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Please read the brief overview from Jamie, and below that, a general description of each type of session being offered. Please note that although each session has a general outline, we can cater each session to fit your individual needs.
With literally thousands of professional horse and saddle fittings, done both in person and virtually, I have become proficient at conducting a broad range of consultation and training services via Zoom video conferences.
All I needs is a willing human partner and their horse(s), and together we can successfully conduct full conformation and saddle fitting analysis of your horse, identify your horse's best natural gait and way of moving, mounted live gait training sessions (single or ongoing), or face to face consultations for a wide range of horse and saddle related topics we can work through together.
When conducting in-person sessions, those I'm working with ride their horse, while I am on the ground observing and guiding. So, with such modern technology at our fingertips, these sessions are not much at all different than in-person ones. It's pretty amazing, really!
How it Works:
When you book your appointment, you will fill out a questionnaire so I can assess your specific needs and expectations. Once payment is received, your booking is confirmed, and you will receive an email with basic pre-appointment information. I may ask for some pictures and/or video, if needed, prior to our session. Each session is different, and will be catered to your and your horse's unique individual needs.
Shortly before your scheduled time, you will receive an email with a link and passcode to join the video conference, where I'll be waiting to get you all set up and ready to go to get started!
A valuable bonus of training via Zoom is at the conclusion of each session you will receive a link to a copy of the entire session. This will allow you to reference back the entire Zoom session to review and refresh. Watching back is exceptionally helpful to you, as it allows you to see your horse in movement while hearing the real-time assessments and our interactions to go along with this. If we end up working together over a series of sessions, it's really fun and rewarding to be able to go back and review the progress you're making, or revisit and refresh yourself on something we've already covered.
All live mounted sessions with horses will require a helper to record. Wireless ear pieces make things easier for us to communicate while you have your hands full too! We'll walk you through the entire process.
I've found this format to be an easy, efficient, and effective way for me to work with clients and their horses. It's a very user-friendly platform, if you haven't used it before, but I can help walk through any pre-session technology concerns, if needed!
Please note, if time allows, we may decide we would benefit from spending a little more time in the moment, and may negotiate at that time. It's always a team effort to form our perfect trifecta.
Imus 4-Beat Saddle Fitting Q&A Consultation: 30 Minutes: Once booking is confirmed, you will receive an email with instructions for pictures of your horse, and short videos of them moving under saddle, are helpful too! We will meet face-to-face for our half-hour Zoom session, and will discuss the personal overview about you and your horse's journey, your saddle fit challenges. We'll walk through an overall conformation analysis, as this plays directly into the saddle tree and overall fittings recommendations. Usually, through the natural flow of the conversation, most of your questions or concerns have usually been addressed, but we'll make sure to cover all our bases!
General Consultation: 30 Minutes New to gaited horses and aren't sure where to start? I can help! General behavioral and horse-related topics are welcome, for gaited and non-gaited horses too! Sometimes a quick session does the trick, or it may lead to a discussion about possible next steps. This is a face-to-face Zoom, with no horse present.
Saddle Fitting Consultation and Conformation Analysis (Non-Mounted/You and Your Horse Live): 60 Minutes
We will do a full walk-around tour of your horse and we will go over your horse's overall conformation, discussing how they are built leads to how they move, and this extends to what they will need when it comes to saddle fit. We can discuss your specific challenges and needs for saddle fit, and can make recommendations based on you and your horse's individual needs. We can review your current saddle situation and run through some fitting tests. This session is more general saddle fit, and if you would like a mounted, in-depth analysis, you can book our 90 min session.
Saddle Fitting Consultation and Conformation Analysis (Mounted/Horse and Rider): 90 Minutes
We will together go over your horse's entire conformation, discussing many different elements of their build, analyzing their balance and proportions, the angles of your horse, which dictate how they most naturally move, and discuss anything regarding anything about their particular build that may play into saddle fit, beyond just looking at a tree size recommendation. You will be mounted, and we will need a stretch of flat surface in order to evaluate how your horse is moving under saddle. A large arena will do the trick, as will a field. We just need them to be able to move out for several paces at a flat walk and at speed, and we want them on a straightaway so turning doesn't break up their leg cadence before we have a chance to see them really move out. You will need someone on the ground recording and following along on camera. We will discuss your horse's gait, and way of moving, and steps you can take to help bring out their best natural form. Link to the entire session will be emailed after the session for you to keep and review anytime.
Gait Analysis and Gait Training (Mounted/Horse and Rider): 90 Minutes
During these sessions, you will need a helper to follow and record you as we work together on defining and analyzing your horse's way of moving. We will practice ways to help rebalance your horse, get them working of their haunches and with impulsion. There are lots of ways to help horses round up through the back, and comfortably collect so they are moving in natural form, with a squared-up 4-Beat gait. If you are having trouble keeping your horse in an evenly timed 4-beat gait, you're not alone, but take heart! I have a large toolbox that I can pull from, and every session will be different. It's my personal favorite to work with clients and their trusty steeds on the gait training journey. It's amazing how much improvement can be seen with just one 90 minute session. Link to the entire session will be emailed after the session for you to keep and review anytime.
General Riding and Training Lesson (Mounted/Horse and Rider): 90 Minutes