Clinics & Workshops
Clinics:
Susan offers various clinics at Big House Equestrian Center as well as the ability to travel to your farm (see below).
Interested in a Clinic?
We are in the process of choosing additional dates for 2024 Let us know if you have a preferred date!
contact Susan directly to register
Open Centered Riding clinics for any level
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You’ll learn how to achieve an independent seat and how to move in harmony with your horse. This information applies to all disciplines. Clinics also include saddle fitting, basic obedience and ground training for the horse.
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A typical clinic begins Friday eve with a Meet & Greet and an interactive Powerpoint Presentation of the 4 Basics plus Grounding & Clear Intent of Centered Riding.
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Then we start 8:30 Saturday & 9:00 Sunday mornings with the Groundwork followed by your first mounted riding session, a lunch break, more body awareness groundwork followed by a second riding session.
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Participants usually finish by 4:00 pm, both days. A strong Centered Riding foundation is carefully constructed throughout the weekend.
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A maximum of six participants ensures each rider receives personal attention and feedback.
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Auditors are always welcome. They take part in all activities except riding. It is a great way to expose more people to Centered Riding.
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Riders may arrange to have their lessons videotaped. With the new video camera system, participants will be able to view their progress during the clinic! (click here for info) Attending instructors are invited into the arena to learn hands-on bodywork techniques.
Many interesting opportunities for clinic participants are available; please contact Susan directly. click here.
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Open Centered Riding clinics usually involve around 4 hours of mounted riding instruction.This is intermixed with unmounted on the ground work with the horse & body awareness work on the riders & auditors.
Ground work clinics that involve working the horse, un-mounted in hand, along with some advanced lunging techniques and ground driving. Learning how to handle the horse effectively with gentleness.
Centered Riding clinics for special populations such as pony club, riding club, therapeutic riding centers, obstacle training, and trail riders associations.
Collaborative clinics that focus on riders’ body awareness with such experts as Feldenkrais practitioner Sam Nelson, local Alexander teachers, as well as massage therapists and other interesting specialists in their fields such as Dressage, Police horse training, and more.
Contact Susan for more details
Note: Please mail all payments to:
Post Office Box 279
Geneseo, NY 14454
Host Your Own Clinic!
Not able to attend a Open Centered Riding Clinic at the Big House Equestrian Center? Or are you interested in hosting your own clinic? Please contact Susan as she is booking dates in 2023.
Note: There is a non returnable $350 deposit is required to secure your date.
10% discount for Centered Riding Member’s
Susan will give a 10% discount for Centered Riding members on lesson packages or clinics. This includes 10% off weekend retreats in her air conditioned barn apartment complex with kitchen, bathroom and shower, plus a stall for your horse.
Susan specializes in body work on and off the horse. She has a private, peaceful family-owned farm nestled on 300 acres, an outdoor arena, a beautiful indoor riding hall, relaxing woodland trails, and lesson horses available.
To become a Centered Riding Member go to Centered Riding.org
Limited weekend retreat housing is available. Click here to contact Susan for information.
"Outstanding instruction.
Very knowledgeable about a wide range beyond just Centered Riding."
"Spot on. Susan knew how to assess each of 3 riders and their differences/specific needs. She found my weakness and gave clear instruction on how to improve."
Centered Riding Workshops:
These may entail:
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Small group introduction to centered riding and the four basics
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Improving your balance and turns
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Enhancing flexibility and mobility
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Feldenkrais movement and awareness class
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Foundation groundwork, including correct lunging, finding the soft feel through “timing and release,” and working the horse in-hand
In addition, Susan offers working apprenticeships for middle school through college and pre-vet students.
Susan’s clinics and workshops are offered throughout the year. For her upcoming schedule please click here.
Upcoming Centered Riding workshops:
Check back soon for workshop dates.
Note: Centered Riding workshops are unmounted. Lunch will be provided.
Contact Susan for information & registration.
I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed Saturday’s workshop! I had a very pleasant bareback ride tonight and loved implementing all the things I learned - especially those turns! And my horse loved it too.... turning left suddenly started going much better! :)
Video Evaluations:
One of our most valuable teaching -and learning-tools is the unique application of video for lesson feedback and analysis. Connecting what a student feels when riding and then seeing how it looks often provides that "aha!" moment to understand and incorporate those necessary changes and be the better rider.
Through multi-camera usage in the indoor arena, Susan now has a crucial edge in her ability to identify and diagnose why a rider is having problems, then give them the aids to fix those issues through her knowledge and application of Centered Riding techniques and her experience teaching riders for over 50 years!
In the video below, we show an illustrated Video lesson with our friend Kristen, who is riding our "School-Master" Scotty. This rider has a common problem- She "unconsciously" sits more on heavily on her "right" seat bone while riding. Therefore when Kristen asked Scotty to canter onto his "right" lead, he took wrong lead. Why? you might ask - Because the rider unbalanced the horse making it quite difficult for him to carry out her wishes. As you watch Kristen learns to place more weight on her left, the "outside" seat bone to get a good right lead canter. Susan most often rides while teaching as this allows her to view her student from all angles and demonstrate how to solve the "puzzle" and find success.
Big House Video Evaluation Demo
Learn the basics of the five building blocks of alignment with Level 3 Centered Riding Instructor Susan Strong Kelley.
This video is a recent winner of the Centered Riding 4 Basics video contest.