Why Attend Accel?

The Accel riding system is based on principles that apply to all horses regardless of their breed.

For Saddle Seat riding:

Learn how to more fully engage your horse and be able to lighten and soften as you elevate.

Learn how to control the quality of your horse's motion (be able to increase knee action or develop a long, reaching stride.

Be able to "dial in" just the right frame for your discipline.

For Western riding:

Learn how to develop a slow easy jog.

Learn how to make flawless transitions.

Learn how to "ride your horse off of your feet" so that your rein hand almost never moves.

For Dressage riders:

Judges look for performances that are "crisp" and accurate. Attend and learn that a crisp performance comes from true carriage developed from meaningful leg responses.

For Hunters and Jumpers:

Learn how to control your horse's stride so that you can eliminate "timing" mistakes.

Be able to "refocus" your horse and stop "charging" and "rushing" before it starts.

The Accel Experience

An Accel Seminar is a hands on workshop where people who love to ride horses learn how to more fully enjoy their riding. The atmosphere is very casual and relaxed. The 10 participants are split into two groups of 5 in order to make sure that everyone receives the individual attention that they need to progress.

The day is split into 3 sessions, from 8am to 12pm, 1 to 5pm, and 7 to 9pm. The evening session is used as "catch up" time for anyone who feels they need extra time, or to introduce a new topic.

Day one -- the focus is on horse anatomy and horse behavior and your ability to effectively communicate with your horse. This first session on "basics" and "theory" are then put into practice with the first phase of groundwork.

The focus on the Level One Seminar is on "softening" your horse, and developing the necessary responses for your horse to remain in frame in a balanced, soft, manner. In all Accel Seminars we follow the saying of "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. If something is not working, do something else." Since your thoughts dictate your actions, and your actions dictate your results, the very first morning is dedicated to changing the way you think about how your horse does what you want it to do. We also address how you communicate with your horse. We want you to set yourself up to succeed, not fail.

After registration, we'll have a brief meeting and discuss each individual's goals to nail down the specifics as to what each person would like to achieve during the seminar. Immediately following the meeting we'll start building "the big picture" with an in-depth discussion and demonstration regarding horse behavior and how you can optimize your communications with him. Horse behavior is followed with a segment on Anatomy and Collection, because to a large extent, your horse's structure dictates how he responds to your requests. Just as a good mechanic knows exactly how an engine functions, as well as how it relates to the transmission, the steering, and the braking, an excellent rider should know how a horse physically complies with the rider's requests.

After the first two demonstrations, your horse, as well as your riding style will be evaluated.

The afternoon session, as well as some of the evening session is devoted to long-lining each horse. I will start each horse and introduce him to a very simple, yet effective, method of long-lining. Participants will be in the round pen with me during the time that their horse is working and will take the lines when their horse is familiar enough with the procedure to respond in a manner appropriate for learning. This session is an excellent learning experience enabling each participant the opportunity to view 10 different horses at different stages being long-lined to achieve the same result. It's always amazing to see how different horses all do the same things differently. (Equally amazing is to see the results obtained using the same technique modified to suit each horses temperament!)

The evening session is used to finish any long-lining that needs to be completed, as well as a session on bitting procedures.

Day two -- the emphasis is on relating the groundwork accomplished in day one to the first two basic moves, moving your horses shoulders around, and the development of a correct arc.

On day two, the initial group is split into two groups of five participants each, and after a demonstration of the days topic, group A warms their horses up in long lines and prepares to ride.

Group B (with an assistant) starts the bitting process for each horse that bitting is appropriate for. As group A rides, and the group B horses have completed their bitting, the group B participants are encouraged to watch. Once both groups are finished, we review the morning and discuss the importance of each technique learned and how they relate to each other.

During the afternoon session, group B warms up in long lines while group A goes through the bitting process. Once again, as the bitting is completed, group A is encouraged to watch (and notice the different approaches and results) and learn. Upon completion of the afternoon session, we'll review the results everyone obtained.

The evening session usually consists of participants polishing up their long-ining skills with lesson horses (when available), or clearing up any confusion pertaining to the concepts and techniques used during the day's ride. (If everyone is satisfied with their progress, a segment on communication will be presented)

Day three -- the emphasis is on further control of your horse's body. Day one introduced head rotation. During day two control was developed over your horses hips and shoulders. Day three is about finishing a correct arc, and developing a correct counter-arc. Day three is also about utilizing what you've learned, and combining that with the impulsion from a forward gait (trot or canter) to complete the softening process.

Day three is organized much the same as day two, except that groups A and B swap times. The day will start with a demonstration of the new technique to be covered, and a review as to how this technique builds on what was learned on the previous day. While each group rides, the participants have the option of doing any work as assigned, or watching the alternate group ride. As each group watches each other ride, all have noticed that it is equally important to watch, as it is to ride. Watching others either "breeze through", or struggle through the exercises offers the opportunity to compare what you are doing with what seems to be either working, or not working for others. Participants notice quickly how they can change their technique, or offer a new perspective to help a fellow participant learn even faster. At the conclusion of day three, all participants have noticed a marked improvement in their ability to control their own ride, as well as having the ability to soften their own horse.

The evening session on day three is optional and left to the discretion of the participants. Through this point, a lot of information has been processed, and the work has not been easy. Some groups have opted to rest, while others "forge on". This night is also used to catch up anyone who needs a little more time or a different perspective on any techniques introduced so far.

Day four -- the emphasis is on experiencing "true collection" and knowing how to further develop it, and knowing how to tell if you're losing it, and what to do about it.

Day four starts with a demonstration that brings into perspective all of the training moves that have been utilized, and how they all flow together to form a system for training, or retraining a horse. To this point, all participants have taught their horses the necessary leg aids to be able to position their horse's bodies to be "straight to the bridle". During this process, because all of the work has centered around softening by moving a horse's body to achieve a new position instead of "taking his face", all of the horses will have become much lighter in the bridle, and much more responsive and precise in their movements. This final demonstration reviews the entire softening process with one horse, plus adding in the use of more impulsion and changes in rate of speed. What transpires is the realization that balance and self carriage is possible only when the horse responds to the rider's legs, and that using this system to develop the leg-hand relationship gives any rider the ability to create any frame comfortably attained by his or her horse.

After the demonstration, Group A participants work on using what they know to address their horses specific weaknesses with respect to self-carriage, and attaining balance within the desired frame. At 11:30 am the session ends with a review of what was important for each horse in order to obtain balance within the frame.

The afternoon session begins with group B working in the same manner as Group A in the morning session. At the conclusion of the afternoon ride all horses are put up, and it's time to party and celebrate a new awareness of horsemanship! During the party each horse will be discussed in detail, and a program put together for each horse and rider that will ensure future progress.

Visit our descritive pages for each
level of the Accel Series.

[ Accel Basics ] [ Level 1 ]
[ Level 2 ] [ Level 3 ] [ Accel Jr. ]

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