Sylvia Loch

I recently ran across a series of videos of Sylvia Loch giving a talk and lesson on classical training methods. She covers a range of concepts in an easy to follow manner. The first and last are short, but the others run over sixteen minutes. So, grab that bowl of popcorn and enjoy!

Part 1 – some basic bio mechanic discussion

Part 2 – basic concepts in walk, trot, canter and shoulder-in with a rider on a Spanish mare

Part 3 – Sylvia gets on the mare, and things get a little fun

They attribute the mare’s crankiness with Sylvia’s long legs – but I don’t see her legs varying much in position from the original rider. I’m inclined to think the mare was reacting to having a rider whose seat is well planted in the saddle and who can easily block her from trundling forward or shifting weight sideways. In my experience, horses who are used to going crooked or “running” all the time get very resentful when suddenly blocked from that behavior by a rider with a strong connection and core!

Part 4 – the rider gets back on for a few last moments