Do you ever watch riders and think, “How did they know to use that aid right at that moment?” There is a feel top riders have developed, but that feel often starts with learning how a horse moves. Developing feel doesn’t require talent; it requires study and practice. Start by learning how your horse’s body works.

The Equine Biomechanics Workshop for Riders will help you understand movement at the walk, trot, canter, gallop and jump. When you understand how your horse moves, you can start to think about the best way to stay balanced and communicate with the horse. This knowledge is fundamental to improving your riding. 

Hi, I'm Shelley Thomas. I'm excited to work with you! Let me introduce myself.

I'm a physical therapist and rider. I own a company called Intrepid Wellness where I help horses and riders be better athletes.  I’m passionate about helping riders learn about injury prevention, rehabilitation, and ways to help their horse reach peak performance.

I graduated from the Mayo Clinic in 1999 with a Master’s in Physical Therapy and have worked for over 20 years with people who have orthopedic and neurological injuries. I also received additional training to work with horses and am a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner from the University of Tennessee and a Permitted Equine Therapist for FEI events.

One common thing I see in my practice with both horses and humans is that many injuries are caused by lack of proper understanding about movement and fitness. All horses need to be prepared to do their job. I think we could help our horses feel better, perform at their peak, and last longer by creating thoughtful training programs.

I've ridden horses all my life, in eventing, show jumping and dressage. I did a bit of Western as a kid and my memory of riding "Lucky," a highly trained cutting horse, still makes me smile!  My current horse is named Pangloss, an 8-year old Thoroughbred. We're working on moving up the levels in eventing, COVID permitting and all! 

What do you get with this workshop?

There will be four sessions (about 60 minutes long), held once a week. You’ll have access to the recordings for life, along with handouts, videos, and flashcards. You can join the sessions live or listen to the recording later if you can’t make it. 

Who is the course for?

This course is geared toward beginner and intermediate level dressage and jumping riders. It’s got great information for riders of all disciplines, but will specifically discuss how the horse jumps and performs dressage movements. If you participate in another sport, this information can easily be translated to other venues.

Why should you take this course?

You should take this course if you’d like to learn how your horse moves. We’ll also discuss rider biomechanics so you understand what’s happening to your body at the walk, trot, and canter. Then we’ll put it together and talk about aids. You will learn why you give certain aids, when you give the aid, and why it helps change the horse's movement.