Australian Dressage Clinics with Nicole Weinauge, a fully endorsed instructor in Philippe Karl's School of Lightness.
First ever Australian clinic of classical Dressage with Philippe Karl's fully endorsed instructor Nicole Weinauge.
Nicole Weinauge is coming to Australia from Germany for two weeks, giving sixteen lucky participants a full, intensive, four day clinic on Philippe Karl's system in classical Dressage, also known as Philippe Karl's School of Lightness or Ecole de Légèreté.
Philippe Karl's motto is riding with a Philosophy of Ease, creating harmony, balance and understanding with his system with any horse, teaching them clean, correct flying changes, half pass, piaffe and passage. Philippe Karl takes even an ordinary horse and teaches it the Grand Prix movements. Picture (left): Nicole Weinauge. Photo courtesy of Nicole Weinauge ©.
Dates: Thursday 9th to Saturday the 18th of April, 2009 (Easter).
Location: Brookleigh Equestrian Estate, Upper Swan, Western Australia, 6069.
Contact: Pip Easton or phone 0407 08 77 99.
Lessons commence at 8:30 am and continue through to approximately 5:00 pm with eight riders each having a private forty five minute lesson. From 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm is a theory class which is included in the cost. ALL are welcome to attend, ask questions, listen and learn about weight aids, how to balance your horse and how to create lightness and true self carriage.
All spectators are encouraged and welcome to join in the discussions with Nicole Weinauge by completing the attendance form. Please contact Pip Easton if you wish to fence sit and observe the system. See the improvement in horses and riders over four days for yourself!
Learn more about Nicole Weinauge.
Australian Classical Dressage Clinic with Philippe Karl's fully endorsed instructor Nicole Weinauge.
Easter 9th ~ 12th and the following week, 15th ~ 18th April, 2009 saw the first clinics held in Perth, Western Australia with a licensed teacher of French Classical Dressage Master Philippe Karl. The venue was the stunning Brookleigh Equestrian Estate. The weather, perfect (if not a bit hot for Nicole at 38 degrees some days), and the results for all horses and riders, excellent! Picture (left): Sue Palermo with Lux.
All horses improved under the skilled riding of Nicole Weinauge, who has been training with Philippe Karl since age 22. Nicole concentrated a lot on lifting the basis of the neck in each horse (trapezius muscles) and having them carry that posture from halt into the walk, trot and canter. By lifting the forehand in this way, the horse learnt self carriage and not to use the riders hands as a fifth leg.
Natural crookedness was addressed, (whether the individual horse was leaning on one or other of the shoulders) and corrected via counter bending to make the horse straight and the forward emphasis with impulsion and balance was worked on in a neck extension outline so the whole back and body of the horse was swinging. This feeling was incredible and all the horses looked freer and covered a lot more ground. Picture (right): Caren Robinson with George.
Gymnastic exercises of the neck with flexions left and right either from the ground or under saddle created suppleness in all the horses and we learnt the way to correct our horses' stiff or hollow sides. For overbent horses, we learnt to open the poll and gullet with a high hand in an upward action toward the ears to teach the horse to lift and open. With practice and more strength the horses learned to seek the bit in lightness rather than avoid the contact by coming behind the vertical. And for hollow, ewe necked horses we learnt the correct flexions and neck extensions with a following hand to give the horse confidence to reach for the bit, stay connected and maintain the soft, chewing, swallowing mouth which Philippe Karl is so renowned for.
Spectators who managed to watch the whole four days really understood the rein aids being separate to the leg aids and could see the entire balance shift and lightness of the horses becoming more apparent. By the fourth day in each clinic, the riders had the feeling and skills with which to replicate the frame and the knowledge with how to do so for their particular horse. Picture (left): Becky Sellick with Ash.
So all in all a fantastic learning curve. One rider said, "I think it's the missing link in Dressage, getting the horse to use their neck and shoulders and getting the weight off the forehand – it transforms your horse basically! I can't believe the difference!" Gail George. And another, "It was just hugely educational and exactly what I needed because the lengthening of my horses’ neck was so important. Learning from Nicole filled in the gap of the puzzle that was hugely missing. " Caren Robinson.
With the news of Philippe Karl himself coming to Australia this September, a lot of the Dressage fraternity are buzzing about it all, which I think is very exciting for the sport and for the horses. As a penciller at 'C' for many years with International Judges at State Dressage Competitions, I would sit confused and angered by the sheer force and unhappy state some of the horses would come up the centre line in. So much so that I quit being a part of Dressage at all. I just couldn't watch it anymore. So when I found Philippe Karl's Philosophy of Ease in his School of Légèreté (Lightness), I knew the truth laid in harmony, balance and most importantly respect to the horse. Picture (above): Gail George with Obie.
I think too many people use their horses as a machine to compete and don't truly have a fully honest relationship with them. These creatures do so much for us and out of all the confusing aids, restraining gadgets and forced movements, they still loyally try their hearts out. Show me Dressage where the horse can dance in freedom, beauty and effortlessness. Show me riders who have invisible aids and sit quietly in balance with their beloved partner. Show me Dressage competitions where the horses are in front of the vertical, with their mouths happily conversing with the riders gentle hand and show me scorecards with positive, complimentary comments by judges thanking the riders for showing the harmony and beauty of movement that is Dressage and admired by many.
Show me a system where the horse has the chance to learn quietly from halt and a very slow walk ("The mother of all gaits." Baucher) to understand each individual aid and build strength, flexibility and suppleness. Philippe Karl's system is that. It is the answer to all my questions. Picture (left): Nicole Weinauge with Grace, owned by Pip Easton.
So for those of you out there who are trying so hard and not getting anywhere, who are having conflicting lessons with instructors all over, who are frustrated with either a lack of knowledge or at yourselves for not being able to achieve the results you're after, take a good look at Philippe Karl who will break it down, tell you why, show you how and teach you the correct classical, traditional way of Dressage.
Philippe Karl is a true master and an amazing horseman. Philippe Karl is coming to Australia after many amounts of people asking him to. We are very privileged. We live in the lucky country, so I hope all of you who are searching, find the right way. Thousands of people across Europe working with Philippe Karl can't be wrong.
Excerpt from Philippe Karl's book, Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage: a Search for a Classical Alternative, page 17: popular wisdom says, "What is complicated is unimportant and what is important is never complicated. "
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