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About usHappy Horse training is founded by sisters Camille and Gabrielle Dareau, who live in the beautiful Gascony region of the south of France. As well as the information on this site, residential teaching courses are available in this magnificent setting. See our other site Realize Riding for more details.
We both took a strong interest in dressage early in our riding careers, going on to learn as much as we could from different sources, whether from teachers, writings, observation, or our own experience. After moving from Scotland to France some years ago, we specialized in teaching on the lunge which allowed us to study in depth - and with a wide variety of different riders - the real influence of the rider's position on the horse, combining this with our own riding and training experience to come to a profound understanding of the universal principles of riding in engagement. In our passion for the art of dressage as a pure gymnastic discipline, we have taken the perhaps unusual approach of studying riding purely for its own sake with no other agenda, whether competitive, commercial or even that of simple recognition. This has allowed us to work with horses that in most other circumstances would be rejected, and in doing so we have discovered exactly how it is that the rider can transform themselves in order to transform the horse. In the normal context of dressage based on the performance of certain movements, our results may be limited, but the quality of movement we achieve through progressively suppling problematic horses by means of engagement speaks for itself. Riders who apply the principles we teach, often very different from what they learned previously, are equally convinced by the results. When we come to difficulties with our horses in their training or management, we don't think of 'selling them on and getting another one' as being a relevant option. To us that would only mean passing up an opportunity to learn something from the process of finding a real solution. thanks to this attitude we have seen many of our horses develop a radically different appearance and disposition, to the point of a real change in their conformation and basic temperament, characteristics usually seen as unalterable. In the same way we have seen riders of many different types and abilities transform to become confident, effective and skillful at riding in engagement, which had often been a totally undiscovered dimension of riding to them.
"My goodness what a change has taken place in my riding. I think that I'm starting to sit "into" the horse rather than on top of him. I felt my horse's movement in a way that has almost never happened before […] I could feel his gratitude - he seemed to be saying "thank goodness you finally got it!" Prof. Theresa Lloyd, Tennessee, USA This holiday has been more than I hoped for. The riding instruction is outstanding. If instructors in the UK taught this way there would be a lot of happy riders and horses. Everything has been lovely, it's a very special place which I fully intend to return to" Sandra Walters, Staffordshire, England
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New from HHT!
AudioRide is a series of exercises designed to listen to while you ride.
Audio descriptions guide you through each step of developing a balanced, dynamic connection with the horse through your position.
This truly innovative learning tool gives you a whole new way of being guided in your riding, in a calm, clear, step-by-step way.
Free Download! Introductory Exercise: Riding in the Now
Click here for full details
The Gymnastic Rider eBook
Now available exclusively from HHT! A unique, comprehensive guide to practical rider biomechanics. This professionally produced eBook takes the rider through the process of developing their body in the specific way that brings the horse's movement into harmony and balance - without force and constraint. Click here for full details, and to download the 15-page introduction for free.
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Train Your Horse
The Holistic Way
How To Train A Horse Without Force is a unique guide to training horses through energetic connection and gymnastic training. Part 1 covers everything on the ground, from handling to the lungeing technique that develops strength, straightness and engagement. Comes with a free eBook supplement on Horse Trauma.
Click here for more details.
What people say about the eBook:
"OMG! I'm BLOWN AWAY by this text [...] It's one of the best horse training texts I've ever read." - Wendy Kendall
"I realized that I haven't yet written you about the impact that your training e-book has had on me, and I want to let you know how inspiring and helpful I found it. As a student of Zen Buddhism for nearly three decades, I've often wondered when someone was going to write the book on Zen and the art of horsemanship, and I think that your emphasis on mindfulness and energy connection gets right at the heart of the matter. It has certainly deepened the way that I relate to and communicate with my horses. I am reasonably sensitive to horses' body language and mood, but new to me was the idea of feeling their energy in a more subtle way - including their connection with me even when I am not directly working with the them. I have made myself more aware of this communication, and it's pretty amazing. I have started grooming differently, too, treating a grooming session as a time to mindfully listen to my horse instead of a way to dust out an old rug (OK, I wasn't quite that bad, but you get the idea). Additionally, I have made myself more open to how I actually feel about the horses themselves - very enlightening. Overall, I think that you are saying something that no one else is saying but that everyone ought to hear." - Tess Lloyd
Do You Have
A Horse Story
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So many people have been through wonderful experiences with horses, whether in training or otherwise. If you've made a change in a horse's life - or one has made a change in yours - tell us about it here.
Learn How To Trim
Your Own Horse's Feet
The Simple Seven-Step Natural Trim is a comprehensive step-by-step guide to a cutting-edge barefoot trim. Click here to find out more.
What people say about HHT:
"The riding instruction is outstanding, if instructors in the UK taught this way there would be a lot of happy riders and horses."
"The riding tuition exceeded my hopes and expectations by a long way; giving me an exciting new facet to horsemanship which is lighter. more subtle, more elegant and more meaningful. It is as if a new door has opened bringing more sunlight and air."
"My goodness - what a change has taken place in my riding. I think that I'm starting to sit 'into' the horse rather than on top of him. I felt my horse's movements in a way that has almost never happened before"
Click on Testimonials for more