Sarah Martin and Janice Dulak, author of "Pilates for the Dressage Rider" [now also on DVD] have teamed up to present "Pilates for the Dressage Rider" clinics. Janice is a Pilates Master Instructor Trainer, trained by Romana Kryzanowski. Romana worked directly with Joeseph Pilates and his wife Clara in their New York City gym up until Joe's death in the late 1960's. (See www.pilatesfordressage.com to read more about Janice and Romana.)

Sarah has studied and engaged in many cross training techniques throughout her 30 years of training horses. Ten years ago Pilates gave her the method she was looking for to be able to improve her riding , and develop the supple, elastic, muscle coordination that top level Dressage demands. As Sarah studied the Pilates method and progressed in her own development, she encouraged her riders of all ages to practice Pilates as well. Her greatest encouragement has been to observe how many of her "older" adult riders- in their fifties and beyond- have literally "turned back the clock" as they have incorporated Pilates into their routine. The majority have benefitted by eliminating back pain, establishing more balance and integration in their application of the aides, and of course learning the invaluable lessons of how to access their core.

"That single aspect of Pilates Training is what allows a rider to move from the eternal struggle with training and first level and develop the balance in their seat that allows them to develop and understand the feeling of true collection in their horse," says Sarah. "After all, a horse can not do anything that your body can not show them- even a trained horse will gradually become flat and dull if a rider can not understand how to activate them from ,and to, their seat. The "seat" gets interpreted as our two sitz bones, and so many riders are pounding around, grinding their seat bones into dust- when what they must understand is that for an accomplished rider, the "seat" is the complex of muscles that form our pelvic sling- our powerhouse- our core."

Sarah and Janice have teamed together to present riders with a 3 day clinic that incorporates an evening lecture series with daily Pilates exercises that then are taken into the Dressage arena and onto the horse. After an initial introduction to be sure all participants understand and can access their core, riders are given exercises pertinent to their stage of development.

"Janice is the Pilates equivalent not only of a Grand Prix Rider but a Grand Prix Trainer," says Sarah. "I have developed many Grand Prix horses and developed myriads of riders from their first dressage lesson to FEI riders. There is a vast gap between just knowing how to ride, and knowing how to TEACH how to ride.In our distinct fields, Janice and I have done both. Her understanding can help the rider access body awareness that can vastly accelerate their learning curve. My depth of experience can help them do the same with their horse. Between the two of us, we intend to give rider's a big leg up, whether they are struggling to develop their seat, or struggling to fine tune their one time changes!"

Janice will be spending a month at the Martin's Taka Chi Dressage Stables in Blanca, Colorado. She and Sarah will be working together from mid July until mid August. Students will be able to access individual lessons from Janice, in addition to training with either Sarah or her husband, Clayton [who is also an avid Pilates student!] Weekly 3 day clinics will be available in Blanca and can be arranged at outside facilities within driving distance as well.

This year we are happy to announce the return of VALERIE CARTER and PETRA IBRUGGER to Taka Chi Dressage. Valerie and Petra will be teaming up with Sarah and Clayton to teach the fundamentals of energy work, in horses and in people. After working on you and your horse, you will receive a dressage lesson where the immediate effects of the work can be felt and developed in your own body as well as with your horse. Daily lectures and question and answer sessions in addition to three personal sessions with each workshop leader allow participants to research and discover how to access this work for their own body and for their horse. Videoing all riding sessions is strongly recommended.

Personal Energy Therapy Leader: PETRA IBRUGGER

Born in Germany in 1958, Petra graduated with a degree in PE in 1980. She continued to study massage therapy, received special training in manual lymphatic drainage and kinesiology. She met Valerie while attending school in Germany for “ Akupunktmassage” for both horses and humans. Petra practices her energy and body work from her home clinic in Westfalen, Germany.

Equine Energy Therapist: VALERIE CARTER

Valerie Carter was born in Lima, Peru, where she was raised on a rural farm. As a young adult she attended medical school in Hamburg, Germany where she became a specialist in anesthesiology with additional studies in complementary therapies such as Akupunktmassage, Homeopathy, manual lymphatic drainage and Herbal Medicine.

Her passion for horses and a lifetime spent amongst them led her to combine the techniques she has learned for the horse and the human to address chronic health imbalances of the sport horse.

Dressage Trainer: Sarah Martin

Sarah Martin has worked personally and with her students in sessions with both Valerie and Petra. “We decided to combine all three of us after having individual sessions with either a horse, when Valerie was around, or with Petra, when we could catch her- and then having the rider’s say “Oh, if I could just ride now!” In these workshops we can combine all three on the first day, and then individually decide what is best for each participant over the course of the next 3-5 days, depending on their needs and availability.”