Balimo Clinic?

[J-Lu]

Has anyone done a Balimo Clinic or a clinic with Dawn Jensen? I'm considering it but know very little about the system.

$125/day times 2 for a weekend clinic...

Feel free to post here or PM me. Thank you for any and all input!

J.

[AndalusianMom]

My barn has had several Balimo clinics with Nancy Baker. They are probably the most "bang for the buck" clinics I have ever attended. She watches the rider, then teaches exercizes to address the weakness/stiffness/crookedness, and the rider gets back on. It made such a difference to me, that I went and invested in a Balimo chair.
Well worth it! :yes:

[CapitolDesign]

I have never worked with Nancy Baker, but would endorse the Balimo system and know that they are very selective with their certification of instructors.

Enjoy the clinic if you do attend and be sure to report back to us!

[boosma47]

Attended Seat Symposium with Eckhart Meyners several years ago and was really impressed how well the Balimo system works.

I doubt you'd be wasting your money at all! Enjoy it.

[cheriepony]

i attended a clinic with ms jensen this past july and found her to be a wonderful clinician. she is articulate, spot on in her assessments, targets the problems quickly and addresses them. it is amazing to see the difference in what both the horse and rider look like, especially for those that did both days of the clinic. we had people from all age brackets there, and she was able to communicate to the children as young as 10 the older senior citizens, and those in between. i believe that anyone that goes to your clinic will not only enjoy themselves, but come away with a better understanding of the relationship of body awareness, where your trouble spots are and how to loosen and align those areas, and how the horse reacts. good luck and keep us all posted on the results.

[lindasp62]

Nancy Baker has trained my horse and I can highly recommend her.

http://www.wicklowdressage.com/

[J-Lu]

Thanks for the feedback, everone!

Cheriepony, I believe that july clinic in NC is when the organizer decided to book for our barn (her mom lives in NM and they attended this clinic).

Hmmmmmm, maybe I'll take the plunge!

Additional question: How much of this is focused on horse performance? I ask because a rider at our barn wants to do the clinic, but her horse is kind of getting over some issues and is learning to relax at walk and trot right now. The rider wants to do the clinic and asked if she can ride my horse (I let her take lessons on my horse before). Soooo, can a horse manage two riders in a clinic? If I don't ride in the clinic, I still want to ride my horse over the weekend. The rider in question is a training level rider but my horse is working at considerably higher levels (although I don't want her to do 2 strenuous rides per day).

Any thoughts from people who have done the clinic would be extremely helpful to me. MANY thanks in advance.

J.

[black jack]

J-Lu
Where and when is the clinic. I live near Houston and have had an interest in Balimo training. I would like to go to the clinic.

Thanks

[J-Lu]

Hi Black Jack,

We're at Canaan Ranch in Fulshear. The clinic will be a three-day clinic: a friday night lecture, then Sat and Sunday rides. We have nice guest houses (bed and breakfast-type accomodations) on the property if you need accomodations and of course, we can put your horse up. If you PM me, I can put you in touch with the organizer.

The clinic is November 14-16!!

j.

[cheriepony]

ju-lu-- the clinic was held in north carolina not new mexico. to answer your ? re using your horse 2x-should not be a problem as this clinic is truly focused on the rider and their "seat" problems-which can and quite often stem from more than the seat. you are usually getting on and off the horse to work on your problems areas with exercises that loosen and/or realign your body. seeing the changes can be dramatic for some, and subtle for others. but...i think that this woman should use her own horse, as most problems we have with our horses are caused by us humans-and this is the reason for the clinic. good luck,go forth and enjoy it-it is well worth your time:)

[J-Lu]

ju-lu-- the clinic was held in north carolina not new mexico. to answer your ? re using your horse 2x-should not be a problem as this clinic is truly focused on the rider and their "seat" problems-which can and quite often stem from more than the seat. you are usually getting on and off the horse to work on your problems areas with exercises that loosen and/or realign your body. seeing the changes can be dramatic for some, and subtle for others. but...i think that this woman should use her own horse, as most problems we have with our horses are caused by us humans-and this is the reason for the clinic. good luck,go forth and enjoy it-it is well worth your time:)

Sorry, I mistyped. I meant to say NC. The organizer at our barn is the woman who was there with her mom and her 10 year old daughter. All three participated - the 10 year old apparently had a HUGE difference from start to finish. Perhaps you remember them?

Thank you so much for your detailed information about the clinic! I will definitely pass your advice on to my friend and I'm starting to really look forward to it with all of the positive feedback from everyone. :)

[Arathita]

I have a friend in your area who is interested in auditing. Do auditors get much from the clinic? Do you allow auditors?

[J-Lu]

Hi Arathita,

Thanks for your post. From the organizer re auditing. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to PM me and I will put you in touch with the organizer.

Says Leslie:

This is a pretty interactive clinic from an auditor's perspective. They should wear comfortable clothes suitable to participate in the exercises. They have the opportunity to practice any / all exercises at the same time as the mounted participant (we will likely have Balimo send additional educational and equipment ahead of time). We will have an unmounted exercise session on Saturday morning. And you will have the opportunity to attend the lecture similar to one that will be given at the upcoming USDF symposium in Colorado. The cost is $20.