Balanced Riding Position
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A balanced riding position means the rider is in balance with the horse. The basic balanced seat position allows the rider to have more effective use of the aids, gives better control of horse’s gaits and movement, and is more comfortable for both the horse and rider.
This course goes over the the rider’s position in detail and how it can effect the horse’s way of going.
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Sally Batton - Instructor
Sally Batton was the head coach of the Dartmouth College Division I Varsity Equestrian Team for thirty years, coaching dozens of riders to regional, zone and national titles. She is the past Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Steward and in 2013 was presented with the IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her contributions and leadership within the organization. In 2020, Coach Batton was inducted into the inaugural class of the IHSA Hall of Fame. She currently travels all over the US, including Alaska and Hawaii, teaching clinics to riders of all ages and levels.
Batton is the author, along with co-writer Christina Keim, of The Athletic Equestrian, a Horse & Rider Books publication. Her next book, Equicize, will be published in spring 2024. An avid polocrosse enthusiast, Batton is a past board member of the American Polocrosse Association (APA), past member of the United States Pony Club Polocrosse Committee, a certified APA Polocrosse Coach and the author of Polocrosse: Australian Made, Internationally Played.
Batton is a certified instructor with both the United States Hunter Jumper Association and the American Riding Instructor’s Association (ARIA); in 2008, she was named ARIA Instructor of the Year. She is the Founder and President of the Athletic Equestrian League, an organization which offers horsemanship education and competition opportunities to English and Western riders from first grade through adult. She is also the host of the Athletic Equestrian Riding in College Podcast.
Batton holds an Equestrian Studies degree from Lake Erie College and a master’s degree in Communications from Fairleigh-Dickinson University.
Learn more at https://www.athleticequestrian.com/
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