New and Upcoming Courses
The What, Why, How Online CourseÂ
Training in partnership |Â through our comprehensive, biomechanically based approach to classical dressage
We have been teaching the What, Why, How Course for six years.
This course gets results! Not from any quick fixes, but through thoughtful progressive training which treats your horse as an individual.Â
WIth the What, Why, How method many, many riders have been able to realize their dreams of riding in a way that aligns with their values of respect, harmony, classical principles, the well-being of the horse, and relationship/connection.
This comprehensive online course addresses both the horse and rider. The programme includes:-
- Biomechanics-based theoretical instruction grounded in classical principles and tradition. Explaining the interplay between the horse's mind, body, and the dressage training.
- Gymnastic strategy and exercises designed to develop the horse systematically with building blocks of skill development. Learn how to immediately apply the theoretical lessons into your riding.
- Instructional and demonstration videos. Understand it and see it before you try to ride it with your horse
- Seat and mindset training for the rider. Feldenkrais lessons, seat and aids development, and trainings designed to develop the WAY you think, not just WHAT you think.
- Full and total guidance, support, and help every step of the way. You don't have to do this alone.
As with all our courses, you'll get lifetime access to the course materials because we know that horses don't follow a timeline!
Ready to transform your riding? Choose between our Level 2 program (starting January 10, 2025) or the complete 4 level training experience. You can begin your journey today.
The Ritterize Membership
The Ritterize Membership
(previously EOTM)Â
Infuse your Training with Ritterize - your monthly infusion of Ritter Learning. Click on the button to learn more.
January 2025:
 Strength Training for Riders Workshop
 Strength Training for Riders Workshop
This month in Ritterize we embrace new beginnings with a 2-Day Members-only Workshop on âStrength Training for Ridersâ with Catherine McCum and Sonja Johansson.
Sonja Johansson brings over 20 years of experience she combines her deep understanding of body mechanics with a passion for helping people improve their movement. She specializes in creating safe, effective exercise solutions to enhance performance and well-being for older adults and those looking to improve balance and overall movement efficiency.
To accompany this monthâs workshop, Catherine has selected a Feldenkrais lesson called âPower and Flowâ this month to complement the topics discussed in the workshop. Strength is important, but to be powerful you need to understand how to support yourself dynamically from the ground up. This longer sequence explores multiple ways to challenge your ability to stay stable and balanced in more testing movements.
The featured riding exercise this month is called â25â to celebrate the New Year. It is an exercise designed to supple the horseâs shoulders, through the ribcage and back, and hindquarters. Depending on your horseâs level of training, you can make this exercise simpler or ride it only at the walk for the lower-level horse or you can add complexity and difficulty with embellishments. We will explain how. Such a fun and versatile exercise to start off 2025!
As always, we will wrap up the month with a Members-only Hot Seat session for the Exercise of the Month. This is a live session where Thomas will choose several member-submitted videos to to provide feedback, tips, and suggestions for improvement. Even if your video is not selected to be featured or you choose not to submit footage, you are sure to come away with tips and pointers from this session which you can put to use in your own riding right away.
Join us and try this monthâs exercise, â25â as we ring in the New Year together.
Self-Study Courses
A Course About Straightness with Ritter Dressage
Achieve Straightness as a horse-rider unit and see the benefits in everything you do in your riding!Â
The Straightness Course is THE course to answer all your crookedness woes!
This is a course about achieving Straightness as a horse-rider unit. This is THE course to learn the fundamental biomechanics of straightness (and its opposite, crookedness) and how it impacts everything else you do in your riding.
The Introduction to Work in Hand Course
â Improve your relationship with your horse
â Easily teach new movements to your horse
â Improve your horse's balance, suppleness, coordination and body-awareness
"Hands-down” the very best way to introduce your horse to the work in hand.
Learn how to do simple transitions and exercises with your horse with coordination, communication, and confidence.
Get lifetime, fully downloadable access to the training,
The Better Dressage Through Straightness Challenge Recordings
You will get...
âď¸ Recordings of all the Challenge trainings and Q&AsÂ
âď¸Â PDF copies of the slides and horse exercises
âď¸ All recordings downloadable
âď¸Â Lifetime access
So that you can...
â
 UNDERSTAND the problem with crookedness, and the attributes of straightness and balance
â
 learn an exercise you can use with your horse to identify your horse's stiff and hollow side
â
 UNDERSTAND how the rider can contribute to the horse's crookedness
â
 learn an exercise you can use to diagnose your own crookedness
â
 UNDERSTAND how dressage training can be used to straighten the horse
â
 learn an exercise you can use to help straighten your horse
â
 UNDERSTAND the basis of a Straightness based method of training. Training that is better for your horse's health and better for your dressage.
All of this for only âŹ27.
The Canter Blueprint Training Recordings
Learn more about the biomechanics of the canter and create a targeted training plan for your horse.Â
This training is all about the canter and the pre-requisites for a quality canter.
It will help you understand:-
â the training principles on which the canter is built
â identify the KEY areas your horse needs to improveÂ
So you can prioritize your training work and plan HOW you will approach your training from here on out so that you can HELP your horse to canter at his best.
Get lifetime, fully downloadable access to the training, plus the recordings from the Q&As we held each day for VIP members.
All of this for only âŹ37.
The Path to Simple and Flying Changes Challenge Recordings
Learn how to train and develop your horse so that the changes become the most logical, easy thing to do.
You will get...
âď¸All the recordings to the Challenge trainings and Q&AsÂ
âď¸Â PDF copies of the slides and horse exercises
âď¸ All recordings downloadable
âď¸Â Lifetime access
The Challenge Proposition...
Anyone can train their horse to do simple and flying changes. Anyone.
â That means you donât have to be a professional trainer.
â You just need to know the pathway.
 đ We show you how to do that.
Feldenkrais Courses for Riders
The FeldenFit Programme with Catherine McCrum
Struggling to get your body to do what you want? FeldenFit lessons help you to identify and address problem areas and discover ways of moving that feel smoother, easier, more balanced and more cohesive.
â Do you dream of riding with effortless harmony, where balance and responsiveness feel like second nature?
â Are faulty postural habits, stiffness, or injuries holding you back from truly connecting with your horse?
â Have you wondered what it takes to embody the grace, balance, and awareness of the riders you admire?
The FeldenFit series created by rider, fitness expert and Feldenkrais Practitioner Catherine McCrum, contain Feldenkrais based lessons to help you rediscover your natural ease of moment and improve your balance, awareness and coordination in the saddle.
â How would it feel to rediscover physical ease and resilience in the saddle and in daily life?
These short effortless sessions are the seat lesson that you never knew you needed. Hands down more effective and less painful than an hour riding on the lunge with no stirrups!
With a choice of 30-day instant access programmes or focussed week-long workshops, all with lifelong access you can start addressing your pain, stiffness, wonkyness and co-ordination challenges straight away.
"How Can Feldenkrais Help Riders?"
Try out Feldenkrais in this 7-day Free Challenge.
Together with Feldenkrais Practitioner, Catherine McCrum, we have put together a set of off-the-horse lessons that you can use to improve your coordination, balance, suppleness, and feel.
In this challenge, you will do one Feldenkrais lesson per day. These lessons are pre-recorded so you can do it on YOUR schedule.Â
The Aware Rider Program
Parts 1 and 2. Feldenkrais with Catherine McCrum, fused with Dressage with Shana and Thomas Ritter.
What is the Aware Rider Exploration About?
How can we improve how we move ultimately with the aim of having a better relationship with our horses: One in which we can listen to ourselves as well as listen to them in such a way that they hear what we're saying. This is a conversation about the conversation we have with our horses.
