Anne’s clinic attracts riders from all disciplines. This year there were jumper riders, equitation riders and three day eventers. Horses also ranged from experienced jumpers, young green horses, nervous/hot horses and a few ponies.

Prior to the clinic, I visited Anne’s ex- Grand Prix horses Lorenzo, Great Point and her Olympic mount Eros who is now 29 years old. All the horses were happily munching on hay, looking beautifully groomed and in great condition.  They speak volumes about who Anne Kursinski is as a person. Her face still lights up like a child on Christmas morning when she speaks of Eros. 

As for the curriculum, flatwork, proper position and body control was a major focus.  Anne told the riders, “If you can’t control your own body, good luck controlling your horses”. She explained that many of us unintentionally give mixed signals to our horses and how coordinating the aids allows us to achieve a better connection and become one with our horses.

Anne also stressed the importance of good horsemanship throughout the clinic. How things like proper saddle fit, farrier and veterinary care along with good riding would help us get the most out of equine partners. Each year the clinic has presentations that help riders be better horsemen. This year Nutrena gave a great presentation about horse nutrition. Roy Burek from Charles Owen gave an excellent tutorial on the brain and how nutrition, supplements and exercise affects it before and after a head injury.

Each group worked on straightness, bending and using more seat and legs with less hands.  Anne utilized some of her exercises such as riding with the reins on one side of the neck throughout the clinic. Anne’s exercises have multiple benefits. Some improve the connection between horse and rider. Others soften a rider’s hands. They all help teach awareness, feeling and take us out of our comfort zone. The exercises were about trusting their horse and doing less.  “Letting the horse do his job and staying out of his way” as Anne said repeatedly, ultimately created successful partnerships between horse and rider.

Anne had the riders turn their hands over and hold the reins wide apart as if pushing a wheel barrow while jumping through the gymnastic. This is how Anne starts teaching riders the automatic release which is not commonly taught today. The exercise also helps strengthen a rider’s core because he can’t use the horse’s neck for balance.

As the clinic progressed so did the challenges. Anne asked for more advanced flat work including lateral work. She explained the purpose of basic dressage is to strengthen the horses’ hind end and make him responsive to the aids and flexible. It makes our horses more athletic and sounder. The jumping got progressively more challenging each day ending with course work on the final day. 

Anne has a gift for identifying a rider’s strengths and weaknesses and giving them enough challenge to help them improve and take their riding to the next level. In the end the transformation of the riders was incredible. The horses and riders were more “connected” and looked more relaxed. Many of their old habits were no longer present as they executed the courses on the final day.

I highly recommend riding at one of Anne’s clinics or taking a lesson with her.  For those unable to do so, she will be launching an online instructional site very soon! The online video tutorials are of Anne teaching all types of students, video of Anne riding while lecturing and informative articles. “I am very excited about the new online teaching website, Riding and Jumping Mentor, because it gives me the opportunity to reach more riders. I get great satisfaction out of transforming riders into more effective and feeling riders. I am very excited about what it will do for riders and in turn their horses. The lessons show real riders, many of them juniors and amateurs, working through real issues like position or lack of confidence.”

Go to www.AnneKursinski.com to subscribe to her newsletter and receive notification when the online tutorial site launches.