Clinic with Alexandra Kurland
21-24th July 2020 in Calestano, Parma, Italy
Alexandra Kurland is a pioneer and leading voice in the development of clicker training for horses. She is the author of "Clicker Training for Your Horse", "The Click That Teaches: A Step-By-Step Guide in Pictures", "The Click That Teaches: Riding with the Clicker", "The Click That Teaches" video lesson series and the “Introduction to Clicker Training Horses” Online Course (click here for details).
Ms. Kurland earned her degree from Cornell University where she specialized in animal behavior. She has been teaching and training horses since the mid-1980's. A pioneer in the development of humane training methods, Ms. Kurland began clicker training in the early 1990's. She very quickly recognized the power of clicker training for improving performance, for enhancing the relationship people have with their horses, and for just plain putting fun back into training.
This year, 2018, marks the 20th anniversary of her first book and the “official” introduction of clicker training to the horse world.
To find out more, visit her website https://www.theclickercenter.com/ and blog.
Teaching assistants
Michaela Hempen, organiser of this clinic, holds a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine and an MSc in equine science, specialising on equine behaviour. She is working as a scientist which made clicker training especially appealing to her. She studied with Alexandra Kurland since 2010 and became one of Alexandra’s coaches for the online course as the course launched in 2013. Three years later she published Alexandra’s online course in German. Apart from clicker training, Michaela has a strong interest in classical dressage, particularly inspired by Anja Beran, applied behaviour analysis, and the work of Moshe Feldenkrais, all which are closely interlinked with Ms Kurland’s work.
Miriam Barrattoni is an IT specialist and riding instructor. She has been an early adopter of clicker training and found Alexandra Kurland already in the 1990s. Since 2013, she is one of the coaches of Alexandra’s online course and has translated many of Alexandra’s Articles to Italian and wrote her own articles on clicker training. She is currently working on an Italian version of the online course. Miriam has a key role in promoting equine clicker training in Italy by teaching lessons and publishing articles. Her new project is the young Maremmano colt ‘Galileo’. Visit her website for more information http://www.equiclicker.it/
Nathalie Van Cauwenberghe has made a career as a professional ballet dancer, on stage together with Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov and others. As a choreographer, she has very successfully guided gymnastic athletes at national and international level, as far as the Olympic games in Syndey, Athens (where they won a silver medal!) and Beijing.
Nathalie began studying the work of Moshe Feldenkrais in order to improve her teaching and thereby helped her students to experience more awareness and less pain, providing the opportunity to explore new ways: “learning to learn”.
Impressed by the positive effects, Nathalie became a Feldenkrais practitioner to help others to improve wellbeing and movement and to develop flexibility in body and mind using new pathways. Her students are athletes, musicians, equestrians, and individuals who suffer from injury or disease.
Giulia Gaibazzi is our generous host. Giulia and her husband Eugenio have created this paradise for horses and humans (and cats, dogs and bees) in the Apennines, where deer and wolves live. The place is truly immersed in the forest, providing our little herd of four horses an exciting environment to be horses. Giulia has a university degree in biology, specialising on equine behaviour.
She is a professional classical dressage instructor, takes horses in training, gives clinics and writes monthly articles on dressage and husbandry in two Italian equestrian magazines.
Visit her website to find out more http://www.equitazioneinarmonia.it/
Clinic description
The 21st July is arrival day. In the evening we begin with an introduction and dinner. Next morning we begin the clinic.
Clinics with Alexandra Kurland are difficult to predict as she is shaping the clinic content according to the needs of the participants: humans and horses.
Each day, we’ll have six people working with horses and Alexandra will guide them through a lesson, which is pretty much developing from what the horse and the handler need in this situation. Participants without horses will get a lot from these lessons as well. Throughout the clinic, we will be doing Alexandra’s famous exercises to improve our body awareness and posture, which really is the basis for a light and elegant dialogue with our horses. We will also practice rope handling skills to develop a gentle way of communication with our horses through the lead rope and reins. And we’ll talk about clicker training concepts, possibly by playing PORTL, which is a table-top training game. Read about it here.
And there will be plenty of opportunity to adjust the programme based on what you want to do.
At some point, we’ll have lunch together and possibly, you may get a chance to grab a cup of tea or coffee in between, if we manage to interrupt the interesting discussions. In the afternoon, we'll begin with a Feldenkrais ‘Awareness Through Movement’ lesson with Nathalie. And then we ask the horses, what they think of the effects of these lessons.
Learn from our school masters
Three lucky participants have the opportunity to work with our resident horses.
All our horses are clicker-savvy, some at the beginning and others at clicker training Grand Prix level. We'll find the horse that matches your level best.
Choose school master during registration.
You want to participate? Great! Sign up here
Clicking this button takes you to the registration page with details on available spots and prices.
How do I get there and where to stay?
Read the description on how to reach the location by plane, train or car and where to find a place to stay here
You want more? Join us at Anja Beran's Classical Dressage Workshop
From 27th July to 1st August 2020, Alexandra and the course organisers will be attending Anja Beran's International Classical Dressage Workshop in Germany. Come and join us!
Why attend Anja Beran's workshop? Listen to these three Equiosity podcast episodes to find out.
Episode 74: Anja Beran Part 1: What Is Classical Dressage and Why Use Bits?
Episode 75: Anja Beran Pt 2: Good Riding and Sound Horses
Episode 76: Anja Beran Part 3: An Advocate for Change
Need more info? Send us a message
