respect for horses make her one of Touchstone Farm's favorite visiting clinicians.

Mitzi and I chatted recently about Centered Riding and how it helps both horses and riders. I’m paraphrasing our conversation below.

Kathy: What led you to Centered Riding?

Mitzi: I had a lot of good and bad instruction over the years. After a particularly bad session with a instructor who emphasized “forcing” the horse to do what I wanted, I thought, “There has to be a better way.” That night, I happened to read about Sally Swift’s book, Centered Riding, and I thought, “It’s here.”

Kathy: What do you value in Centered Riding? Who can benefit from it?

Mitzi: Every rider can benefit from it. All disciplines and levels of rider can benefit from the techniques, which enable good communication between the horse and rider. Centered Riding focuses on the horse/rider dynamic and addresses nuances in the dynamic that prevent good communication. Those nuances could be the rider being unbalanced or stiff, for example, or poorly fitting tack. The Open Clinics are appropriate for all riders wanting to improve their riding and also for riding instructors who are thinking about becoming certified in Centered Riding.

Kathy: What does it mean to be a Level IV Instructor of Centered Riding?

Mitzi: Level IV is the highest level. Level IV instructors teach CR Open and Advanced Clinics, CR Instructor Courses, and Instructor Update Clinics. Years of experience with Centered Riding, horsemanship, and credentials for riding, training, and teaching are required, as well as apprenticeship with other Level IV instructors. The training includes bodywork, such as the Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, and TTouch. Instructors have to continue updating their skills to maintain their current standing.

Kathy: Has Centered Riding affected your own riding?

Mitzi: Tremendously. When I get on a horse now, I have a mental checklist for myself from the Four Basics – am I breathing from my diaphragm, do I have soft eyes, and so on. I can check that I am riding correctly before I start to figure out what’s going on with this particular horse. It also gives me more information about the horse. That helps me know how to tell this horse what I need him to do.

Mitzi helping Roxy & me
get centered

Kathy: What have you liked about teaching at Touchstone Farm?

Mitzi: The clinics at Touchstone always seem to attract great people with great attitudes. The Touchstone staff are very helpful and willing to make changes – to tack, for example – if it will help the horses. I also know that I won’t have to worry about thing like safety issues, arena footing, or horse management, which isn’t true everywhere. And having everyone staying together at the Lodge makes the weekend a real happening.

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I hope you’re intrigued by now, and looking to find out more on our website. It’s going to be a great weekend – topnotch instruction, great company, beautiful location, awesome food … what are you waiting for?

See you around the farm.

Kathy McDonald
Rider and Volunteer at Touchstone Farm