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RWYM Biomechanics' Clinic with Stephany Fish Crossman
Clinic Review
RWYM Biomechanics Level 2 instructor
Stephany Fish Crossman December 8-10, 2024.
Have you ever met someone and thought… why in the world did it take us so long to connect!?!?! I truly believe that people, horses and circumstances come into our lives when we are ready for them.
Well, Stephany did that for all of us… riders and auditors alike.
Stephany has a phenomenal eye, can explain things in so many ways for each person. Is funny, kind, and easy to talk to. She made such incredible changes in all the riders, and the improvements in the horses were astonishing to say the least. She is incredibly gifted, and we all were so fortunate to soak up everything she had to present and share with us., and it was such a pleasure to watch her help the riders understand where they needed to be in the saddle to stay with the activity and not hinder the horse’s motion and instead improve their balance and movement.
If you aren’t feeling humbled in this sport, you are not growing! Get out of your comfort zone! Expand your knowledge and dare to push yourself and learn from others.
If you aren’t learning, you’re not growing!
If you have been in this horse world long enough, or other sports… you know that our own proprioception is a bugger.
Without proprioception, you wouldn’t be able to move without thinking about your next step. Proprioception allows you to walk without consciously thinking about where to place your foot next. It lets you touch your elbow with your eyes closed.
Remember we are also sitting on a creature that has its own sense of proprioception!! Which is why it is important to ride on different surfaces, use cavaletti’s etc.... digging deeper on working with our horse’s proprioception is for another post!!
I love my horse community; we are so fortunate to have one another, and we all lift each other up and support one another. We had the most amazing potluck lunches, where we warmed up (it was about 30 degrees 😊) and shared thoughts from our lessons and watching the others, followed by a full hour of un-mounted work and Q&A!!
To say our brains were overflowing with amazing new knowledge
is a massive understatement!!
I have always considered myself a bit of a biomechanics nut, and the RWYM program is phenomenal and a great addition to my toolbox.
We will have Stephany back in April 2025. In addition, I am also excited to be heading to Florida at the end of February 2025 to ride with the legend herself Mary Wanless!!
Feedback from the riders and auditors
Stephany, as a representative of Mary Wanless method, was positively artful in her delivery of the message.
I had to go through five stages of Grief to begin teaching myself a better way of being.
DENIAL-I am NOT crooked in my seat!
ANGER-How dare you tell me I am crooked in my seat!
BARGAINING-I'm old, injured, tired, please let me ride with my crooked seat...
DEPRESSION-geez, I've been riding with a crooked seat for so long I don’t know if I can change it...
ACCEPTANCE-Okay, I got this crooked seat, and when I sit in the most uncomfortable, awkward position, I can feel knots disappear out of my horse's back, loin, haunches and brain. I'm all in.
I had to be called out on my extreme stubbornness to begin, to offer my horse a better deal. While difficult to hear, it was exactly what I needed to experience a vastly better way of dancing with my horse.
Pictures don't lie~
Stephany was able to offer me what I could afford to hear and left me wanting more. Just as a good trainer should leave the horse.
I'd like to name just a few pearls that I continue to ruminate on:
1. Where do I hold tension in my body? What can I do?
2. Remind myself to just breath, for me, a nice hold at the top is helpful.
3. Can I feel both seat bones? Raise my left toes? Narrow the left seat bone. Hang right cheek.
4. How much weight is in my feet? Knees internally rotated?
5. Line of sight, through the ears? Horse's neck straight?
6. How do those three parts feel? Is the front traveling the same speed as the back? Fix it.
7. Are you focused? Are you fair? Do you have bridles on those monkeys?
8. Is your front the same length as your back? Shoulders, relaxed?
9. Down dog ribs.
10. Un weight right seat bone-be very, very aware going right. Centrifugal force throws me off. You gonna let it? Going left is easier, pay attention to how great it feels. Recognize the difference.
11.What's my self-talk? Get out of my own way, do the work.
12. Be stubborn for good!
13. Observe, remember and compare.
14. Also, words are just words, it's not personal. Am I missing the lesson because I don't like the language?
I cannot thank Carol Cunefare enough for this incredible experience, I never would have grown so much without having the garden prepared.
The journey just keeps getting better. I much look forward to the view from the next mountain.
When the student is ready, the teacher appears.
Gratefully yours,
~Laura
Participating in the clinic taught by Stephany has been transformative for me and my mare. She is a delight to work with, laughing and communicating with her students in such a respectful way, making everyone feel comfortable so they are in a place where they can learn effectively.
Stephany teaches concepts so clearly! I learned so much about biometrics and body awareness. My riding has improved with a state of balance, and with strength and confidence, and yet also lightness and nuance. The most impactful thing she gave me was confidence to ride! To be a leader for my horse. She has given me the knowledge and skills to go to the next level, now I just need to put in the practice!
Thank you, Stephanie! I can’t wait to have you back for more learning in the spring!
~Holly
The 3-day clinic was everything I expected it to be. Stephany was an exceptional clinician, very knowledgeable, made it fun and was able to instruct each horse and rider combination through different techniques.
I was able to learn plenty by observing and listening to the individual lessons. The question-and-answer sessions were also very informative. She shows a passion and a true desire to share her expertise on rider biomechanics.
I look forward to her return in April.
~B.A.
I thought it was a great clinic! I thought Stephanie had a great eye and a very easy way of explaining things. She had a lot of different analogies that helped riders make sense of what she was looking for.
I LOVED it when she asked people if they were breathing down to their belly button and immediately the horse would take a deep breath! So cool how much our horses can feel us up there and tune into our breath, our tension etc.... I loved that she had one person sing the ABCs and the horse very visibly started to relax. This was a good take away for me, to sing or hum when I’m riding, because I forget to breath and get tense and too in my head.
Her explanation of what the “seat” consists of, was interesting to me. I’ve always thought of the seat as core and pelvis only.
~Meg
Our three-day clinic on the Bio-Mechanics of Riding with Stephany Crossman revealed not only my weaknesses but also my strengths. Alignment was a key topic for me, as was the proper use and balance of the aids.
Stephany's explanation of rhythm and how to find it and keep it, relating to my horse specifically, was extremely helpful. A very unique and meaningful clinic!! Thank you, Stephany!!
~Janet
IF YOU ARE OUT OF BALANCE, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM
This statement keeps ringing in my head following Stephany’s amazing three-day seminar at Durango Dressage.
When riding Whisper, I had been aware of certain weaknesses in my body that I knew were negatively influencing our performance and ability to move forward in our goals. Stephany, however, was able to pinpoint those weak areas which created loss of balance, which then created negative tension resulting in an inability for Whisper to move freely and “carry” me.
Stephany personalized the training experience with specific exercises that isolated the areas that were contributing to my imbalances. She then made it fun and challenged me with descriptive names for my newly acquired aids. My “hunchie-old-lady,” “laser-beam” and “chip-clip” are now art of my arsenal to keep myself, and therefore my horse, in balance.
~Rae
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