Philippe Karl Australian Teachers Clinics ~ November and December 2010.
The news we've all been waiting to hear is that Philippe Karl is returning to Australia to start the first Australian Teachers Course in November and December, 2010. For those who wish to be part of two select groups to become licensed teachers in his School of Légèreté, there has been an extension to the application date to the 31st of August, 2010.
Those who wish to apply need to follow the strict criteria listed on Philippe's website. Please post your application directly to Philippe Karl in DVD format. All applications received in 2009 by Pip Easton on Philippe Karl's behalf have been forwarded to France for review. Philippe Karl will make his selection in September, 2010.
Spectators can register their interest anytime by emailing Pip Easton.
Venues for the Teachers Clinics.
Philippe Karl Clinic - Teachers Course, Melbourne.
Juravon Park, 1748 Gisborne-Melton Road, Kurunjang, Victoria, 3337.
Please contact Pip Easton.
Dates: 23 ~ 26 November, 2010.
Juravon Park Spectator Form
Juravon Park is located in Kurunjang, Victoria. Philippe has proposed the idea for an amalgamated group of riders from the Sydney and Melbourne areas who will be participants in his three year Teachers Course.
Philippe Karl Clinic - Teachers Course, Perth.
Brookleigh Equestrian Estate, Upper Swan, Western Australia, 6069.
Please contact Pip Easton.
Dates: 29 November ~ 02 December, 2010.
Brookleigh Spectator Form
Dressage World would like to thank Nikki Brooks of Brookleigh Equestrian Estate once again for her fantastic hospitality.
In the future, with more rider applications from Queensland and South Australia, growth could continue to these states. As a starting point, Perth and Melbourne offer fair travel options for all and cover Australia in the easiest way possible for our international guests.
Additional exciting news to the Australian Teachers Course is that Sylvia Stössel from Switzerland will be teaching participants in conjunction with Philippe Karl. She will travel twice per year to Australia and Philippe will travel once per year. This of course is subject to change based on Philippe's European commitments, but this is the best solution thus far.
Sylvia Stössel is a Level 4 licensed teacher in the School of Légèreté. She has a a deep knowledge of Philippe's system and an excellent ability to impart feel and understanding.
We do apologise if you won't be seeing Philippe Karl in your own backyard as yet, but please continue to make yourselves heard and within that, things can and will expand. Please continue visiting Dressage World for details and updates and of course we appreciate your comments and ideas.
Further information and requirements for candidates of the School of Légèreté Teachers Course are on Philippe Karl's website.
Melbourne was very privileged to see some of the training techniques of classical dressage master Philippe Karl in two demonstrations at EQUITANA Melbourne. The stadiums provided for his forty five minute displays were jam packed full of fans with standing room only!
Saturday 20th November, 2010 ~ Nadine O'Sullivan-Clark and her stunning stallion Mozzimo showed how to relax a very tense horse in a large atmosphere. Philippe asked simply for walk with an up to 90 degree bend of the neck on a small circle with lots of changes of direction to encourage the horse to stretch down and forward into a correct neck extension with the nose forward of the vertical. By keeping his mind busy with circles, straight lines, larger circles and changes of bend it enabled the horse to think where he was putting his feet and react positively in lengthening his contracted frame. He clearly and quickly relaxed and began striding out with longer steps.
Into the trot once Mozzimo was more focused, Philippe continued with the same ideal of bending and extending the neck to achieve longer, more relaxed strides and although a distinct hind leg soreness became apparent the quiet, systematic work to bring the horse's focus continually back to the rider showed that you don't need to ride thousands of kilometres to tire your horse when you can simply ask for his attention through calm and consistent mind activity.
Shoulder in, travers, renvers and half pass in walk allowed the crowd to see the intense flexibility required and the responsiveness to the aids which combined with straight lines and suppling on both reins create a symmetrical horse which then clearly leads to straightness.
Dressage World thanks Nadine O'Sullivan-Clark for presenting herself and her very talented Mo so beautifully. The piaffe he offered in his excitement was a joy to see!
Sunday 21st November, 2010 ~ Leanne Williams and her incredibly elegant mare Avoca Eclipse showed how to take a horse who naturally travels behind the vertical, forward with correct neck extension and how to respectfully allow the sensitive communication required between the hand of the rider and the mouth of the horse. Philippe asked Leanne for even rein contact with the hand always being oriented to the mouth to allow the horse to trust the giving hand, stretch forward and lengthen her frame and strides. By asking for a more forward trot into the extension, the mare understood that she was allowed to take her nose forward of the vertical and stretch her neck in more of a horizontal line from the withers in order to make the horse as long as possible to allow the back to swing and be free.
With exercises in shoulder in on a small circle to gymnasticise the back and the quarters and asking the inside hind leg to step well under, the counter effect of the slow, elevated work was clearly shown in a defined stretch on the straight line. The stylised walk Philippe asked for showed the crowd how to quietly control the speed, length and rhythm of every step. The relaxation and understanding from the horse was apparent in the softening of the jaw which Philippe constantly asks for.
Dressage World thanks Leanne Williams for presenting herself and her very stunning mare Eclipse so professionally ~ a credit to you both.
Pip Easton of Dressage World would also like to take this opportunity to thank Philippe Karl himself for extending his travels to Australia to show us all his respectful techniques. We are grateful to you for fitting us in to your already busy international program. Thanks also goes to EQUITANA Melbourne, The Saddle Specialist and Equine Excellence Magazine.
Tuesday 23rd through to Friday 26th of November, 2010 ~ Philippe Karl and the eight selected riders started on the basic fundamentals in the first clinic of the basic level Teachers Course.
DAY ONE
Day one was a treat for the large group of spectators who watched Philippe ride some of the horses after the riders had shown their normal working routine. From the feeling he received from the horse and the clear definition of what the horse and rider showed in their work, day two was intense work on the problem each combination needed to solve.
DAY TWO
Some horses needed lightening off the forehand with small vibrational hand aids upwards from the rider to teach the horse that using the hand as a fifth leg was not acceptable and maintaining self carriage in all movements was paramount. Some horses needed action/reaction aids to teach the horse that being above or behind the bit was not the correct way to travel and that the bend and neck extension exercises were the key in:
- Teaching the rider to never use a backward pulling hand action, and
- Teaching the horse to take the rein forward and down by using his nose to clearly go in front of the vertical to lengthen his neck, back and strides.
DAY THREE
The lateral movements and exercises were introduced to create an understanding from both horse and rider that they can work on balance, lightness, suppleness and responsiveness to the aids in walk on small circles to establish the communication and use of correct weight aids. As the partnerships learnt to maintain these basics in a calm, correct and purposeful walk, the exercises in shoulder in and travers on both reins systematically formed the base of the training. The work then continued in trot.
DAY FOUR
Philippe brought groups together to work in hand on circles and straight lines. The body language of the rider taught the horses to follow the cues to walk and halt and the riders on the ground could learn how to control the shoulders and neck of the horse with very clear and subtle use of their hands. Communication between horse and rider from the ground is an essential part of teaching both students and spectators the importance of jaw yielding and neck flexions which develop a clear understanding of the aids when under saddle.
The theory evenings with Philippe Karl were enlightening and very clear in the ways of developing a thinking, compassionate and understanding rider, who can then teach and help the horse to learn how to be gymnastic, supple and light in all of his work.
The School of Légèreté in Australia has begun with a very successful Melbourne clinic and Perth is now very excited to start on Monday 29th November through to Thursday 2nd December, 2010 with such a Master!
After EQUITANA and the start of the Australian Teachers Course in Melbourne with Philippe Karl, the Perth team of selected riders started their four days of training in the School of Légèreté from November 29th to December 2nd, 2010.
DAY ONE
Day one began with the riders showing Philippe Karl the work they'd been consolidating since their last clinic, which was in May, 2010, with Sylvia Stössel. Philippe was happy that most partnerships were "well doing" and he couldn't wait to get into the nitty gritty of the work to establish clearer communications with each horse and rider.
Some riders started in hand on the ground in flexions, with Philippe making small adjustments to improve the bend, the mobility of the jaw and the correct extension of the neck in halt and in walk. Some riders started straight into their lateral work with Philippe developing clearer aids for shoulder in and travers, with particular attention to where the riders legs were situated on the horse, where the rider was looking, where their shoulders were and in which stirrup they were putting their weight into. The correct positioning of the horses' neck, both in the degree of bend and the length of the neck was re-established to correct the frame of some horses and their length of stride. All work done in walk was asked for with slow, active steps with the degree of angle particular for each individual combination at the level they were working on.
The balance was continually addressed as always, in regard to extending the neck in the bend and asking the horse for his "best trot", showing that when the horse is allowed to go very forward and lengthen his neck, the strides could lengthen. So long as the riders could feel the critical moment when there might be a loss of balance, the exercise really shows how to gymnasticise the back of the horses to help muscle development to gain strength and of course to encourage their natural movement.
DAY TWO
The half pass was introduced to some riders, making sure that the straight lines in between the half pass exercise were actually straight, with a correct neck extension, longer steps and real activity. The riders worked on perfecting the balance into their corners, creating the essential bend, sitting to the direction in which the horse was required to go and intent focus on the correct body aids. Philippe was pedantic about weight aids and the riders were asked to "look far" to where they wanted to go. This was intensively achieved in walk, in both directions and then asked for in trot. With some horses constantly falling into their bad habit of dropping the poll and coming behind the vertical, the riders had a lot to think about in regard to maintaining the activity, the bend, the flow, the long steps, the lightness, the responsiveness to the aids, the shoulders leading with the hind quarters directly activated, the position of the head, neck and poll and the last few strides of straightening before turning to try again.
DAY THREE
Day three stepped the combinations up another gear into serious work on the shoulder in, travers and renvers with work on circles and straight lines. The canter transitions on the straight line were a focus for some who'd be training towards the preparation for the flying changes next year. The canter strike offs with correctly balanced weight aids for some riders were addressed to achieve the right language of consistency so when the horses come to their flying changes, they'll understand the absolute clarity of the aids off the lightest touch.
DAY FOUR
Day four was flexions in hand, group work under saddle and lunging lessons over jumps. The importance on lunging became apparent with crucial understanding required to direct the horses shoulders to develop an ease of control from the ground, which in turn leads to better communication under saddle. The exercising of the horses muscles over fences gave the riders an insight into creating an overall athlete while improving the riders' leadership and handling skills.
All in all, the start of the Teachers Course in Perth was fantastic and full of information for the riders and spectators with lots of homework to study over the next few months before the continuation of the Teachers Course next year with Sylvia Stössel in April, 2011.
For those wishing to spectate at the School of Légèreté clinics in Perth and Melbourne, please email Pip Easton and stay tuned next year for newsletters from around the world! Philippe Karl's work is moving into South Africa, Canada, England and Belgium with people hungry for information on the true, classical principals of dressage with the horse being respected first and foremost.
Spectators who wish to join up for the three clinics per year for the next three years are encouraged to write a formal letter via email to Pip Easton to have the opportunity to witness the progression of the riders and to personally study and learn how to correctly train any horse to the high school levels of dressage.
Learn more about Philippe Karl or read the 2009 post clinic report.
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