Are you passionate about horses?

Do you always look for connection, softness, lightness and understanding between yourself and the horse?

Do you want to share the joy of exquisite movement with your riding horse?

Do you express love and care for the horse in the way you handle and ride him?

....then you're reading about the right trainer!

Perry Wood's approach to horse training
Perry's approach is one of empathy and understanding towards the horse, so the horse becomes a willing partner and brings its own joy and enthusiasm to the performance. It is not easy to 'label' Perry's work as his background is in both Classical Riding and Natural Horsemanship. However, what emerges with Perry's training are horses capable of performing HIgh School manoevres with willingness, suppleness, calmness and enjoyment. From groundwork to ridden competition, Perry can help to build understanding and performance for horse and rider partnerships at any level.

His horsemanship is the distillation of many years of learning and experience, with many horses and in many different settings. All of Perry's work with horses is about exploring deeper communication; learning to understand and influence another being for the mutual enjoyment of both horse and rider. He is the author of the popular How to Create the Perfect Riding Horse.

Perry's background
Perry studied music at the Guildhall School of Music and worked as a professional musician until 1990, when he moved to Exmoor to work with horses. Spending a number of years studying some of the great riding masters, he worked training, breeding and breaking in young horses and developing ways to communicate with these magnificent creatures. Perry's role as a horseman expanded to include work with horses and people. Through teaching people to improve their communication with horses, he found himself helping people to discover how they communicate with themselves and others, too.

Perry has many years' experience in the fields of coaching and 'people-whispering' - both in corporations and for personal development . He is the author of Secrets of the People-Whisperer - a groundbreaking book about human communication. He is recognised as an expert in personal communication and has regularly featured on TV, radio, in newspapers and magazines.

Perry's preferred coaching style is non-directive; enabling people to discover for themselves the answers, resources and effectiveness they already have contained within them.

An accessible and effective horse trainer
Despite a busy schedule of riding clinics, workshops and courses, Perry is an accessible trainer and is always happy to help horse owners with one to one sessions to work to improve their riding and partnership. Perry will travel to clients' own yards and also welcomes visitors to his facility in the beautiful surroundings of Exmoor National Park.

Riders find sessions with Perry invaluable in helping them to ride beautifully with enhanced partnership - and improve suppleness in their horse - working with the horse's natural spirit. (Check out the many testimonials on his website! )

Client Testimonial:
" Perry has a way of being able to see the dynamics between horse and rider that most teachers will miss. He is really cued into the subtleties, so that an apparently small adjustment to any part of the rider’s body system results in significant improvements in the way the horse steps and carries herself.  I would gladly pay Perry significantly more to ask me questions about my riding that cause me to have to use my mind and my ‘feel’ so that I can help to generate the right solutions, rather than being talked ‘at’ incessantly by a teacher of less wit and wisdom. In a short time my horse had come up underneath me, was listening, and was able to make the transition to canter without the resistance and lurching that I had been trying to overcome for months.  How refreshing it was to be told, for a change, not to ‘pull harder on the mouth and make her listen’ to being helped to make it all lighter and freer. Just as it should be.”

Thoughts from Perry's clinics...

Everything the horse gives you is an amazing gift, and if you appreciate the good bits the horse will give you more.

It is from the rider's body to the horse's body, and on to the horse's mind. But it begins in the mind of the rider.

Remember the "F-word" . FUN! That is why we're riding, isn't it?

A young horse needs lots of leadership, direction and help building his confidence, so he believes he can.

Don't judge the other riders or your self, or your horse. Have no expectations. Then you will be more open and more observing: then see what happens to the horse. Give the horse and yourself a chance. The horse doesn't have expectations.

My first Portuguese riding master spoke very little English, and all he would say is " Sit well, do nothing, and the horse do." For a long time I thought he just said that because it was the only thing he could say; then I realised it was pretty much all he needed to say!

Be simple and relaxed. Quiet with your hands. Always ask him quietly: look this way - go this way.

Don't block her with the knee. This is important for forwardness, collection and self-carriage. If you ask for more forward motion without collection she ends up more on her forehand and poking her nose.

Anyone can ask a horse to go faster, but not everyone can have a horse carry herself.

Think about it: the physical aids are not the communication, it is the thought. The horse can hear your thoughts. Remember it is impossible to have a thought without it being communicated in some way.

Real Riding	How to Create the Perfect Riding Horse	Secrets of the People Whisperer

To purchase Perry Woods books visit www.amazon.co.uk

Photos: www.davidandcharles.co.uk

Perry Wood