Enjoyed hearing Colleen Kelly, who specializes in rider biometrics, the seat, posture and balance of the rider, in Versailles, KY in May.  She’s the only person to ever get 100 on the FEI judges’ test.

With lots of humor (a significant amount pretty bawdy), songs and a great Australian accent, she entertains as she gets her points across:

·        Most American horses are so obese they shouldn’t be asked to canter.

·        Many of the bits used and sold here are outlawed in Australia for cruelty (as are many rodeo events we see here).

·        Balance and posture are everything to keeping your horse balanced.

·        Good riders don’t need reins.

·        Helmets need replacing annually.

·        Always wear riding gloves for safety.

·        Every rider should know her horse’s hoof temperature, heart rate and digital pulse.

·        Science goes by rules and riding is science.

·        The biggest problem for riders is that they are not level (head, shoulders, balance.)

·        Never drive over 55 mph pulling a horse trailer because you can’t stop safely.

·        Spurs and whips may be banned in Australia for cruelty as dog fighting and hunting have been.

·        Despite the “cowboy trainers” popularity in the U.S. “one-rein stops” are dangerous and can flip a horse.

·        Heels must be a rider’s lowest point to stay balanced.   http://www.colleenkelly.net/ArticlesandInfo/Sports/HorseRider/Dressage/RiderMark.htm

·        Look up to stop.

·        “Show off your belly button” to sit up straight.

Regarding dressage, she said the American horses that are treated so delicately get 5s & 6s in international competitions while the Aussies get 10s!

Horses in the U.S. are coddled rather than trained.  She said she had 4 stallions in a quadrille ridden by 8, 11 & 13-year-old girls who weren’t really very good riders!

Read FEI rules at www.horsesport.org

Go to her website for lots of great info.  She believes in sharing information and that education should be free as it is in Australia.

http://www.colleenkelly.net – Be sure you get .net as .com is a porn site….