Barrie Stratton

of ‘Monserrat School of Dressage Pty. Ltd.’ on Waters Road, Mt. George, South Australia

Established 34 years

20 minutes from Adelaide

The trained horse makes it possible for the untrained rider to become a trained rider and if horses could talk they could teach in their own right and riding instructors would be obsolete.

I suppose I should be grateful that horses don’t talk because my business of helping riders learn to understand and talk horse would no longer exist, but a lot of misunderstandings between horses and mankind would be eliminated if horses could talk.

You can go to the world’s best instructors but they will not be able to teach you to do flying changes, passage, pirouettes, lateral movements, reinback, even to work on the bit kindly, unless the horse has been trained to do these things. The horse is the real teacher, the instructor the interpreter.

Trying to teach a horse an exercise or movement that the rider has not ever had the opportunity to feel, let alone master, is exceedingly frustrating for both horse and rider, yet that is what we constantly see riders trying to do in this country.

What is the answer? Easy, you have to be trained on a trained horse, and what a pleasurable and very efficient way to learn and develop your riding skills. It is not uncommon for students to tell me after their first session on one of my schooled horses that they have learnt more in that one ride than in many months or even years of previous riding - thank you dear horses.

To develop my own skills, be able to ride horses at Grand Prix level, and now be able to train horses, I had to go to Europe, because there wasn’t anywhere in Australia with highly trained horses for me to go. Competitors in Australia with trained horses don’t want other people riding their horses and that is understandable.

On my return from training in Europe I knew I had to have highly schooled horses if I was going to help riders achieve their highest potential and thoroughly enjoy the journey.

At Monserrat, I only accept riders that can already ride and want to improve their knowledge and skill level. All lessons are private and are 60 minutes long. Most of my clients are recreational riders and have the opportunity to ride my highly schooled horses. I am an ‘A’ Level Dressage Judge and coach a number of successful competition riders. I also train horses from Preliminary to Grand Prix level for clients.

Students prefer private lessons without the distraction of other riders and horses at different standards. Our horses are light, responsive and charitable and I do not want them to learn to switch off, follow a leader, or think waywardly. I pride myself on offering a safe friendly learning environment.

Lunge lessons are unquestionably the safest and quickest way for novices to develop a better seat balance and coordination. Lunge lessons also produce the most rapid progress as the novice rider can learn to harmonise their movements to those of the horse while leaving the control of the horse to the instructor in the lesson. This is certainly more pleasant for the horse as well as the rider.

Being able to see, while riding, what you and the horse are doing by the use of a number of mirrors in the indoor arena is invaluable, and being able to clearly hear without being yelled at meant the installation of a quality microphone and speakers was essential. The large whiteboard for clear diagrams is also invaluable. Watching other students’ lessons and having your lessons videoed is also very worthwhile and encouraged.

I encourage students to watch lessons and training sessions whenever possible from the gallery because I have learnt many things watching from galleries throughout Europe.

I constantly think about different ways I can help riders to understand what they are trying to do, by revising how I demonstrate, instruct and explain. It is important lessons are straight forward, with attention to detail and that learning is easy and enjoyable.

On my schooled horses I have found students grasp quickly the theoretical knowledge they need to be a thinking skilled rider, and of course they are able to develop their feel, co-ordination, balance, timing, rhythm, position and pressure of the aids.

I also encourage students to experiment as being conservative hinders learning. We learn by making mistakes. Of course training riders on my horses is only part of what I do. I also train riders with their own horses helping them to reach their full potential.

I also school horses for dressage and the show ring by using classical manege exercises that supple, strengthen and educate our students horses developing the horses natural paces and abilities by improving transitions, suspension, collection, extensions and self-carriage. The result is a beautifully trained, obedient, comfortable and safe horse that is a pleasure to own and ride.

I strongly encourage students to be present for as many training sessions as possible because it is as much a learning experience for them as for the horse. As the training progresses students are required to start riding their horses, initially at the end of the training sessions with the amount of time increasing until the student is riding the whole time by themselves.

For the comfort and safety of the horses that stay with us whilst being trained I built top class stables and facilities. This means four leggeds as well as two leggeds have a pleasant working environment in which to train and learn.

Another area where I help riders is with pre-purchase and post-purchase assessments. I watch the horse being lunged if necessary, but always ridden, I then ride the horse myself so that I can assess the horse’s strengths, weaknesses and level of training, and consequently whether the horse is suitable for the rider or purpose. If appropriate or requested I also fit saddles, bridles - both snaffles and doubles, and other equipment that the rider may wish explained at the time of assessment.

I cater for recreational riders and competition riders and have been teaching and training horses and riders for 34 years.

I genuinely want every lesson to be an enjoyable and quality learning experience. I get just as big a buzz out of a student improving and doing well as they do. I also share their frustration when they hit a difficult patch.

I do my best to help our students become competent, and very importantly caring horse people. If I can help you to ride more knowledgeably and skilfully so you get satisfaction and enjoyment from what you are doing, and the horses you ride get a better deal, then I have achieved what I set out to do every day. I hope I have the opportunity to help you to have some fun while you realise your goals!

Lesson Details