equisensomotoric® training

Whether your horse needs Equisensomotoric® training exactly is of course impossible to judge here.
However, a look at practice and stables shows that too many horses move unpyhsiologically due to a lack of equestrian knowledge or have already suffered wear and tear due to incorrect training methods.
On the other hand, there are well-meaning riders who want the best for their horses, but are confused by the multitude of contradictory training approaches and hop from one method to the next because their horses’ health is not improving in the long term.
Equisensomotoric® Training has been developed over more than ten years from a wide variety of riding styles and is a tried-and-tested selection of exercises – a best-practice and best-results in relation to the 7 health goals defined by Equisensomotoric®.

Horses are not born to carry or being ridden. So if you “only” want to ride out, training that promotes carrying capacity in the back, such as Equisensomotoric® Training, is particularly useful. Thanks to the specific build-up training, horses can be ridden and also ridden out in a healthy manner into old age.

Horses are not born to walk circles and curves. So even if you “only” work your horse a little in the dressage arena or “only” in liberty work, it can benefit greatly from Equisensomotoric® training. Through the specific exercises, for example, you can promote his straightness and joint stability – this acts as a preventative measure against joint arthroses such as spavin or cupping with every circle walked.

In 1:1 lessons, the first steps and experiences of increased movement quality are usually already evident in the first unit.
But even those with a trained eye and perhaps some previous knowledge will notice the first positive changes after the first session.
Very often, for example, the back appears more full after the session and the horse distributes its weight more evenly over all four legs during resting phases.
In the vast majority of cases, however, you will be able to see, feel and hear the first significant changes in your horse after around three months (if you perform the exercises correctly several times a week).
The effects will be greater or smaller depending on where your horse starts in terms of training level.

The main focus of Equisensomotoric® Training is clearly on the 7 health goals, while other methods more often aim for high collection up to schools above the ground or the development of certain figures.
In Equisensomotoric® Training, for example, a flowing trot with vertical leg axes is clearly preferred to a possibly unphysiological piaffe with backward front leg axes.

The training follows comprehensible, clear structures that are adapted to the individual horse type, which is why it can be learned by any seriously interested rider.
How long it takes depends, as with any learnable skill, on the prior knowledge, talent and empathy of the user.
There are riders who have already understood the basics of Equisensomotoric® in just a few 1:1 sessions and can put them into practice.
In particular, the ability to feel the seat aids in relation to centimeter-by-centimeter balance shifts can be learned by anyone, but in the vast majority of cases this must first be consolidated.
In our experience, this is usually the case within the first year of regular lessons.
When imparting knowledge, both in the online courses and in 1:1 lessons, particular attention is paid to explaining the complex interrelationships of living biomechanics in interaction with the emotional balance of the horse in a way that is simple and applicable to everyone.

In the case of acute, unhealed lameness (such as a tendon injury), the healing process must first be awaited. Experience has shown that Equisensomotoric® training , in consultation with the attending veterinarian, is an excellent way to build up and rehabilitate the horse.
Above all, this is because the training is designed to be particularly gentle on joints and tendons and is aimed at physiological, straightforward movement sequences.

It is not possible to promise a cure, as each horse has a different set of problems and also reacts individually to training by its rider.
However, there is already some very good experience of Equisensomotoric® Training in relation to, for example, muscle shortening after injuries, joint arthrosis, hoof rolls, kissing spine findings, fetlock ring ligament syndrome or recurring patella fixations.
In these cases, the proposed training plan should be discussed with the attending veterinarian and only be implemented with the guarantee of freedom from pain through e.g. medication and with close, daily observation of the horse’s body language.

If you are mainly interested in working on specific lessons, you must be aware that Equisensomotoric® training focuses on keeping the horse healthy and not on the rider’s ambitions.
However, if a few months of Equisensomotoric® training results in a flying change, this is of course nice and will be incorporated into the training from then on, but the specific development training of Equisensomotoric® primarily pursues the 7 health goals.

No, this basically has nothing to do with Equisensomotoric® Training.

While “sensomotoric” exercises for horses are mainly carried out standing on mats and balance pads, Equisensomotoric® training is a complete training concept that mainly takes place in motion.
The name of the trademarked Equisensomotoric® method is made up of the words for horse Equi, feeling Senso and movement Motorik. This is due to the fact that the method pursues the central objective of capturing and sensing the physiologically correct movements of the horse and making them learnable in order to help as many horses as possible to achieve a healthy movement sequence and emotional balance.

Equisensomotoric® training also aims to establish neuronal muscle interaction for this healthy movement sequence – something that can only be trained through movement and correct repetition.
For comparison: if I want to be able to play tennis really well, static exercises on equipment can help me to build up strength in my arm, for example (comparable to “sensorimotor exercises”).
However, for a fluid swing of the racket, targeted power dosing on the ball and finely tuned muscle interaction for the improvement of a sophisticated technique, I will not be able to avoid regular, real “playing tennis”, i.e. practicing in motion (comparable to Equisensomotoric® training).
Equisensomotoric® training also includes exercises for emotional balance, for example when horses are easily stressed, and information about the basic needs of horses, such as the desire for safety in the herd and clear communication from humans, which is essential for successful training.

Equisensomotoric® Training is therefore a comprehensive training concept with 7 far-reaching health goals – including the emotional balance of horses – while “sensomotoric exercises” on mats only cover a static aspect (e.g. joint stability, balance) while standing.

However, there is no reason not to do “sensorimotor exercises” in addition to Equisensomotoric® Training, as long as they are beneficial to the horse’s health.

Equisensomotoric® Training is a tried and tested training method developed with the 7 defined health goals in mind. It works with fine aids, precise standards and objective markers and comprises a specific selection of exercises that have proven to be particularly effective in keeping riding horses healthy.
To guarantee the long-term quality of the method, the term Equisensomotoric® has been protected as a word mark.