Thank you for your interest in the Balanced Riding Course!
Enrollment will be opening again in early 2019
Thank you for your interest in the Balanced Riding Course!
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This is truly a one of a kind program with members from all over the world, and alumni that join us year after year to deepen their knowledge and skills (hear from some of them below). I would love to have you become one of our lifelong members. We always kick off enrollment with some awesome free training and I will be sure to let you know as soon as the training is available. |
Do You Want to Learn Right Now?
Here are some options for you...
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Calm & Confident Rider (paid)
The Calm & Confident Rider Program is for every rider who has ever experienced fear in their riding lives – whether from an accident, a bad experience, or just the question of “what if?”. LEARN MORE... |
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Training Journals (paid)
Training Journals chronicles real training sessions with the horses here at my farm, along with Monthly Live Q&A sessions and a suite of mini courses on horse care topics such as nutrition, hoof care, dental care, parasite control, and more. LEARN MORE... |
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7 Days to Understanding Your Horse (free)
Discover how your horse thinks and what motivates his behavior and learn how to communicate clearly to create a happy and willing riding partner. LEARN MORE... |
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Better Riding in 7 Days (free)
The topics we discuss in this Free Course are applicable to riders of any skill level. These are the small distinctions or little "tweaks" that can really make a big difference in your riding. LEARN MORE... |
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Free Confidence Training (free)
In this Free Training from the Calm & Confident Rider Program, you will understand your fear, learn simple strategies to manage your emotions, and begin a plan to build your confidence as a rider! LEARN MORE... |
Messages from Alumni Students
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This is the best course and a new way of learning and training, It's a great course and a great trainer and I recommend it to any one that is interested in horses and learning more about horse and gaining a better understanding of how to ride and how to do it correctly. Thank you Callie for your knowledge and offering this great course, I have a new sense of excitement going forward with the tools you have taught me with this course. I hope that you will maybe offer future courses that build and expand beyond this one so that I can continue to expand my knowledge because this has been the best training investment that I have made. Thank you.
- Tonya Nance This course really helped me get more out of my weekly riding lessons. I have a better understanding of what my horse is "hearing" and that has improved our work together. I love that I can watch the videos over and over again.
- Mary Kelly This course has thoughtfully presented topics which can greatly benefit the novice and intermediate rider. It includes topics rarely demonstrated and the opportunity to ask questions and comments and get responses from Callie is very valuable.
- Nancy B Callie helps pull riding knowledge together. She has the missing links other instructors tend to leave out!
- SK The CRK balanced riding course was packed with useful information. Callie has the unique ability to simplify difficult subject matter so that it is very easy to understand. She is one of those very rare individuals that not only works well with horses, but can actually teach her skills to others. The audio and visual quality of the videos is excellent. It is very clear in all of the material that it's all about the horse and what works best for the horse. And rest assured that you get a TON of info for the very reasonable price of the course I highly recommend this course.
- Margaret Gaughan I am a huge fan of CRK Training & Horsemanship and Callie - the time she puts in to present each video/lesson/blogs in a practical easy natured way (beautiful horses too), so easy to understand and put into practise, and any lesson online that offers many aha moments is worth it's weight in gold! This online course was just brilliant, a grand investment. I've watched many times as a reference point. Thank you so much.
- Linda Cox (& Boy), Melbourne, Australia I have only been riding for about 7 months and I am taking lessons, but this course has given me far more knowledge about horse behavior, training and horse riding than I've received elsewhere. This course covers everything from the basics, such as how to groom a horse, to advanced riding skills. If you have watched any of Callie's videos you know that she is very clear and concise in presenting her knowledge to you. Even if you have an excellent teacher, this course will be very helpful because you can watch it over and over at your leisure without being distracted by also trying to ride the horse. To me It has been worth much more than it cost. I highly recommend this course!
- George Lennox I am so glad I signed up for the Balanced Riding course! I ride with a trainer once per week, and the videos Callie provides support everything my trainer tells me, but I get to hit "rewind" as often as I need to. Clear, concise explanations for common riding issues, as well as detailed discussions about working through anxiety have helped improve my riding tremendously! I can't thank you enough for this course, and I'm looking forward to more!
- Tina Santa Clarita, CA Thanks Callie you are an excellent instructor. The course is well constructed!! I've learned so much.
I viewed this segment rather quickly as my chosen discipline is dressage and not jumping but will review at later time for the knowledge. I have a lot to work on, so I appreciate regressing to progress. I would however like to understand how to properly get a horse on the bit without pulling or sawing, and better understand collection. Could you recommend readings or videos. Although I'm working at a lower level I find that I like to understand the big picture as I work towards my goals. - Heather MacIntosh I am feeling so much more at ease and confident. Everything you are teaching in the course is refining my riding and also explaining the big picture.
- Jodi Ann Goulter I would like to commend you, Callie, and express my gratitude for your cogent, articulate manner and poise in your video lessons. I have been subscribing to your YouTube lessons for some time and was thrilled to see your Balanced Riding Program offered. Could you please indulge us with your educational background and a little additional information about how you achieved such competence as an instructor and videographer. You appear to be very young (I am certainly old enough to be your mother), yet seem so comfortable speaking and teaching that you have either been doing this since you were a toddler or EcoLicious has a face cream that has taken a decade off your face. (If so, I want to buy a case). Honestly, I have been riding three years, have read and purchased dozens of books, watched hundreds of videos on YouTube, attended many seminars, classes and have never encountered anyone who incorporated (and balanced) the science of learning theory with an intelligible, holistic, intuitive approach to understanding and interacting with horses. You really have a gift, Callie.
- Sue Brown Excited to begin today. I like the course material, and how you help learners decider the best way they learn. I am a retired special education teacher...so this all makes sense to me. I'm in The Balanced Riding Course with my partner of four years, Coco. She is fourteen, and I am sixty-three.
- Tracy Michaels I'm an alumni of the Balanced Riding course and am looking forward to another indepth review of the basics. I have learned so much from the videos and materials and really like the fact I can review them over and over again for better understanding and application. Calle is a great instructor - provides easy to understand information and uses terms and explanations that make it easy for me to understand and apply. I'm looking forward to reviewing all the material again! Thank you!
- Katherine Dunn As an alumni I am so excited to be able to participate in the new Balanced Riding Course, I loved the last BRC and I am looking forward to going through it again and seeing some new things. I just love your training style and I feel very fortunate to have stumbled upon your videos some years ago because you have helped me more than I can say, thank you for providing this great course.
- Tonya :) I'm so excited to be a part of this course again. I have been a part of every course Callie has offered and I cannot wait to see the new content and review the old ones for this one. The Q&A's and member feedback posted after each lesson provide invaluable insight too. I can honestly say I am a better rider and horse owner because of Callie's courses!
- Ann Roth As an alumni I really appreciate the opportunity to return to the course. Having access to the revamped materials will offer a deeper understanding of the lessons. Your approach from beginning basics and forward, along with the learning strategies, is amazingly helpful and makes this a much greater and so much more positive learning experience.
Thank you to you & Julia (& Ken as well) for all the hard work you've put into this course. :-) - Patti I feel excited to have the opportunity to experience this excellent course again as an alumni. The continued access to the course materials and the improved new resources is a brilliant for my learning as I like to go back and find it depeens my understanding and helps with skill development. I really believe in learning off the horse and really relate to the skill map of rider development that Callie has designed. I love the emphasis on rounded learning. Thank you Callie and team.
- Suzanne Thank you for extending the course to the alumni! Your original videos were terrific, and the new series is even better! I've benefited from the opportunity to review each topic, as I've been able to incorporate the "ah ha!" moments in my training. Your presentation is a nice compliment to the trainers I work with. I love the convenient video format, as I can replay it, or pause it, and watch at my leisure.
- Harriet Lewis |
The CRK Balanced Riding course is full of well thought out lessons, explanations and details that are layered in ways that make them easy to understand in very manageable steps that build confidence. There is a wealth of information that I will continue to review, digest and practice following this class. It is so helpful to be able to watch a lesson multiple times to digest the subtleties. I often watch a video ahead of a ride to work on while I am riding. There is so much value in this class, it was well worth the cost of the class! Thank Callie for sharing your skills, your research and wisdom learned! I look forward to continued learning with you.
- Connie H I learned so much. My confidence soared and I can go back and review when/if needed! I feel my horses and I have bonded tremendously with the positive reinforcement method. They learn so quickly this way. Thank you Callie!
- Carla Covert I so enjoyed your course, Callie, These videos are an invaluable source of instruction, tips and assistance in gaining a better understanding of balanced riding. I know this has and will continue to influence my riding in positive ways. Thanks!
- Briana Good background information and perspectives for me as a beginner that will help me individually and in working with my trainer.
- Kathy Jacklen There is a lot of very good information in the course and it is explained very clearly. I continue to learn when I re watch the videos. I look forward to learning more when new videos are released. Thank you for all that you have shared.
- Joy I absolutely love your courses, Callie! I look forward to each lesson and walk away not only with a much better understanding of my horses but the knowledge I need to become a better, more confident rider. Some may wonder why I take your courses when I ride 3 days a week with a wonderful trainer. The Answer: I can sit quietly, focus, absorb and digest your lessons, visualize myself taking the correct steps or procedures, and hit "rewind" as many times as I need (which is impossible in the arena LOL)! The Payoff: I can see a marked improvement in my skills since taking your courses! Thank you for allowing us to tap into your wealth of equine knowledge, for the time and commitment to produce quality work, for your passion to educate yourself further and your willingness to pass that information on to us!
- Penny Wilson I really, really enjoyed the new additions to the course. The presentation of horse behaviors and the demonstration of them with Callie talking as they happened is terrific. She makes her points without fluff and they are easily remembered when I am with my horse. I especially like the practical discussions on feel and timing, which are so often omitted in lessons, and yet so important to the horse and my relationship with my horse. This course is highly recommended for gaining a safe foundation in horse management and riding.
- Nancy Thank you Callie. I enjoyed the course and found it to be entertaining and helpful. I especially enjoyed going along with you on the trail ride.
- Shelia As always Callie has proven she is an excellent trainer to both horse and rider with her wide range of topics as well as the perfect combination of explanation and demonstrations she gives!!
- Nancy Missimer I'm pleased that I took your Balanced Riding course. I like your teaching style and you make it very easy to understand how to achieve my goals. I highly recommend this course to beginners who are just starting out and as a refresher for experienced riders. It is not just about riding, but also about ground work and horse behavior. Thanks Callie, you are an excellent teacher.
- Mary Ann, Nova Scotia, Canada I have been riding and working with horses for a long time but never gave much thought as to how they learn. This course helped me understand how to get results through operant conditioning and positive and negative reinforcements. I recommend this course to everyone who rides or works around horses.
- Sandra Epstein I am enjoying the course very much, and I have no regret to subscribe it. I hope this course will help me become the best rider I could be :)
Thank you very much-! Kind regards, - Miho Matsumoto, Abu Dhabi, UAE The course was awesome. I learned so much by adding this to my weekly lessons. It's great to be able to go back and re-watch the videos. The close-up and slow motion of the gaits was particularly helpful for me - I try to watch it before each lesson. Having ongoing access to the course will be really helpful.
- Mary Thanks Callie - this course has been absolutely wonderful. It has given me so much knowledge, skill, and confidence in my riding journey. I look forward to doing it all over again!
- Brooks Debra Conforti This is why I so enjoy your videos and webinars. Your approach is so positively based and therefore so kind and gentle while still being very effective. You work with the horse and not against him. THANK YOU!
- Rosanne Wellmaker I can't begin to express how this course had changed my world in horses. I am forever grateful!
- Paula Gonsalves I was rapt to receive my box of goodies in the post this morning and perfect timing with just having received your E mail re: Lesson One for the Balanced Riding Course. The gifts were lovely and the Workbook looks very professional and well set out. The handwritten note was a nice touch also:-). Thank you.
I am very impressed with how this program is being presented and the information that you have available is outstanding and plentiful. I am sure my lovely Bella will appreciate your teachings too, as they will surely have a flow on effect to her. I believe Bella has given many years of riding pleasure to lots of people and with your help, I aim to take exceptionally good care of her in her senior years. - Sue You're such a great teacher,I am learning so much. I'm turning 51 and enjoy two wonderful horses at home. So excited to feel things really making sense. You bring such a refreshing approach with your course.
- Judy Snyder Hi this is my second time taking the course, and I am even more enthusiastic about going through the material again to see how much I have learned in a year, and get clarity of the areas I want to strengthen and new skills to explore. I have gained so much confidence as a beginner senior rider in one year working with Callie. If you can make it to the 2-day workshop in September that Callie hosts at her farm, please come, its a lot of fun, and especially to feel the experience of the neutral riding position! thanks, Callie! and welcome everyone!
- Sheila Whetstone Hi, my name is Eric. I'm an adult beginning rider taking private lessons every week at a local barn. I've been on and around horses off and on throughout my life, but I've never really learned the basics of good riding, let alone good horsemanship. I stumbled across Callie's Youtube videos and was impressed by her knowledge and skill, especially as a teacher. So, when I received an email about signing up for this online course, it was a no brainer. I've gone through the pre-course and bonus material so far, and I'm even more impressed by everything I've seen and heard. So glad to be a part of this class!
- Eric Ensey Callie, I have come so far. Just learning how to truly ride a horse 2 years ago and fine tuning with this series. I have come a long way. You are an awesome instructor.
- Lisa Reid |
As a late in life rider, and new horse owner, I have been immersing myself in reading, videos etc since I started riding 2 1/2 years ago. Callie's (your) videos repeatedly struck a positive chord with me when I ran into them on youtube, and I watched what I could for free. I was lucky enough at the start of my riding to forge a relationship with a lovely young woman as my teacher/trainer/mentor/friend. She is a student of western horsemanship, and allowed me to ride her personal trustworthy horse the first year. Last February I bought a horse who is a 14yr old quarter horse gelding, and that of course added a lot to my relationship with riding/horse care, etc. I boarded with my trainer and took some clinics with Martin Black and Wendy Murdoch. In late November my mentor decided to move to Florida with her herd, and so I have been left relatively alone this winter, and now I am truly becoming a horsewoman!
I decided in Spring 2016 to sign up for the Balanced Riding Course, based on my previous affinity for the CRK videos. I wanted to have the opportunity to augment my resources with more information about all aspects of horsemanship, and the videos of riding and horse training are a great help. I am consistently and pleasantly surprised by your ability to express yourself, Callie; I find your presentation to be smooth, clear, very grounded, kind, and knowledgable. I like how you are always researching and learning, and excited to share. I appreciate your calm demeanor, it's an especially positive role model in your handling and relationship with the many horses you introduce us to.
It is a resource I am very happy I invested in, and I deeply appreciate that you create an on-going and inclusive environment for people to participate in as we can, and various forums for interchange and community.
Just about the time that Emma left, I took up clicker training. She was not a fan of treats, and Maverick tends to be a bit mouthy, so it wouldn't be recommended. But I wanted to try to reshape his "pushy" behavior using positive reinforcement, rather than always pressure and release, and so I am doing it. Since the winter has been bad weather I have been working on the ground, often at liberty. He loves it, and I am finding my way. This winter alone with him has convinced me that I need to finally get serious about space and boundaries, and for the last month I have been very consistent. (After a few "holy shit" moments;~} Being able to interject the clicks/treats with what I am asking so as to be clear just seems like a win/win. And I have been teaching him walk, halt, trot voice commands this way as well. Picking up his feet has improved totally in ease and softness. All this has been very much supported by your input, video's, and articles. And being able to review the materials you present as I develop as a rider is a great way to get the most out of the "investment."
What can I say, I am a fan. Just the other day I was thinking, gee, I'd love to be able to get Maverick to Callie's barn and do lessons for like a month. (Dreaming.)
So after 3 month off I saddled him up and worked in the outdoor the other day. I was a little nervous, but we did fine. I wasn't really planning to ride, just revisit the mounting block, saddling and bridling...once I was on him, after sitting still for a few, I lifted the reins and he had the lightest backup...so I clicked and treated. Then (of course) he only wanted to back up....I did get him to walk forward and even trot a little, but I can see we will need to figure out how to balance the positive reinforcement under saddle....I feel like I am restarting our relationship based on the positive reinforcement conversation, so I plan and hope to take it slow getting back into riding, and see if we can continue to develop our mutual understanding about cues and what we can accomplish.
I hope this helps...there really isn't anything I feel the course lacks. I find you to be very generous with your time and knowledge, and I am appreciative of the support.
Warm wishes,
- Sharon Gamsby
I decided in Spring 2016 to sign up for the Balanced Riding Course, based on my previous affinity for the CRK videos. I wanted to have the opportunity to augment my resources with more information about all aspects of horsemanship, and the videos of riding and horse training are a great help. I am consistently and pleasantly surprised by your ability to express yourself, Callie; I find your presentation to be smooth, clear, very grounded, kind, and knowledgable. I like how you are always researching and learning, and excited to share. I appreciate your calm demeanor, it's an especially positive role model in your handling and relationship with the many horses you introduce us to.
It is a resource I am very happy I invested in, and I deeply appreciate that you create an on-going and inclusive environment for people to participate in as we can, and various forums for interchange and community.
Just about the time that Emma left, I took up clicker training. She was not a fan of treats, and Maverick tends to be a bit mouthy, so it wouldn't be recommended. But I wanted to try to reshape his "pushy" behavior using positive reinforcement, rather than always pressure and release, and so I am doing it. Since the winter has been bad weather I have been working on the ground, often at liberty. He loves it, and I am finding my way. This winter alone with him has convinced me that I need to finally get serious about space and boundaries, and for the last month I have been very consistent. (After a few "holy shit" moments;~} Being able to interject the clicks/treats with what I am asking so as to be clear just seems like a win/win. And I have been teaching him walk, halt, trot voice commands this way as well. Picking up his feet has improved totally in ease and softness. All this has been very much supported by your input, video's, and articles. And being able to review the materials you present as I develop as a rider is a great way to get the most out of the "investment."
What can I say, I am a fan. Just the other day I was thinking, gee, I'd love to be able to get Maverick to Callie's barn and do lessons for like a month. (Dreaming.)
So after 3 month off I saddled him up and worked in the outdoor the other day. I was a little nervous, but we did fine. I wasn't really planning to ride, just revisit the mounting block, saddling and bridling...once I was on him, after sitting still for a few, I lifted the reins and he had the lightest backup...so I clicked and treated. Then (of course) he only wanted to back up....I did get him to walk forward and even trot a little, but I can see we will need to figure out how to balance the positive reinforcement under saddle....I feel like I am restarting our relationship based on the positive reinforcement conversation, so I plan and hope to take it slow getting back into riding, and see if we can continue to develop our mutual understanding about cues and what we can accomplish.
I hope this helps...there really isn't anything I feel the course lacks. I find you to be very generous with your time and knowledge, and I am appreciative of the support.
Warm wishes,
- Sharon Gamsby