The Horse Rider's Mechanic Books: ''Brilliantly Simple, Simply Brilliant''

I have ridden and owned horses for most of my life; I started riding young and was obsessed with learning to ride as well as possible. I was, and still am, an avid reader and gatherer of information.

I was also very competitive when young. So I competed in many disciplines, including show jumping, dressage, endurance, carriage driving and, more recently, competitive trail riding.

I have been teaching riders of all levels for many years. Over the years, I have increasingly concentrated on the subjects of rider POSITION and BALANCE as I realised that these fundamental subjects are often overlooked, particularly among instructors of beginner riders. This results in a rider having problems later on because they have missed out on certain basic building blocks in their development as a rider.

This realisation early on in my riding/teaching career resulted in me seeking out, following and learning from the teachings of numerous amazing riding coaches from around the world, also from the fields of pilates and yoga (and how they can be applied to horse riding) and of human anatomy and physiology. In addition, I have learned from my numerous students by constantly listening to and acting on their feedback.

I have taught riders of all levels throughout my career and have always been interested in improving the rider so that they can help their horse. I particularly enjoy teaching people who have lost their confidence or have position/balance/asymmetry issues.

We (Stuart and ) have owned a riding centre (twice) where I trained horses and riders. We had school horses, but I also taught people on their own horses. I also ran Horse Rider's Mechanic (HRM) clinics for many years.

I wrote the HRM books; these have been further developed into an online course and have helped thousands of people ride to the best of their ability. Consequently, I have studied and taught the subject of rider biomechanics for 35 plus years.

One of my students once described the system I have developed (of teaching riders) as 'Brilliantly Simple, Simply Brilliant!'

So why do I concentrate on POSITION and BALANCE specifically?

Many common horse riding problems, including pain and discomfort when riding, can be attributed to poor rider POSITION. Riders are often unaware of what is happening to various parts of their body when riding. Improving your position is crucial to improving your riding. Without addressing the fundamental issues, you cannot obtain an 'independent seat' (if you have not done so already, make sure you watch the video/read my article, The Elusive 'Independent Seat').

Improving your BALANCE is the key to further improving your riding. You cannot ride to the best of your ability without good BALANCE. After improving your POSITION, improving your BALANCE will make you a more secure and confident rider.

Most riders need help with these areas of their riding life, yet they are not commonly taught subjects, as I have already mentioned.

You can continue improving your riding at an accelerated pace when you have a good POSITION and BALANCE.

So, the HRM system looks at each part of your body in great detail, starting with your feet and working upwards through your ankles, knees, and hips. It then looks at your torso, arms, hands, and head, working through any problems, large or small, and fixing them.

Then, the HRM system takes the rider through a series of balance lessons that result in the rider learning to move with their horse and have complete security in the saddle.

The benefits are enormous for the horse and the rider. The results speak for themselves.

Alex Le Grand EBQ PPGBI - Equine Behaviourist & Trainer:

"As an equine behaviourist and trainer, I help horse owners with behavioural issues, and I also provide training sessions for groundwork, ridden work, handling, etc. Horses that have behavioural issues under saddle often struggle due to the rider being unbalanced or having slight issues with their position or seat. I studied HRM as a form of CPD to further my knowledge on this topic so that I was able to provide clients with a more holistic solution alongside the behaviour modification, training & complementary therapies.

I have found this course to be very helpful in providing me with further knowledge of rider biomechanics and whenever I am now teaching behaviour-based riding lessons or working with behavioural issues under saddle, I use the knowledge I learned from the HRM course to analyse the rider's position and seat and ensure that there are no issues there. I find that this really complements the behaviour modification and training really well.''

Jill Farmers (Braidwood - Australia):

''I just can’t tell you how much difference The Horse Rider Mechanics Course has made to my riding. After many years of lessons, I knew that there was something just not right about my riding and your information and guidance has changed everything. I could never keep my legs in position and my rising trot seemed to produce short choppy strides in my horses. Since I’ve worked with your programme this has all changed. I can’t thank you enough.''

Fiona Bowles (Canada):

"What a simple way to improve balance, I now teach this method to all of my students, from beginners to advanced."

Howard (UK):

"So much of what is written about riding overcomplicates the subject - your information is refreshing to say the least!"

Jill Warren (Aus):

"Jane - you have a knack of making things make sense, and getting that across to your students - I wish more people could teach as you do."

Jan Coombs (UK):

"These books and the course are VERY easy to follow and have saved me money. My own instructor is great but she does not cover these fundamental basics. Thank you Jane for making it so easy to improve my riding!"

Linda Galpin (UK):

"The Horse Rider's Mechanic System has made a huge difference to my relationship with my horse Milly. I have ridden all my life but Jane showed me how to fix some problems that were blocking our progression."

Kitty Jones (USA):

"What I love most about The Horse Rider's Mechanic System of riding (and teaching) is that it breaks what can be complex issues down into bite-sized pieces and teaches you step by step what you really need to know."

Bibi Liati (AUS):

"Jane has revolutionised my riding, plus many others that have attended clinics at my property 'The Bibi Ranch'. She just has such a great way of explaining to riders, both inexperienced and advanced alike. I call her my horsey hero and I cannot praise her enough."

Julie Spencer (USA):

"The Equiculture approach to everything horsey - from how you manage your horses to how you ride - has been a revelation for me. My horses have benefited so much. My partner also loves this approach and is now more involved in our improved horse 'lifestyle'."

Louise Smithy (USA):

"I have to tell you - I nearly did not buy these books (and the course that came out later) what a mistake that would have been! I thought they were going to be 'same old - same old' but how wrong I was. Thank you Jane for giving me my (riding) life back!"

Tracey (Aus):

"What an amazing wonderful woman, to have so much knowledge and be able to impart it to the rider in such a small amount of time. To see a rider ask about trot extensions (the way we were generally taught was to sit down hard and push with your seat) with her help the rider accomplished the extended trot within a few minutes, a happy well-rounded horse and a beaming rider."

Jane Butler (Aus):

"I have to tell you that the article you wrote on 'The Independent Seat' is truly amazing! Maybe it is because I am wanting that material and have been searching online and haven't come across anything that comes within cooee of your article...and maybe it is just brilliant in its own right?! Thanks - I am working on it and appreciate your writing from such an understanding angle."

Sharon Wright - New England (USA):

"I love The Horse Rider's Mechanic approach to improving your riding - I now use this method in my own teaching - thank you Jane!"

Jennie Stevens - Norfolk - UK:

"Horse Rider' Mechanic - 'Brilliantly Simple - Simply Brilliant' that is so true, so glad I found you."

Petra Wilds - UK:

''I got back to riding after a long break (to have a family) and was very disappointed with how much harder it seemed to be now that my body has changed somewhat. Jane has helped me to understand what is happening and how to work with those changes rather than against them. Such a revelation!''

Susan Reynolds - AUS:

''Finding Jane was a turning point for me, before that I literally struggled for years, tying myself in knots, trying to do what I thought was the right thing. Jane's instruction certainly put me on the right track and fast.''