Riding the Mary Wanless way

peachpie · Riding the Mary Wanless way

I've never been taught to ride but spent years poking along on trails, so I have the option of leaning back somewhat on my pockets a la Parelli or reading a book on how to ride. I have read Ride With Your Mind by Mary Wanless and am now trying again with another of her books but have not tried sitting on my seat bones with legs just so coupled with a neutral spine etc. At present my horse and I are walking and slow trotting in a round pen with a bareback pad.
I am open to hearing experiences and opinions on Mary's instructions or we can open the topic to individual teachers and let this thread just be about her methods. My saddle is a treeless Barefoot Cheyenne, but hey, the world is full of other saddles, English or Western.

Julie

I have huge problems with mary Wanless, especially her books, her descriptions are so open to misinterpretation, but her lessons are the same - still none the wiser. If you get it wrong you can cause problems.

if working from a book I would suggest Sally swift - centered riding which is brilliant, or heather moffat - enlightened equitation. Both have enough information and description for great results quite easily, and its hard to get it wrong.

carefreegirl

I second the suggestion of reading Centered Riding books, though I personally have no experience with Mary Wanless.

AlythLong

I've never thought of the Parelli seat, aka balance point, being "leaning back". I believe it is the way the pelvis is tipped. You still have your upper body upright if you are doing it correctly don't you? Alyth

Pyrgirl

I really loved Mary Wanless - DVDs and books. They didn't seem confusing to me at all and really helped us alot. The Centered Riding books are also good, but the Wanless materials were clearer to me.

Shelby

Heather Moffetts book is excellent - she also has one for beginners you can buy and download from her website. She also has some brief clips on Y-tube showing walk trot and canter on her Equisimulators that you can apply to a real horse.

I find Marys stuff confusing. Sally is better but trying to remember too many images can easily lead to 'paralysis of analysis' to quote PP.

Im delighted to see Linda now seems to be saying the freestyle and balance point are level 1/2 and from her work with WAZ, is developing a more classical position for levels 3 and 4. She also reminds us there are 4 savvys and those of us who want to trudge around in freestyle all the time arent actually helping our horses in the llong run.

Julie

Bless linda - i told her she would catch up eventually. Pity you have to ride like a sack of potatoes before riding nicely, would be better to skip the balance point all together as just something else to unlearn!

cynthia peterson

You just have to wonder what WAZ thought when he first seen Linda ride like a sack of potatoes. Somehow, Linda got the idea being supple was being loose and sloppy. In the WAZ "Extra" DVD with Linda and Pat in it, Linda most certainly looked like a ragdoll. And Remmer certainly showed the disconnect of Linda's seat. If Linda changed her style (as she most certainly has with WAZ) it shows how very wrong she was. Take note of that. You have to have a core strength, for the horse and for your own health.

Mary Wanless's newer books (and DVD set) are better. She says she regrets phasing the wording of her teaching in the earlier books. There still is a world of good in her books and DVDs. Of course, Sally Swift's Centered Riding is the best book EVER on the subject!

Julie

Love Sally Swift, Heather Moffat, and a man called Perry Wood who has an amazing talent for describing the obvious in his books!

Tigerlily

I loved Mary's books and dvd's. the point in my journey i was at, i was ready to learn it.....from a book. it is very advanced, and her newer ones are better. I personally thing centered riding is an awesome prelude to Mary's stuff. balance point is NOT. there is a difference between learning the early stages of proper riding, such as centered riding, and learning something that will never advance you and have to undo it in order to move beyond the basics. Centered riding is, IMO, the BEST basic riding book out there, hands down. easy to read, easy to get right. Mary's stuff is more advanced.....but like the old saying, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I was ready, and it transformed my riding in a way that if I had had my mare not foudnered at the time, my dressage would have gone far beyond 3rd level. So of course i am a bit upset at that loss.