What We Do
This is a Frequently-Asked-Questions page that details what we do in both types of our biomechanical analyses and our lesson program. FAQs that explain what we do not do may be found here.
Q: What, exactly, do you analyze — the horse, the rider, or both? And which parts of either or both of them?
A: What we analyze depends in part on the type of analysis you request, but the one constant is that we assess balance and centeredness. There are two types of analysis: the FIT analysis and the Full analysis. A FIT analysis identifies and reports on the one, single most “Fundamentally Important Thing” in your riding — a point of imbalance due to a postural habit, for instance — that is likely the single most important factor you can address to cause across-the-board improvement in your riding experience. Such an analysis and report costs $100 and is limited to the rider only. The Full analysis is a more detailed report that assesses one primary and up to two secondary points of imbalance, lack of centeredness, or poor mechanical advantage in the horse and in the rider (each one). It is therefore more expensive, costing $300. However, our analysis of the horse is limited to its balance and centeredness only.
Q: What’s in the report you send me?
A: The report has two major parts. The first is the Analysis itself. Still images from the videos you’ve submitted will have been marked with referent points and lines so you can see for yourself the important issue(s) we describe. The second part of the report is Recommendations — a section that specifies what you need to do to correct the imbalance or other issue(s) noted, and suggests practical ways you might accomplish this. You can see samples of an actual report here.
Q: What do I do once I get back the analysis report?
A: That depends on what type of analysis you requested, where you live, and how you personally want to proceed. Each report contains at least one specific, practical recommendation about what you can do to correct the imbalance or lack of centeredness that has been noted and explained. Anne is available to offer feedback for a period of time as you attempt to learn a new habit of riding (usually posture-related) that accomplishes the goal(s) set forth in the recommendation. If you have a Full analysis done and live in the Front Range of Colorado (between Fort Collins and Pueblo, eastward to a north-south line through Limon), you may elect to be a full participant in the Program and have four one-hour lessons in which she provides this feedback at no additional charge except for travel-related expenses if you live more than 35 miles from our ranch. If you live in that same area but got a FIT analysis, you can still get follow-up lessons to help you learn new riding habits, at our regular lesson rate. If you live outside the area and would like instructional feedback on how you’re doing as you work on learning new habits of posture or balance, contact us (719-347-3090 or email Anne) so we can work out a way to do it through a distance learning program we’re developing.
Q: How do I get a biomechanical analysis done?
A: The first step is to contact us, because you may have to go on a waiting list. We do only a limited number of each type of analysis (FIT and Full) each week. It’s all right if you choose to simply send in a DVD or post a video to YouTube and send us an email, but please be aware that the turnaround time will vary for reports depending on our work load. If you do make a videotape without contacting us first, BE SURE to follow the instructions located here; your video provides the only data we have to work with, so you have to film it correctly or we can’t perform an analysis.