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Arachnid
Platinum Member
 England
1872 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 09:19:51 AM
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Has anyone been to a Mary Wanless demonstration? Theres one near here that we have bought tickets for and rashly I signed Spider and I up for demonstration rider/horse. We dont normally suffer from stagefright although Spider is a shameless exhibitionist. Anyone know what we should expect? At least she'll have some faults to correct. It could be a long session 
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West Sussex |
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jacki
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1988 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 09:31:59 AM
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| never heard of her but sounds like it could be interesting i hope you have someone going to take pics so we can all see how you get on |
sittingbourne kent |
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shah
Gold Member
England
1356 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 09:35:36 AM
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Really looking forward to the evening now!!
Yes, I'll bring the camera     |
West Sussex |
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Qui Gon Jinn
Platinum Member
Scotland
1627 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 09:52:27 AM
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| I went to a demo of Mary's here in Scotland about 3 years ago. She was very good and easy to understand. You'll enjoy yourself and have a great time............we did!! |
The Soul would have no Rainbow....If the Eyes had shed no Tears. |
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Kelly
Platinum Member
England
1571 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 12:34:25 PM
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I think you are very rash brave  to sign up to be a demo rider!
Ok, it might be scary, but think how much you'll learn!
Let us know how it goes |
Kelly
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Alex1605
Silver Member
England
290 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 1:21:57 PM
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Went to one of her demo's last year and really enjoyed it - think it's great that you are going to be a demo rider, very envious 
MD seems very down to earth and sensible in her appoarch to teaching and niether she nor the other instructor working along side her belittled the demo riders in any way.
You'll love it I'm sure
We'll get a full report I hope ? |
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Judith S
Platinum Member
Wales
15686 Posts |
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DoriBee
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
129 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 2:07:26 PM
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| I went donkey's years ago to one of her demo's/clinics - you will be fine. Must say I have never actually seen her work with an arab though - where and when is it Julia?!! |
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Arachnid
Platinum Member
England
1872 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 2:40:34 PM
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Yes Judith she is the 'ride with your mind' lady. Doribee its at Plumpton College on 31 March - coming? Details on their website. Glad some of you have seen her before and enjoyed it. No one can remember any ritual humiliation of the demonstration riders going on. No, joking honestly. Hope Tabita is taking photos and will report back. It should at least be interesting for the spectators as Spider can be angelic or
PS welcome to AL Alex165 |
West Sussex |
Edited by - Arachnid on 20 Mar 2008 2:53:24 PM |
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suejs001
Bronze Member
England
200 Posts |
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Grey Girl
Platinum Member
England
1554 Posts |
Posted - 20 Mar 2008 : 5:55:16 PM
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I went on one of her weekend courses yonks ago when she lived near us and it was FANTASTIC - I learned loads, it improved my confidence no end, and it was a lot of fun. I'd love to go on one again but she's moved far away, sob.
Bet you have a fab time! |
 Said the little eohippus, "I´m going to be a HORSE"  |
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Amanda Teale
Bronze Member
United Kingdom
129 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2008 : 11:41:05 PM
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I have just come back from the Mary Wanless demo at Plumpton College Sussex.
Well done to you Julia for being a Guinea pig in front of the crowd, and being brave enough to have your riding disected and put together again in front of everyone.
You and Spider did brilliantly, I enjoyed watching very much, I you enjoyed it too. Would have liked to say hello, but had didn't get a chance.
Amanda |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 01 Apr 2008 : 09:03:53 AM
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Can't believe I missed this post before - but well done for being brave and taking part!!! Do you have any pictures?
Pasha and I were demo riders in March last year at Oldencraig (think I posted a report on here about it).
It was great at the time - she really liked Pasha & said she didn't normally like Arabs but she liked this one to the crowd - he was a star - he especially liked to look at himself in the mirrors of the indoor school!!!
Mary isn't for everyone though! She said I naturally 'bear down' which is great, but afterwards I think I went a little OTT on the 'Mary Way' and have since spent months trying to loosen up my thighs again! My trainer probably thinks it's the worst thing we've ever done BUT Mary does work for some people and she does get results! Think Kyra Kyrkland has lessons with her! |
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Arachnid
Platinum Member
England
1872 Posts |
Posted - 01 Apr 2008 : 09:26:24 AM
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Hello Amanda glad you enjoyed it. I was a bit scared of being bucked off in front of 200 people but it was a fabulous experience. Spider was actually quite well behaved given I deliberately took him to a show in the same arena the day before where he behaved discracefully! Plumpton kindly lent me a stable to stash him in so that I could watch the rest of the demonstration. He neighed with delight when I went to fetch him - I'm sure he thought he'd been sold.
Pasha - Spider also loved the mirrors but was terrified of the shadow he cast under the lights so it was quite hard to move him forward as didnt want to step on the scary shadow. Interesting that your instructor doesnt approve? I have been bearing down for two hours now and I think I WILL buy myself a bikini this year after all.
Hello too to the lady who recognised Spider from AL. Sorry I didnt get to speak to you properly and hope to see you at the Findon ride.
I dont think Tabita was allowed to take photos sadly as Ms Wanless was quite strict about it.
Jx |
West Sussex |
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Pixie
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
6586 Posts |
Posted - 01 Apr 2008 : 09:44:32 AM
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| Sounds like an interesting day. Tell us some more. Perlease!!! |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 01 Apr 2008 : 10:00:45 AM
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That's a shame - my mum took loads of photos and a video but they didn't come out too great.....
It's not that my trainer doesn't approve of Mary Wanless' style of teaching - it just doesn't suit me or Pasha.
It's hard to explain but you know where they make you put your legs over the front of the saddle to feel your seat bones, then pull your leg back and make you sit like you're 'kneeling' and at first you feel like your gripping like mad with your thighs as you're using muscles you're not used to using? Well I kept on gripping even after the muscles have developed - kind of became a habit!
My trainer at the time was training to be a Mary Wanless Coach as well so I think that made things worse for me.
Pasha is more of a 'leg' horse than a 'back' horse and having the weight distributed down my thighs wasn't allowing his back to move freely - I became a kind of clothes peg which was not Mary's ultimate goal, I know, but nethertheless it happened to me....... so now i've gone completely full circle and my stirrups are back to their normal super long dressage length. It works for us! Although it was a long painful route of sitting trot, no stirrups, one stirrup etc to get back there!
The trainer I switched to in the Summer is Classical (she spent several years in Vienna and was married to a rider at the Spanish Riding School). After 2 lessons my dressage scores went up on average by 5% and we're happy now so going to stick with it x |
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Arachnid
Platinum Member
England
1872 Posts |
Posted - 01 Apr 2008 : 11:04:44 AM
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Oooh! I'll have to be careful not to do that peg thing. I would be interested in going to have a lesson at her yard in Oxfordshire maybe without Spider. What I wanted from it was a correction of my basic position. Spider is a spooky little horse and whilst I mainly stay on, every now and again I am caught out and I hit the deck. Everyone tells me that I tip forward especially in times of crisis (and there are a few!) and that if I was sitting properly I wouldnt fall off in the first place. Mary Wanless told me that in my desperate attempt to sit up straight I hollow my back and move too much in the saddle. In the new Mary position I found it difficult to raise my head but I think I'll concentrate on the muscle control and tipping back my waistband before I address that. She also said that I have far too much weight in my stirrups (which I have been taught to do)
Pixie - it was an evening demonstration and book tour where Mary Wanless had three demonstration riders picked by the photos we sent her. She did not speak to us much beforehand, presumably so we couldnt anticipate what we'd be doing. She then dissected our riding and showed us how to correct it, inviting the audience (about 200 of 'em) to suggest where we were going wrong. It was really interesting. Have got to chapter 2 of the first book this morning when should be working..
Jx |
West Sussex |
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Pasha
Platinum Member
England
3622 Posts |
Posted - 01 Apr 2008 : 11:27:42 AM
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Oh I really hope you find it useful... I have a friend who goes to Mary's for a week once a year and she's a fantastic rider
He he just remembered the whole 'thrusting' debate that went on at the demo we were at!! Mary asked the audience if me and the other girl doing the demo were thrusting not enough, enough, or too much? The audience said I was thrusting too much and the other girl enough...... Mary said I was thrusting enough but the other girl wasn't and if we swapped horses Pasha would run away with her. Don't think that's true as he wouldn't dare but made us all laugh
One thing is for sure... you have to leave your modesty at the door with Mary |
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