Remote Teaching & Video Evaluations
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I have had many requests for "remote" teaching, and can now accommodate those who want to take advantage of this service. During times of restricted activities, this can be a great way to continue your training. I am also available to teach clinics that meet "social distancing" requirements.
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Virtual lessons and video evaluations of horse and rider can be a great way to get instructional input for your riding when you don't have access to in-person lessons or when you want specialized input in addition to your regular lessons.
As someone who specializes in horse and rider biomechanics, video evaluation lessons can be very helpful to spot asymmetries or imbalances that may inadvertently interfere with your riding. It is very difficult to evaluate yourself. Faulty proprioception is very common and can give you a skewed sense of where you are in space, how you are moving, and how straight and balanced (or not) you are.
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You don't need a fancy video camera. These days, most cell phones have excellent video ability and work well for videoing your rides.
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Submitted videos will be evaluated and returned with comments, and markups on the video to illustrate suggested improvements.
To make the most of your video lesson sessions, it's a good idea to do a "test" video first, even if it's just for a few minutes before your planned video ride.
While a camera on a tripod or a fence can suffice, it may be helpful to find someone to video the ride for you. This gives you a chance to work out any bugs, figure out camera placement, etc. Ideally, the camera person should film from a location that avoids sunlight shining into the lens, or shadows that may reduce visual quality. Muted videos are fine for evaluation, but if the video contains audio, try to avoid wind or other noises that may interfere with being able to hear. Break up the ride into multiple videos. Shorter videos are easier to take, save, and transmit.
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It may be useful to ride in a shortened section of the arena or cross country course to avoid any areas where the rider goes out of frame, or gets too large or small to accurately evaluate. The camera person may wish to practice so that the horse and rider are an optimal size, being careful not to constantly zoom in an out because that can also difficult to watch.
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If you would like more information about remote lessons, video evaluations, please contact me by clicking on the button below for more information.
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